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Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World
Aug. 18th, 2010 12:38 pmWe saw this film on Sunday.
The plot: Gawky, bass-playing Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera) falls for the mysterious, brightly-coloured-hair Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead). But if they're to be together, he has to fight her seven evil exes.
Que a mash-up of indie comedy, retro video games, and over the top anime-style fight scenes, directed by Edgar Wight (Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead).
The film is based on a comic book series by Bryan Lee O'Malley. This is where I reveal my bias: the Scott Pilgrim series is my favourite comic book of the 21st Century. They're funny, fresh, touching, outwardly stupid and cartoonish, but inwardly thoughtful.
The movie isn't perfect. But it's a worthy adaptation. I had a ball.
Like a lot of fans, I had my doubts about Michael Cera playing Scott. Cera is cute in a dopey, passive sort of way, whereas Scott in the comics is more high-energy, like an overexcited puppy. But Cera works in the role. He's not stretching his acting range by any means, but there's a reason he's the go-to guy for "nerdy geek falls in love with hot indie chick" movies.
Speaking of hot indie chicks... With her huge dark eyes and her coloured hair and her aura of emotional damage, Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Ramona is so brain-meltingly gorgeous that I didn't notice that her character doesn't actually do anything for the whole film.
It's a pity. Ramona in the comics is far more nuanced. As it stands, she's out-shone by Scott's exes: the besotted highschooler Knives Chau (Ellen Wong) and the wonderfully sarcastic drummer Kim Pine (Allison Pill).
So that's the first problem. The second is the fight scenes.
Individually, they're funny and exciting. But seven exes is just too many. The repetition gets repetitive. I appreciate Wight wanting to be faithful to the books, but the film would be tighter if he cut out two of the fights, and used the extra time to flesh out the Scott and Ramona relationship.
So, there are problems. But they're minor ones. Overall, the film is fast, funny, clever and stupid in the most joyful way. Wight keeps it moving a frenetic speed, cramming in jokes and action sequences and a fantastic array of supporting characters. Special mention has to go to Kieran Culkin here, as Scott's sardonic gay house mate Wallace Wells.
Conclusion: You should see this film.
The plot: Gawky, bass-playing Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera) falls for the mysterious, brightly-coloured-hair Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead). But if they're to be together, he has to fight her seven evil exes.
Que a mash-up of indie comedy, retro video games, and over the top anime-style fight scenes, directed by Edgar Wight (Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead).
The film is based on a comic book series by Bryan Lee O'Malley. This is where I reveal my bias: the Scott Pilgrim series is my favourite comic book of the 21st Century. They're funny, fresh, touching, outwardly stupid and cartoonish, but inwardly thoughtful.
The movie isn't perfect. But it's a worthy adaptation. I had a ball.
Like a lot of fans, I had my doubts about Michael Cera playing Scott. Cera is cute in a dopey, passive sort of way, whereas Scott in the comics is more high-energy, like an overexcited puppy. But Cera works in the role. He's not stretching his acting range by any means, but there's a reason he's the go-to guy for "nerdy geek falls in love with hot indie chick" movies.
Speaking of hot indie chicks... With her huge dark eyes and her coloured hair and her aura of emotional damage, Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Ramona is so brain-meltingly gorgeous that I didn't notice that her character doesn't actually do anything for the whole film.
It's a pity. Ramona in the comics is far more nuanced. As it stands, she's out-shone by Scott's exes: the besotted highschooler Knives Chau (Ellen Wong) and the wonderfully sarcastic drummer Kim Pine (Allison Pill).
So that's the first problem. The second is the fight scenes.
Individually, they're funny and exciting. But seven exes is just too many. The repetition gets repetitive. I appreciate Wight wanting to be faithful to the books, but the film would be tighter if he cut out two of the fights, and used the extra time to flesh out the Scott and Ramona relationship.
So, there are problems. But they're minor ones. Overall, the film is fast, funny, clever and stupid in the most joyful way. Wight keeps it moving a frenetic speed, cramming in jokes and action sequences and a fantastic array of supporting characters. Special mention has to go to Kieran Culkin here, as Scott's sardonic gay house mate Wallace Wells.
Conclusion: You should see this film.
