The Kidd Vs. Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World
CAUTION: SPOILERS AHEAD
I am The Infamous Billy The Kidd… and this is my review of SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD, telling you just how incredibly awesome this movie is…
ONE… TWO… THREE… FOUR…!!!
I’ve really tried to think this review as best as I can, but I honestly have no idea where to start, because the more I think about each aspect of the film, from the casting of each role to the incorporation of the music, which is a vital part of the story, to the fight sequences, the more I realize how nearly perfect SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD is. Having seen it twice already and planning to go back in the future for at least 1 more viewing, the film seemed to get better when revisited, and that is something special, when you consider how much I loved it after the 1st time. I don’t know what happened the rest of the summer to bring us disappointment after disappointment, but I’m glad we finally got to August, because it provided us with the most fun movie of the summer. But beyond the high level of enjoyment you’ll get from watching this adaptation of the Bryan Lee O’Malley graphic novel series, SCOTT PILGRIM is able to deliver one other thing – greatness.
From the very appearance of the 8-bit Universal opening logo, you know you’re in for something different, and that couldn’t be a bigger understatement. I can assure you that you’ve never seen anything like SCOTT PILGRIM before. The film follows our title character, who fits remarkably well with the nervously awkward persona we’ve come to expect from all Michael Cera roles to this point, as he falls in love with a mysterious girl who changes her hair color every week and a half named Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead). Scott is far different than any guy she’s ever dated before, and while their courtship feels a bit rushed, the set-up is enough to push us towards the gravity of their pairing. Ramona has a League of Evil Exes, comprised of 7 evil ex-boyfriends exes, who control the future of Ramona’s love life. If Scott wants to date her, he’s going to have to fight and defeat each of those exes, in order to win her heart.
Ramona Flowers is not an easy character to play, but Winstead is able to pull off the emotional baggage of the character without ever spelling out everything that’s going on in her heart and her head. She’s been followed around and tormented by these various exes for who knows how long. She’s that heartbreaker who has left a wake of sad dudes in her past, but you can get a sense of how worn down, how exhausted she is from being in relationship after relationship that for whatever reasons never worked out. There’s been guys who dress like pirates, movie star skateboarders, rock star vegans, punk rock lesbians, DJ twins, and a cocky record executive… but never a nice guy who loved her for who she is, who treats her well, because he cares for her. That’s who Scott Pilgrim represents, and, while her emotional distance teeters on the brink of making the character a bitch, Winstead is able to keep her from going over the edge by presenting Ramona Flowers as a girl Scott Pilgrim should absolutely be fighting for.
Further complicating the romance is Scott’s girlfriend at the start of all of this, Ellen Wong as an absolutely perfect Knives Chau, the Chinese school girl who worships Scott, his band Sex Bob-Omb, and everything associated with either. Scott Pilgrim marks the first love for Knives, and, as a result, you can expect an extreme level of attachment on her end. She tries to find out what’s wrong with her, what she doesn’t have that Ramona has. She is chasing love, a love that doesn’t necessarily want her, instead of moving on and finding someone who actually deserves her feelings.
This 3-way romance really surprised me with how accurate it managed to capture the complications of love. Knives could easily be viewed as pathetic, fighting for what she views as her perfect love, much in the same way Scott is doing for Ramona… but with Knives, her character’s plight is recognizable and relatable. We’ve all been there (or at least those of us who weren’t able to see our first loves all the way through to the end). And that ability to capture the ups and downs, ebbs and flows of love is a major strength for SCOTT PILGRIM. The 7 evil exes don’t necessarily have to be 7 physical beings… they could easily be 7 obstables, 7 problems, 7 issues that arise in a relationship that must be overcome in order to take things to the next, more serious level. You can feel the frustration of Scott and Ramona as each new one arises, feeling beaten down after working so hard to get past the last one. Damn… did I mention how perfect this movie seems to be?
The evil exes are each unique in their own way, and all bring something new to the table. The first, Matthew Patel (Satya Bhabha) really sets the tone, but its exes #2, #3, and #7 who really get the lion’s share of action, which makes sense, since those are the most recognizable names (Chris Evans, Brandon Routh, and Jason Schwartzman). Routh and Schwartzman definitely have memorable turns as the not-too-bright bassist for The Clash At Demonhead Todd Ingram, who harnesses special powers stemming from his vegan diet, and as Gideon Graves, the mastermind behind the entire League of Evil Exes. However, it is Chris Evans who really steals the ex show, as Lucas Lee, the former world-class skateboarder who has graduated to Hollywood, making some of the best movies-within-a-movie you’d ever want to see. Evans’ star continues to be on the rise after memorable roles in FANTASTIC FOUR and as the only worthwhile aspect of THE LOSERS. His snarky wit is on full display yet again, as the big movie star who can’t even be bothered to take down his opponent, and, if he continues this path towards CAPTAIN AMERICA next summer, those fans should be thrilled.
I haven’t even gotten around to Kieran Culkin as Scott’s gay best friend/roommate Wallace or Anna Kendrick as Scott’s sister Stacey or Aubrey Plaza as the fantasticly bitchy Julie Powers or all of Sex Bob-Omb. They are all absolutely meant to play these roles, and there isn’t a cast member out of place throughout SCOTT PILGRIM, which even nails its Vegan Police cameos (oh, yeah… there are Vegan Police). You already feel like you know each of these character, and yet you definitely would love to learn more about each one of them. There could be spin-offs and prequels and sequels to any or all of the people who live in the world of SCOTT PILGRIM, and I would watch every one of them religiously.
Edgar Wright does an amazing job of creating the magical world of Toronto where all of this exists. Visually, SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD is top-notch, cut from the same cloth as the best comic books, graphic novels, and video games, influences that cannot possibly be missed. Wright continues to top himself each time out, with SHAUN OF THE DEAD and HOT FUZZ putting him on the map, and SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD more than explaining why he belongs there. To grab hold of world where the title character has to fight 7 evil exes, while trying to navigate his love life, where fireballs and leveling up and 64-hit combos and reversal points all come in to play is an extremely difficult task. The premise borders on the ridiculous, yet you never question SCOTT PILGRIM. You accept that this is the world all of this exists in, and you move on, having a great time watching it all unfold. The video game fighting couldn’t be more precise, and the nods to various video games with the coins and the points and the 1-Ups make this film geektastic. There’s something from every gaming generation, be it 8-bit consoles, fighting games, music games, dancing games… it’s all packed into SCOTT PILGRIM. If you’re a gamer, there is something here for you. If you’re a avid comic fan, there’s something here for you. And if you’re neither, it won’t matter, because you’ll enjoy SCOTT PILGRIM regardless. You’ll get it more if you are familiar with the various aspects of what makes SCOTT PILGRIM so unique… but you don’t need to be in order to appreciate how special this is. The action/fighting is great. The love story is superb, and SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD is outstanding.
In addition, the score and soundtrack are unbelievable. I can’t give enough credit to Beck and Nigel Godrich, who are responsible for the music of SCOTT PILGRIM. From the songs of Sex Bob-Omb to the tones you would get popping in RIVER CITY RANSOM or DOUBLE DRAGON back in the day, the music enhances the feel of the film, and if it’s any further endorsement, just know that I’ve been listening to both the soundtrack and the score non-stop since I’ve seen the movie. They are that good.
I honestly feel bad about all the things I’ve leaving out about SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD, because I could literally sit here for hours, gushing about how fantastic this movie is. SCOTT PILGRIM is must-see cinema, and, if you find yourself not going out of your way to witness this film, you’re only punishing yourself. This is one of those special movies we’ve been waiting for all summer, and, while INCEPTION and TOY STORY 3 may easily rank as the best movies of the last couple of months, there’s nothing I’ve seen that’s come even close to bringing the fun and enjoyment of SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD. This is more than unique, and more than original. This film is truly epic. An epic of epic epicness…? Truer words have never been spoken.
You say most it was the fun movie of the summer. I think it might have been the most fun i’ve had in a movie theatre since high school, and that was a completely different fun…