It seems that Hollywood, as always, never quite gets the things they take an option on to make films from. A best selling novel ends up omitting the things people loved about it for the flashier scenes. A TV series has the heart of it tossed aside for the shiny surface of the recognizable characters. And comic books are more often than not done as if the film makers had a fear of making a movie that, well, looks like a comic book. Until recently comic book based films tossed aside all that made them what fans loved and instead turned them into stereotypical films that used the characters names and little more.
SCOTT PILGRIM VS THE WORLD is not one of those films. Director Edgar Wright, who made SHAUN OF THE DEAD and HOT FUZZ, understands what fans of this comic book loved. The quirkiness of the characters, the unimaginable situations and the slam bang fight sequences that comics fans adore. Yes Wright understands these things, gets the fact that comic fans look for them and doses them out slowly but surely here.
Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera) is an early twenties something guitar player in a band that has yet to find success. Having recently found a new girlfriend in high school student Knives Chau (Ellen Wong), things are looking up. The band has an important gig coming up that may land them an actual contract and a chance at being paid. And then Scott sees Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead).
Quickly dumping Knives, Scott sets his sights on Ramona, attempting to gain her favor. The pair eventually take a liking to one another. But then something odd happens. One of Ramona’s ex lovers’ shows up and challenges Scott to a duel to the death. For some odd reason, all of Ramona’s seven ex lovers must battle anyone who wants to be her new boyfriend, an unfortunate circumstance for Scott.
Until this point the movie seems a bit slow, but that’s all to set up what follows. We get to know the characters, where they stand in one another’s lives and how they fit into the story. Once the ex lovers appear to duke it out with Scott, the film veers quickly into the whole comic book world of ultra violence that never gets much more serious than a Road Runner cartoon. Kicks land people across rooms, into skyscrapers and disappearing. And no one ever questions if this is right or not let alone police showing up to ask what happened. It’s accepted as part of the story.
As the ex lover count winds down we finally find out the real reason for the battles, just how they began and why Scott must defeat each one if he is to claim the hand of Ramona. It’s an interesting journey and one that offers some dynamic visuals and fight sequences. Keep in mind though this isn’t a serious film by any means but more of a fun filled adventure with plenty of humor.
So is it a good movie? Yes, it is, though as I said you have to give it a bit of time for it all to come together. As it began I found myself thinking oh no, another Michael Cera movie where he’s all teen angst and he’s a goofy dorky nerd who can’t put a sentence together without seeming pathetic. But it isn’t that at all. And while I’m not the biggest fan of Cera, he actually does a good job here as does the entire cast.
But it’s the comic book come to life portion of this movie that makes it worthwhile. Not just in the fact that this world involves seven ex lovers who come back not to reunite with their past girlfriend but to stop her from having someone new in her life, no that’s not enough. We even get the chance to have the long loved graphically displayed sound effects projected on screen for us. If “POW!” is the word on the page then “POW!” actually shows on the screen.
I’ve only read on SCOTT PILGRIM comic and wasn’t thrilled with it. I am a fan of Edgar Wright though. And with this film he solidifies his role as one of the better directors that have come along in some time. While this film didn’t find the audience that the studio thought it would, it might be one of those films that finds an audience on DVD. If you’re looking for something a little different, a little fun and definitely tied to the world of comics, you won’t do much better right now than SCOTT PILGRIM VS THE WORLD.
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