Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
Remember first time you saw the concept of bullet-time in a movie? For most of us, it was The Matrix that introduced us to slowing down time to gain a new visual perspective. The Matrix left me feeling blown away at the fresh cinematic approach to visuals and storytelling. But, if I’m honest with myself, it wasn’t this new cinematic approach that made The Matrix one of my favorite science fiction movies of all time; it was the deep narrative and tight script that pulled that movie together. Since then Hollywood has used bullet-time in hundreds of action films, only to fall short when the story doesn’t live up to the visuals.
Like The Matrix, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World offers a completely new visual approach to telling the story. And lucky for us, Director Edgar Wright doesn’t simply rely on the coolness factor of the film’s visuals to carry the picture. Instead, beneath all the glitz and glam is a well thought-out portrayal of the awkwardness of young people in love. How Wright weaves together his visual style with concepts in the film is simply stunning and makes it one of the must-see films of this summer.
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is based off a comic book series by Bryan Lee O’Mally. The story focuses on young Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera) who like many young people is struggling with his own identity and self esteem. He plays bass in a band called Sex Bob-omb (clever Super Mario reference there) and like many other garage bands, they aren’t all that good. To enhance his self-esteem (and forget about his ex-girlfriend) Scott starts to date a high-schooler named Knives Chau (Ellen Wong). Being much younger than he, Knives is enamored with Scott and thinks it’s cool that he plays in an indie rock band. At first Scott is happy with the relationship, as it boosts his ego, but soon he discovers the reality that an age difference can bring. Knives just isn’t the girl for him.
In a dream, Scott meets a young punk girl named Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead). When he later bumps into Ramona at a party, he is convinced it is destiny and he begins to pursue a relationship with her. At first, Ramona is quite reluctant in any kind of relationship with Scott, but she soon gives in to his charm and they go out on a date. Later, at a battle of the bands, Scott is confronted by Matthew Patek (Satya Bhabha) and he learns that if he wants to continue dating Ramona he must defeat her seven evil exes in a Mortal Kombat-style dual to the death. The remainder of the film has us watch as Scott battles each of the seven evil exes, wondering along the way if love with Ramona is actually worth it.
When you are in your twenties, that’s a great question to ask: “is it worth it?” The ups and downs of young love are usually a roller coaster of strong highs and extreme lows. One day you feel like you are on top of the world, only to find yourself in the gutter the next. As cool and exciting as those times were for me personally, I would never want to go back to them. These times do make for good story material as we can all relate to it on some level. Movies of young love have been done countless times, but none so clever as Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.
What makes this film so unique is Wright’s use of visuals to not only move the story forward, but enhance the meaning behind the script. Similar to the POW and BIFF used in the 1960’s Batman television series, Wright uses pop-ups to give us insight to our environment. But unlike the comic starburst used in Batman, these pop-ups tend to have a social context to them. For example, Wright uses web-based text boxes to highlight insights to particular characters. These insights are both funny and prudent in order for us to understand some deeper meaning to the characters on screen. Today’s younger audience will immediately understand and get what Wright is saying and that creates a deeper level of buy-in.
Wright also pulls several video-game visuals to give us perspective on the internal and external struggle that Scott is facing. You’ll see a versus sign and health meters show up when Scott does battle with each of the evil exes, and coins and a score will pop up when Scott finds himself victorious in battle. I kept thinking to myself, “these visuals shouldn’t work.” In fact, historically video-game visuals haven’t worked in major motion pictures (remember Doom). But these visuals do work, and quite effectively. Not only do they make the movie more fun, but they enhance what is going on within Scott himself. One scene where Sex Bob-omb does battle with a couple of deejays is quite simply amazing and one that I could watch over and over again.
Aside from the visuals and story, you can expect to see decent acting in this film. Michael Cera continues to show us that he is the everyman of today’s younger generation. One might argue that his characters all tend to be the same person. And while there may be some merit in that, the person that Cera represents is one that not only relate to, but one I like. Cera reminded me how tumultuous dating was back then and so I want to see him succeed in areas where maybe I failed myself. His character does grow quite a bit in this film and Cera makes that very believable. Winstead’s performance was also spot on, reminding me just how flighty young women could be at that age. One actor that stood out however was Ellen Wong as Knives. Her obsession with Scott as a slightly older rocker is played perfectly. And instead of stalking him, which would have been the easy way out, she tries hard to change who she is in an attempt to win Scott back. It was a real approach to that situation that I appreciated.
One can’t talk about Scott Pilgrim vs. the World without talking about the soundtrack. I haven’t purchased a soundtrack in a long time, but I think I might break that trend with this one. The music in the film rocks out and kicks ass. Artists such as Beck, Black Lips, and yes even the Rolling Stones help create the alternative rock world that is Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. The music keeps things moving and creates memorable moments, especially in the fight scenes.
Like The Matrix, the style of this movie is one that will most certainly be copied. What they may not be able to copy, is the interweaving of the visual and written narrative that will undoubtably make this movie a classic. Sadly Scott Pilgrim vs. the World came in 5th over this weekend behind The Expendables and Eat Pray Love. Please, show your geek pride and go and see this film while it’s still in the theaters; you will be glad you did.
Rating 4.5 Buckets-o-Popcorn (out of 5)
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Tags: Edgar Wright, Michael Cera, Ramona Flowers, Scott Pilgrim, Sex Bob-omb
August 16th, 2010 at 7:55 pm
“Movies of young love have been done countless times, but none so clever as Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.” … really? None? Not Pretty in Pink, not Say Anything, not Amelie, not Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, not Moulin Rouge? I liked Scott Pilgrim, but I think you’re giving it a little too much credit as a romance. If anything, I think the connection between Scott and Ramona was one of the least credible things in the film. He’s kind of a jerk whose self-revelation comes way too late in the movie to believably result in getting the girl, and we’re given little to no hint of why she would fall for him other than that she wants something safe, and he seems safe.
And for my money the all-CGI DJ vs band fight was the weakest of the film. Interesting concept, but no more new or original than a CGI quidditch match or a CGI Kong vs. Tyrannosaur fight or any other contest of fake things fighting each other.
I enjoyed the film and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend that people see it, it’s a fun (and genuinely funny) movie that wields its videogame references far better than any other film I can think of. But I don’t think it was free of problems, by any stretch of the imagination.
August 16th, 2010 at 7:57 pm
Well, I was already seriously considering seeing this movie after catching one good review on the Escapist, but you’ve cinched it Ryker! Now, to find a friend who I’ve paid to get them into a movie and cash that in in reverse…
August 16th, 2010 at 7:59 pm
Great vibes all around. The best movie in years.
August 17th, 2010 at 10:28 am
I saw it last night. It was good, but I was less blown away than most, it seems. Don’t get me wrong, it was a nerdy-good-time and all and I appreciated all the videogame-related stuff in there, and there were certainly a number of really genuinely funny bits. But I was hoping for something that would make me say, “I need to OWN this movie when it’s released on Bluray”, but didn’t really have that feeling when I walked out of the theater.
Oh, and I said this on Twitter, but I can’t imagine any non-gamer – or even anyone who casually enjoys games from time to time – not thinking this movie is fucking retarded. There were so many moments where I was like, “Okay, I get that and that’s clever. But Christ, I can only imagine sitting here with my sister – or even my brother who plays games quite a bit – and hearing them say, ‘What…the…fuck…?’”
Also, I loved the roommate (Wallace?). That dude was perfect and had the best lines in the entire movie.
In the end, the while the flick really resonated with me as a gamer, it didn’t resonate quite as much as a movie lover. I guess I’m more in Ravenlock’s camp. I never bought the romance at all. Ramona never seemed to be the least bit interested in Scott, and I honestly never understood why he was interested in her other than she was strange and aloof. She seemed to just put up with his wimpy-dorkiness because he was “safe”. It just felt odd and not really believable.
So that’s that for me.
August 17th, 2010 at 10:45 am
I should say that my wife Meghan, who is *barely* a gamer (she loves Pikmin and will play New Super Mario Bros Wii with me, but that’s about it) did think that the film was funny and enjoyable even though she certainly wasn’t the target audience and didn’t get a lot of the game references. She didn’t think it was amazing, but she didn’t think it was a bad time either. So it might have at least a slightly broader reach than John was worried about.
August 17th, 2010 at 10:56 am
We tailgated in front of the parking lot of the alcohol-serving theater, then drank the maximum allowable amount the theater would serve then added flasks to the theater alcohol serving.
My jaw hurt after the film from laughing and smiling, so I’m going to say I watched it correctly.
August 17th, 2010 at 12:13 pm
@Ravenlock, I can certainly appreciate where you are coming from things with the whole romance aspect, those films are all amazing in their own right. But what struck me with this film is how uniquely the story was being told, and as an avid movie-goer I really dug that. Using social media clues as a narrative enhancer was very cool, new, and fresh; and perhaps that’s whay I appreciated the work more than others have. Was it deep and did it make me cry and or feel all tingly? Nope, but I do think we should all see it.
I think it’s all a matter of perspective and what your expectations are when you walk into the theater. I was really interested in the buzz and why this film was getting high marks. I found that and relished in what I thought Wright was trying to accomplish. I’m not sure everyone will watch this film that way, or drunk like DJI.
What I do LOVE is healthy discussion on films like Pilgrim and others; it’s what makes the genre special to me. Please keep it up, I think we all grow from it.
August 17th, 2010 at 1:42 pm
I don’t want to take anything away from your enjoyment of the film – I liked it a lot and will probably pick it up on DVD once it’s out so I can see it again. I just think that what it did really well, it did in terms of presentational aspects and sharp humor delivery, and less so in terms of character development or character relationships. (With the notable exception of Scott’s roommate, who as John said was fucking brilliant.)
So calling it [paraphrase] “the most clever movie about young love” just seems more than a bit hyperbolic to me. It’s really fun and the humor is spot on, but as an emotionally resonant portrayal of *any* sort of love (possible exception of Knives’ unrequited puppy love), I think it kind of falls flat.
August 17th, 2010 at 2:05 pm
See but that’s what makes it clever IMHO, “what is LOVE when you are that age?” Seriously, how many times did you THINK you loved a girl but had no real clue what that was all about? For me, that’s what the story in Pilgrim is all about. It’s not so in-your-face either which I really enjoyed as well.
You are right on my use of hyperbole, shame on me for that. Anytime you throw most or ever you get debate. BUT it was the MOST mis-use of hyperbole at Robot Panic THIS WEEK!!!
Oh and the roommate…effing brilliant. “Fall in love so you can move out!”
August 18th, 2010 at 10:24 pm
I liked the movie but only felt so after the first couple of Evil Exes were defeated. Everything thereafter was pretty good. I would say go see it for the visual look of it. Sorta like Speed Racer. Both weren’t the best movies, but both had some pretty rad visual appeal.
August 19th, 2010 at 1:48 pm
I wouldn’t say I hated this, but I was really let down by it.
The way I read the Scott Pilgrim novels, they were always as Scott viewed the world: An immature, emotionally stunted guy’s way of coping with his life. The “seven evil ex boyfriends” wasn’t meant to be taken literally, but as Scott’s own way of helping Ramona through her emotional baggage.
It sounds absurd if you’ve only seen the film, but with each fight in the books, Ramona became more and more vulnerable. We learned more about her, and her relationship with Scott felt more and more real. Scott showed progression too; Each fight became not only more physically exhausting, but emotionally taxing. He had been hurt badly in the past, and he was struggling not just against the league of ex-boyfriends, but also against himself. The fights existed as a means to deliver that emotional payoff. By removing that character development and having the fights exist solely as eye candy, it removes the core conceit of the story, leaving Ramona bland and cold, Scott a perpetually narsisistic jerkoff, and the rest of the characters one-note punchlines. In short, despite the humor and wild visual style, the film felt entirely soulless.
And don’t take this as me saying “the books were better.” I always hope a director strays as far from the books as he wishes so I can see a new take on something, not just whatever I read put into motion. But I also want it to be a good film on its own merits, and I don’t feel like this was. It showed promise early on, but it just devolved into an hour and a half of “Oh, badass!” With that said, though, I would strongly urge everyone here to read the books. They’re super quick to read through, and they’re just as funny and unique as the film tried to be, but with actual characters, and a reason to care about them.
August 19th, 2010 at 1:52 pm
@Ryker I understand what you’re trying to say RE: Love at a young age, but there’s a problem with that reading: If Scott’s relationship with Ramona is just Scott thinking he loves her and not knowing better, then by the end of the film he doesn’t learn anything. He still thinks he loves her, and thinks that leaving with her is a good idea. Where is the character progression? For your reading of the film to be valid, then Scott should realize that he never really loved her in the first place, whether he ends up actually falling in love with her or not. As it stands, he’s just crazy about a girl who has no qualities worth being crazy for, and that reading of the film comes off as more a defense of poorly written characters than any actual creative direction.
August 19th, 2010 at 2:10 pm
Mitch, you fucking nailed it; or, at least, you nailed my thoughts on the movie and what I was trying to say. Mainly the the bit about Ramona being “bland and cold”. I had no idea why the hell he was so into her and at the end I thought he was just going to stick with Knives. And, honestly, that would’ve been fine with me because I never really bought into the whole love thing.
I don’t want to come down on the movie too much, because it was generally entertaining. I just see all sorts of uber-nerds online (not you, Ryker) jizzing themselves because “OMG! They made video game references! Isn’t that the coolest?!”, while completely overlooking the fact that, as a movie, it was just “okay”…(at best).
Again, it appealed to the gamer in me, but not the film lover.
August 19th, 2010 at 3:04 pm
I haven’t read the books yet (I will make a point to) but Mitch’s 2nd post mirrors my feelings about the romance almost perfectly. Well done sir.
August 19th, 2010 at 4:59 pm
@Mitch, as movie goers we bring certain things in with us when we see a film. Like it or not, they can shape our overall opinion of the piece itself. Having never read the books (and I think I will go and check them out now) I had no bias about the characters themsleves. Try as you might, having had some grounded sense of who you thought these people should be, you can’t help but be affected by what does or doesn’t happen onscreen.
While I can understand your argument that you think Scott hasn’t grown, I have to disagree. At the end he appears to go in one direction and then is allowed to go in another. He asks Ramona if they can “start over” and she agrees. I also got the sense that Ramona was, for the first time, willing to open herself up for something real and the credits role. You are correct, we never really get the satisfaction of seeing that payoff, but I I have to have faith that perhaps they can have a REAL relationship.
His choices are ones that you should question, but I have to admit that I have made similar choices in my life, and yes Mitch you may too someday. Gee do I go out with this gal who is 8 years older than me who is crazy about me, or stick with the gal who is closer to my own age and by proxy SHOULD have more in common with me? Been there, done that, made that mistake. I think a lot of us have and perhaps that’s why I am ok with it. The fun lies in the chase and it’s only when we get older that we realize that the chase isn’t so important as what we have when we finally catch what we have been chasing.
I do however respect your opinion, as that is what makes the medium so great. I am sure there is even some poor fool who hated Toy Story 3 out there as well. Discussions like these make us all think and even re-evaluate how we may feel about things, and I thank you for that.
I do think it’s kinda funny that the first film I throw a rating on gets flamed on the boards; too many bucket-o-popcorn I guess.
Oh and @Tyler…Speed Racer? Cmon Pilgrim wasn’t THAT BAD!
August 19th, 2010 at 6:52 pm
“Try as you might, having had some grounded sense of who you thought these people should be, you can’t help but be affected by what does or doesn’t happen onscreen. ”
But this isn’t really an issue of pre-conceived notions. Clearly, John and Ravenlock had the same problems, even though they haven’t read the books. Besides, as someone who has had to dissect and analyze a lot of films in my day (and someone who is planning on making a career out of constructing film) I can differentiate between an emotional hangup and an actual issue with the film. They never establish why Scott should be in love with Ramona. They try to set her up to be a Manic Pixie Dream girl, but without actually bothering to establish any of the qualities that make MPDG’s work in films.
“*Spoiler tagged passage*”
My problem wasn’t that there was no payoff to the relationship, it was that the payoff didn’t mean anything. They didn’t effectively put any weight behind why the audience should be rooting for these two characters to get together in the end. And as to the “change” you describe, that isn’t an effective narrative arc. It isn’t enough to have a character abruptly let someone new into her life at the end, you need to have that happen over time. It’s just sloppy screenwriting.
“His choices are ones that you should question, but I have to admit that I have made similar choices in my life, and yes Mitch you may too someday.”
See, if I didn’t know you were such a cool guy, I would kind of be insulted here. It’s like saying “You had a good relationship with your parents, so you can’t understand The 400 Blows.” My problems lie with the screenwriting and filmmaking, not the themes it tries (and in my opinion, fails) to convey. And that failure isn’t in the themes themselves, but the execution. If they wanted to make the relationship resonate, they should have maybe spent more time on Scott and Ramona than the overlong fight sequences.
August 19th, 2010 at 7:11 pm
Sorry if that came off as confrontational, it wasn’t meant to be. And I’m genuinely glad you enjoyed it. You’re not wrong for having that reaction to the film, I’m just defending my reaction. I really did enjoy the film, I just enjoyed it *despite* it’s flaws.
August 19th, 2010 at 10:35 pm
@Mitch, you don’t have to apologise for how you FEEL about anything, as your feelings and opinions are yours. And if you can back them up with sound arguments as to WHY you feel a certain way then that’s all the better. So we can agree to disagree even though you are so completely wrong… (That’s a joke folks)
As for the “you may someday” comment, I have to admit I could have worded that better. I honestly don’t know if you have gone through that or not and that was what I was trying to say. What I do know is you are in the same place as Mr. Pilgrim is in his life right now and subject then to the same whims and mistakes that I made at that age. I do hope you don’t make those mistakes as that can really suck. But a dear friend of mine once told me, “You need to let young people make those mistakes, it is a rite of passage.” So go ahead and chase after a woman who really isn’t into you and when you’re done we’ll have a beer and remind ourselves how stupid that was.
Again, all these comments are great because it made me really look at why I enjoyed the film and wrote the artical the way I did. I hppe I have been respectful to everyone’s opinions as I think that’s very important. That being said, I think this film will eventually end up in the same camp as Napolian Dynamite, with a bunch of folks who really loved that show and those who really didn’t care for it or thought it was ok.
Debate on film however is a great thing, and heated debate on film can (hopefully) be a fun thing. Last week one of my all-time favorite shows came to an end. There will be no more reviews from the balcony as “At the Movies” will be no more. Of course my favorite hosts were Siskel and Ebert and the BEST part of that show was when they disagreed on things. It was these times that I learned THE MOST about film.
Peace, Love and Beer!!!
Ryker
August 20th, 2010 at 12:21 am
Mitch – I suspect you would really enjoy this column.
Scott Pilgrim vs. Itself