Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is one of those movies we must admire for its accomplishments all the more because of all the ways it could have gone horribly wrong. The movie promises nearly two hours of comic-book action done in the style of a video game, with a repetitive plot to boot. Can you imagine what that might have meant had Paul W.S. Anderson been the man in charge? Throw in the fact that lead Michael Cera was all but guaranteed to pull of his action-star role and the delightful final product that writer/director Edgar Wright has concocted seems like a minor-miracle. This really is an auteur piece for Wright, in spite of how faithfully he’s adapted (with Michael Bacall) Bryan Lee O’Malley’s source comic. His previous quasi-parody charmers made with Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, showed that he definitely had a knack for comedy and action, but they were comparatively calm and low-budget. Thankfully, Wright has no problem pulling off the schizophrenic kinetics and whip-snap jokes of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, assembling them with such command that it’s fair to compare his work to Quentin Tarantino’s, with a little Diablo Cody thrown in for good measure.
Michael Cera is the title Scott Pilgrim, a sorta-likable 22-year-old deadbeat who plays in a Toronto rock band called Sex Bob-omb. We first meet him when he’s begun dating 17-year-old Knives Chau (Ellen Wong) in a pathetic attempt to try to get over a big heartbreak, at the behest of his younger sister Stacy (the always-great Anna Kendrick) and even his admittedly dysfunctional gay roommate Wallace (Kieran Culkin). But Scott’s interest in Knives wanes quickly when he sets his sights on the new girl in town, a punk American named Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead). After an awkward first exchange at a party, he’s able to score a date with her on their second encounter, which unleashes something he never bargained for… Scott must battle Ramona’s “seven evil exes” to win her for himself. We meet them as they come, from actor/skateboarder Lucas Lee (Chris Evans) to twins Kyle and Ken Katayanagi (Shota and Keita Saito) to the big one at the end, the mysterious Gideon (Jason Schwartzman).
The movie’s aesthetic is dizzyingly complex, borrowing elements from both comic books and video games. Interjections like “Wham!” and bright colorful lines signifying action and noise spring from the characters, just as they would in a panel of the former medium. And, as you’d see in the latter, superfluous points are recorded onscreen as Scott battles it out with Ramona’s exes. Likewise, special weapons are awarded to the players for certain achievements and, when Scott defeats an ex, they explode into coins. And yet I would not consider Scott Pilgrim vs. the World to be a “video game movie.” Yes, it contains many of the rapid cuts and excessive stylizations that have fostered that derogatory term. But Wright not only implements these elements far more skillfully than we’ve ever seen before, he also uses them to comment on the sensibilities of the video game era in general. The film’s style is as much about observing these young characters’ need for instant gratification and ubiquitous communication as it is offering those elements to actual teens and 20-somethings in the audience. As such, those who don’t usually like seeing such frenzy on the screen (myself included) will actually find it enlightening, not annoying here.
Wright also deserves credit for keeping the interest level so high in a rather long film (an hour and 52 minutes) that is recurrent in nature. While the weapons and the players change, Scott battles all seven of Ramona’s exes in structurally similar fights. The film could’ve easily mirrored the agonizing experience of watching two friends play a video game and not being able to participate, but instead it’s entertaining throughout. One reason for this is that Wright and Bacall’s screenplay is filled with a constant barrage of witty allusions and quips that keep the viewer on their toes. Another is that the action, for all its in-your-face relentlessness, is quite formally interesting. Perhaps Hot Fuzz was good training for Wright because, in spoofing directors as diverse Michael Bay and Sam Peckinpah, he learned what would and what wouldn’t work in his own turn at large-scale action.
The performances aren’t exceptionally memorable, but they fit the bill nicely and keep things high-energy. Cera plays a version of the geek he always is and, for the most part, it works. That he has the chops for this kind of action shows he may not just be a one-trick pony. It’s also worth noting that all but the most awkward of young adults won’t be able to live vicariously through Scott, which is often a tactic that this type of movie is able to win viewers over too easily with. Instead, Cera does a good job at playing Scott for the loser he kind of is, but ensures the audience sympathizes for the character enough to be rooting for him to win the battles and get the girl. Likewise, Mary Elizabeth Winstead understands that Ramona may not be the great prize Scott thinks she is and she certainly has intimacy issues, but she’s nevertheless the one that Scott wants. (I was about as attracted to her as a square like me could be to a girl with purple and blue hair.) In smaller parts, Culkin, Kendrick, Schwartzman, Wong, Evans, Aubrey Plaza, Brandon Routh, Thomas Jane, and Brie Larson all offer their own distinct amusements.
So why am I not about to call Scott Pilgrim vs. the World a masterpiece or even a really, really good movie? Because the heart isn’t there. It may seem like I’m contradicting myself given I just praised the fact that the movie doesn’t manipulate the viewer by creating disingenuously appealing characters. Thus, where could it find the heart I desire? I dunno; maybe it’s a Catch 22. But for me to truly love a movie, I must get an unwavering feeling in my gut that it’s something amazing and special. In Scott Pilgrim vs. the World’s case, I may cognitively think it’s those things, but the visceral passion isn’t there. Yes, the characters are interesting enough and the style is overflowing and even groundbreaking in that it’s the first movie to really use the video game aesthetic right. But, as I established years ago when Kill Bill came out, I don’t think style—even when it’s what the movie is about—can become substance. Style can be moving and memorable, but it isn’t lasting in the emotional sense.
However, it’d be a shame to end on a negative note because Scott Pilgrim vs. the World really is great fun – a roaring Friday night at the movies. Box office numbers for opening weekend have just come out as I’m writing this and I see the movie was only able to sell a paltry $10.5 million worth of tickets, which is a shame because I’m sure a broad spectrum of people would like it. For now, it will have to be content in joining She’s Out of My League as one of 2010’s best kept secrets: that rare Hollywood picture that appeals to both guys, for its action and its comedy, and girls, for its romance. I already can’t wait for Wright’s next movie.
* * *
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010, USA). Produced by J. Miles Dale, Eric Gitter, Lisa Gitter, Jeff Kirschenbaum, Jared LeBoff, Adam Merims, Joe Nozemack, Nira Park, Marc Platt, Steven V. Scavelli, Adam Siegel, Scott Stuber, Ronaldo Vasconcellos, and Edgar Wright. Directed by Edgar Wright. Written for the screen by Edgar Wright and Michael Bacall, based on the graphic novels by Bryan Lee O'Malley. Starring Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Ellen Wong, Kieran Culkin, Anna Kendrick, and Jason Schwarzman. Distributed by Universal Pictures. Rated PG-13, with a running time of 112 minutes.
Posts
