Follow up:
SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD
Universal Pictures
Rated: PG-13
Cast: Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Kieran Culkin, Chris Evans, Anna Kendrick, Alison Pill, Brandon Routh, Jason Schwartzman
Directed by: Edgar Wright
www.scottpilgrimthemovie.com
Studio Synopsis:
Meet charming and jobless Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera). A bass guitarist for garage band Sex Bob-omb, the 22-year-old has just met the girl of his dreams…literally. The only catch to winning Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead)? Her seven evil exes are coming to kill him. Genre-smashing filmmaker Edgar Wright (Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead) tells the amazing story of one romantic slacker’s quest to power up with love in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.
Scott Pilgrim has never had a problem getting a girlfriend. It’s getting rid of them that proves difficult. From the girl who kicked his heart’s ass—and now is back in town—to the teenage distraction he’s trying to shake when Ramona rollerblades into his world, love hasn’t been easy. He soon discovers, however, his new crush has the most unusual baggage of all: a nefarious league of exes controls her love life and will do whatever it takes to eliminate him as a suitor.
As Scott gets closer to Ramona, he must face an increasingly vicious rogues’ gallery from her past—from infamous skateboarders to vegan rock stars and fearsome identical twins. And if he hopes to win his true love, he must vanquish them all before it really is game over.
J.P.’s Take:
In the 80’s, teens lived out their fantasies in movies like “Weird Science” and “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.” The way to think of “Scott Pilgrim vs. The World” is like a revival of the teen fantasy genre with heightened visual appeal. From the comic book series created by Byran Lee O’Malley, this highly ambitious story of an unconventional hero slacker packs a wallop.
What I Liked:
What I enjoyed the most about “Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World” is director Edgar Wright’s nouveau approach to the comic material. The visuals pop on screen with an arcade like luster. They are enhanced through onomatopoeia (you may have heard this word before in elementary school), a word that imitates or suggests the source of the sound that it describes. Throughout the film, “SP” boasts an atmosphere of anime, mixed with Manga styled graphics, popping out of thin air, along with video game choreographed fights and stunts. I got a kick out of the rocked out musical montages, which were worthy of airplay on almost any video outlet available on TV.
The comedy is quick witted and sharp with its neo punk stylistic ques. Thanks to the young hip actors, the dialogue is never boring or contrived. I enjoyed the multitude of performances by the spunky all-star cast of Michael Cera (as Scott Pilgrim), Mary Elizabeth Windstead (Ramona Victoria Flowers), and an unrecognizable Kieran Culkin (Wallace Wells). Additional cast members include Chris Evans, Ellen Wong, Brie Larson, Jason Schwartzman and Anna Kendrick. They all exuded an energy that contributed to the up-tempo pace of the movie.
In it’s cool dweebyness, Richard R. Lee, the executive producer of Sidewalks Entertainment, and I felt the first half of the story was charming in a quirky way. Cera played Pilgrim with a gentle yet dorky manner. At first glance, Scott appears to be a low-key slacker; you know the kind that hangs out in the halls at school, watching as the even cooler kids passes him by unnoticed. However, he has the personality of a true ladies man, something you may find in movies like “Super Bad.” The drama created between the characters of Scott Pilgrim, Knives Chau (Wong), Ramona (Windstead) and her many exes is typical of a love triangle. What sets this teen fantasy/action/drama/comedy apart from its counterparts is that, jealousy, animosity, etc, all plays out like a game. I even enjoyed the fantasy elements as Pilgrim faced his opponents. The end got back to its root, with a message of encouragement, self-respect and honesty.
What I Disliked:
The fantasy element took over a little too much in the second act. Richard and I both agreed that the many fight scenes between Pilgrim vs. Ramona’s multiple ex-boyfriends, nearly derailed the story. Midway through you almost didn’t feel sorry for any of the characters involved. In the midst you lost track of the main story, and after that you didn’t care.
Richard’s Brief Take:
Richard, who admits he has never heard of the comic book series, said the film started off as interesting, comedic, and charming story with cute visual effects, like statements popping on screen similar to VH1’s old “Pop Up Video” show. He liked the characters interactions and even the main plot where Pilgrim, 22, was dating a high school girl (Wong) and then later meeting Ramona (Winstead), the girl of his dreams.
As soon as the first fight sequence where one of Ramona’s ex-boyfriends suddenly appeared during an audition for Pilgrim’s band, the movie went into overdrive, as if you were living your life as Ninja arcade game with lights, sounds and animation. From that point on, almost every scene became our characters are trapped in a Ninja game loop, similar to the theme of the Bill Murray laughter, “Groundhog Day,” where events repeat over and over. Granted, it wasn’t the same scenario, but it felt like it by the end of the film. The producers went all out for the special effects (visuals) and forgot there was a sweet story by the 2nd half. Lee wished the film kept its charm, like the first 45 minutes, throughout the whole feature and use the visual effects-concept sparingly.
J.P.’s Final Thoughts:
In addition to “Inception” and “Salt,” “Scott Pilgrim” makes for a third entertaining movie for this year alone. I liked its spunky lighthearted attitude with flashy and spectacular visuals galore. It’s a refreshing departure from half the year of chaotic, loud, overdone screen smashers. This is one to see.