Written by: Michael Bacall & Edgar Wright
Starring: Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Kieran Culkin, Chris Evans, Anna Kendrick
Rating: [4/5]
Whenever dating another individual, there’s a decent chance you’re not the first person to have been with them, which inherently puts you in a position as a comparison point. This could fall into many categories but not often would you have to defeat all of their previous exes in order to firmly win over the heart of the person you want to date. Well, the protagonist of this feature must take on this challenge and the way it gets presented astounds through its innovation but also unrelenting nerdiness.
Attaining minimal success with his band, Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera) begins dating a 17-year-old high school student but when he meets the mysterious Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) at a party, he prepares to throw everything away. When they do begin dating, he suddenly learns he must take on all of her evil exes in order to fully have her heart presenting quite a formidable challenge.
Based on the graphic novel of the same name, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World comes with the promise of delivering an enthralling movie that feels in the vein of a video game. Quite the hefty promise and boy does it deliver in such a grandiose style. Every sequence that takes us into the video game-like style demonstrates the filmmakers behind this movie had an affinity and love for it and integrated this perfectly into the story. Filled with different deep cuts and enough for more casual gamers, these sequences had a distinct energy to them making for something undeniably entertaining to watch.
With the introduction of each new ex of Ramona, we get a new foe Scott must attempt to take on allowing for quite a variety of showdowns. You have someone like the brutish Lucas Lee (Chris Evans) introducing hand-to-hand combat but then someone like Shota (Kyle Katayanagi) and Keita Saito (Ken Katayanagi) where he must duel by the power of the bands in order to take them out. It brings a level of diversification to each sequence not making for the same fight multiple times as Scott must fight off these individuals serving as obstacles to his potential future of love with Ramona.
Having to take on these battles makes the casting of Michael Cera very hilarious the more you think about his stature when compared to who he must take on. Cera has built his entire career around being this scrawny lightspoken but sweet guy and he takes his typecast and continues to roll with it in this feature. His appearance versus the exes looks at its worst when he does take on someone like Lucas, but also Todd Ingram portrayed by a very muscular Brandon Routh. However, the magic of video game powers appearing very suddenly makes these altercations more of a fight.
For all the fun the feature has on a visual level, the entire idea of having to fend off the exes of the person you begin to date manifests itself in a physical manner in this feature when in reality it occurs mentally. Creating a level of inadequacy via comparison to someone’s exes will do no one any favors. As you can see, Scott does not shape up to any of them physically, mentally, or by way of success in their line of work. However, in the end, the relationship they had with Ramona did not work for a reason but his connection with her could despite the differences he holds from her exes. Something valuable that be taken away from this movie amongst all of the madness going on visually.
This film, however, does not come without its own faults because as much as the story surrounding Scott Pilgrim soars it completely happens in spite of him. This protagonist not only has a level of obscene blandness to him but the fact that he dates a 17-year-old named Knives (Ellen Wong) demonstrates the man has absolutely nothing going for him in life. Very immature and inappropriate to do but it gets to the point in this feature where you begin to question what in the world do Knives and Ramona see in this guy that would let it get to the point where the former would want to take out the latter to have Scott’s heart. Trust me, the guy has the charisma of a wet paper towel, but at the very least the film recognizes his lameness and makes up for it in literally every other area.
Wildly entertaining and a visual treat for the eyes of anyone who even slightly enjoys video games, this feature seeks to provide a raucously good time and very much delivers on it. Scott Pilgrim versus the World brings together a tremendous young cast all making for such vibrant and intriguing characters to make up for the wet noodle we receive in the protagonist making for some hilarious showdowns and iconic character introductions. Edgar Wright absolutely knocks it out of the park here, which comes as no surprise.
Films with Josh 
