Scott Pilgrim vs The World is one of the most original movies I’ve ever seen. Although it’s very much still a movie with good plot exposition and a natural feel to it, Scott Pilgrim at times feels very much like a video game.
When I first heard that Michael Cera was going to be in an action film which required him to do a lot of fighting, I wasn’t sure what to expect. As I saw that the action included video game stylized elements, I knew that there was a chance to pull something off in a believable manner.
Yep, that’s Michael Cera hitting the ceiling with a Batman-style WHUD! If you didn’t like that aspect of the old campy Batman series with Adam West, and if you don’t like cartoonish / video game style violence, this isn’t the movie for you.
Just how similar is this movie to a video game? Well if you’ve played Marvel Vs Capcom, any of the Street Fighter or Mortal Kombat games, the screen below is going to look very familiar to you.
Yep, the ever powerful “VS” screen where you get introduced to both fighters.
Worried about the fact that Michael Cera is a bit small in stature? Even with movie magic, how do you expect him to realistically beat up Brandon Routh (Superman Returns), Chris Evans (Fantastic 4, Captain America) and five other Evil Exes? He doesn’t have to. Not all of the encounters are physical battles. In the picture you see above, there’s a Bass Battle similar to what you might see in Rock Guitar Band Hero.
I’m not giving away any spoilers here when I say he wins at least a couple of fights. When he does, in true video game fashion, he’s rewarded. Whomever he’s fighting just bursts into coins, like so:
It’s not just a movie about fighting. It’s a romantic action comedy, which means there has to be some sort of romance in there. That’s where the lovely Mary Elizabeth Winstead comes into play as the hair-hue-changing Ramona Flowers.
As you might expect from a movie where a guy loves a girl enough to fight off her seven Evil Exes, Scott Pilgrim does have some success in wooing Miss Ramona Flowers.
Anna Kendrick, whose work I’ve come to enjoy more and more in 2010, plays a fun side roll as Scott Pilgrim’s sister. The portrayal of Scott’s roommate by Kieran Culkin made me laugh during almost all of his scenes.
I don’t want to give away too much, as I really really enjoyed this film and I don’t want to spoil any of the fun for you. I will say that Clifton Collins Jr, Thomas Jane, Jason Schwartzman, Mae Whitman and Ellen Wong were very entertaining with their parts (big and small).
Unless you don’t like fighting video games or cartoonish violence, you’re probably going to enjoy Scott Pilgrim Vs The World. And, like me, you’re probably going to want to get a shirt which reads “I <3 Sex Bob-omb”. Unless you don’t get the original reference.
As for me, this won’t win “Best Picture” in my Quest For 75 awards, but I did start a new category by which I’m going to go back and consider for the other 90+ films I’ve seen (I’m not done reviewing them all yet) for my FAVORITE movie of the 2010 Quest For 75. This might not win, but it’ll be in the top three.
