New relationships, although fun and seemingly harmless in the beginning, can be very tough to maintain as time goes on. Especially if your significant other has an annoying ex that just can not seem to get the message that it is over! If you were to try and explain this to Scott Pilgrim, though, he’d probably just sigh, nod, and quietly mumble in that Michael Cera-like way that we have all come to love. But before I digress, here’s a look at the movie “Scott Pilgrim vs. The World.”
Now, as someone who has never read the six-volume comic book series by Bryan Lee O’Malley, from which this movie was based, I will not go into whether the film stays true to the integrity of its source material.
Yet, in an interview with MTV, director Edgar Wright says that while the film does stay quite similar for the first three volumes, “After three volumes, [the film] starts to take its own path, but very much within the spirit of the book – and approved by Bryan as well.” Wright points out, “There are some things that are in the film that are actually from Bryan’s original ideas before he wrote the books. [So] there are some things in there that refer to older ideas which he didn’t end up doing.”
What this does is allows the film to be familiar enough to still bear the name of its origin and keep the comic fans happy, but also helps the film gain its own individuality and standalone appeal that can perk the interest of any fan or newbie alike.
If you don’t already know, “Scott Pilgrim vs. The World” is about the title character, Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera), a bassist for the band “Sex Bob-Omb,” who resides in Toronto, Canada. In the film, he begins dating high-schooler Knives Chau (Ellen Wong), much to the disapproval of everyone around him.
After a while, though, he soon sees “the girl of his dreams” and falls for her instantly. He soon discovers the name of said mystery girl with bright pink hair to be Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead). He soon loses interest in Knives, and starts to get very close to Ramona. Yet, there is one issue that Ramona forgets to mention: Scott must defeat Ramona’s seven evil exes for them to continue dating.
This movie, from its 8-Bit rendition of Universal Pictures’ classic opening music and comic book-like graphics to its quick pace and atmosphere, really keeps the audience engaged throughout the whole film. For lovers of the video game culture, there will be times when references are made and moments in the film that will make your ears perk up and your eyes start to sparkle.
Luckily, people who are not familiar with the culture will still enjoy the laugh-a-minute content of the movie. The visual aspects of the movie are also stunning and the way the movie is presented is very artistic, tastefully treading the line between this cartoon world and reality.
The overall story is enjoyable as well, yet by the end, it soon becomes somewhat cliché, and that causes the movie to drag. That being said, this is only evident in the last 15-25 minutes of the movie, while the film overall keeps you on your toes, never knowing what to expect next.
This movie really is one of the highlights of the summer movie season. As said season comes to an end, I highly recommend you go see it. This film is relatable on many levels because it really does have a message of love, without being heavy handed to the point that it ruins the movie. With Cera, Winstead, and Jason Schwartzman (as Gideon Gordon Graves/Evil Ex #7), as well as the other talented supporting actors, the cast really brings the script alive, which naturally adds that extra bit to the final product.
Although the film may not be everyone’s cup of tea, even those who have never read comic books before will still be able to enjoy the movie for what it is, just as I did.
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