Comic Movie Collection: Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (2010)

By Jason Haskins

Edgar Wright is the esteemed filmmaker behind the epic Shaun of the Dead feature as well as the fantastic Spaced television show. As a Brit, he made his American debut recently with the Michael Cera-helmed Scott Pilgrim vs. The World based on the graphic novels by Bryan Lee O'Malley to mostly positive reviews, but little box office return. The audience he was trying for virtually did not swarm to see this, however. Why did this movie not perform well? Is this movie worth the watch? What the hell is it all about?


Michael Cera (Superbad, Arrested Development) is Scott Pilgrim--a twenty-two-year-old guy dating an innocent high schooler named Knives...until a new girl comes along, Ramona! Her personality is colorful (as is her hair) and she's more vibrant and relaxed than Knives so he flocks to her immediately, keeping it a secret from Knives for the time being. Problem is, Ramona has a bit of a past and her seven evil exes are after Scott Pilgrim to battle to the death for the right to be with Ramona. Judging how he's trying to juggle rehearsal with his up-and-coming rock band, the love triangle between Knives and Ramona, as well as survive these random encounters...this will be a story of epic epicness for the heart of Ramona.

The story may sound pretty far-fetched and unrealistic--welcome to the entire movie. I read an interview with Wright where he basically stated that he wanted to make this a musical sort of movie whereas instead of characters breaking out in songs they break out in fights. This explains the movie to a certain tee. In this film, all of the characters can pretty much fight and whenever small Pilgrim gets attacked, it turns into an all-out video game-like experience with flashy visuals and exuberant colors. To the mainstream audience and adults over the age of thirty...this movie may seem ridiculous because it doesn't necessarily cater to a simplistic diaphragm of execution. It's over the top and zany, which, in the end, alienates some viewers. Myself? I can't even decide whether or not I liked this a lot.

As far as the visuals go, Edgar Wright is a genius. The cinematography jiggles back and forth from crazy styles and game-like appearances to comic book-type modes, which make the film pleasing to the eyes around every corner. The movie is highly experimental in style and through the use of excessive editing and cuts it remains fluid and fast for the entire picture. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is so hyperactive and full to the brim of Japanese-style enthusiasm that it energizes the watcher to make it feel more like an experience rather than a movie as there's so many flashing effects everywhere. This is definitely Wright's most ambitious project and he should definitely get credit for trying some great things that deliver on all the right bases.

It's just too bad because there were some things I didn't necessarily care for in this movie. First off, I'm not a reader of the graphic novels...but I thought this story was poorly written. The idea was interesting, sure, and I don't know how close this was to the source material, but the story wasn't as clever as it could've been. You take out all of the flashiness and fun of the visuals and you're left with a lukewarm story with trifling  characters you care nothing about.

The biggest problem with this movie was that I could care less about everyone involved and Scott Pilgrim wasn't a character I understood. Many of these characters are flat in nature without any development or reasoning. At the end of the day I wasn't attached to anybody. You could say this movie is all style and no substance. That's not to say you won't enjoy the movie, but that the core or soul of it won't amp you up as much as the visuals, which was disappointing to say the least.

The cast was full of hits and misses. Surprise, surprise: Michael Cera didn't really bother me as much as he usually does and single-handedly carries the film on his shoulders despite his character being a complete jerk without any redeeming qualities. There are bigger actors in the mix, too, that surface as some of Ramona's exes such as a bulked-up Chris Evans, an egotistical Jason Schwartzman and ex-Superman Brandon Routh. They are awesome in their roles and make for some of my favorite moments in the entire movie. You also have smaller players who made the movie even more rewarding. Anna Kendrick plays Scott's sister and while she's only in a few scenes, I really dug her. The same goes for Kieran Culkin as Scott's gay roommate. Man, I could watch an entire movie based on Wallace Wells--he's easily the most enjoyable aspect of the movie. The supporting cast of no-naming younger actors also did some good in their collective roles.

I think that some people will get this movie and some people won't. My girlfriend LOVED Scott Pilgrim and while I dug parts and don't regret paying for it and seeing it, I was really passive about the whole experience. I recommend it for all the cool video game references and the stylistic tones as well the various parts that had me giggling up in my row, but I think that it's a mostly forgettable movie. Sure, it's candy-coated and has an awesome visual component that amps it above the rest, but at the end of the day it's a movie for hyperactive teenagers to enjoy. It's fun, but is missing something. If the script was better it'd be one thing, but I was so flaccid about the whole affair as the story didn't really do anything to me. I wouldn't necessarily call it predictable since many parts have a pull-the-rabbit-out-of-a-hat appeal to it, but it was very by-the-books for a large portion of the movie. If this is your thing, go for it--I'll just be waiting for the next Edgar Wright picture.

2.5 out of 5