Scott Pilgrim vs the world

This film is seriously underrated. Unlike the other films I have reviewed on this blog(with the exception of Donnie Darko), where they are guilty pleasures or enjoyably bad or has that feeling to it, this film has everything a cult film should have and the best parts of a mainstream film. It has rock bands with questionably artistic songs, comedy(thank you Edgar wright), comic book and video game styles, teenage angst themes and some really awesome action. I won't call it a perfect film, but it is a really good film. It really makes me question how some of these films can be seen by only a small majority of the population, be considered good by most critics and still not earn enough in the Box-office. So let us look at why this is a good movie and see why some critics and audiences dislike it.

The Story( I just realized how ridiculous it is but at the same time original and kind of cool) is about Scott Pilgrim(Michael Cera) and his meeting of Ramona Flowers(Mary Elizabeth Winstead. It begins with the audience meeting Scott, his band and his new girlfriend, Knives Chau. Soon we see him meet Ramona who is quite literally the girl of his dreams(she appeared in his dreams while he had a random hallucination about being alone.). For the rest of the film, Scott continually tries to impress Ramona and the two go out. But before they can officially be declared a couple, Scott must defeat her "Seven Evil Exes". From there the awesome action of band battles, full scale fist fights and a whole lot of twist and turns for our suffering hero.

What I and most who have watched this movie like is the Comic book elements(not surprising considering it came from a Graphic Novel). I also like the video game feel, with flash-words like 'fatality', 'game over' or 'KO' just popping up on the screen. As well as the effects and animation, it also feel's like a comic book. Another element is the music. If this wasn't a film about video games and fighting evil exes, it would definitely be a comedy about a indie rock band trying to make it big. The songs they have aren't exactly funny, but rather very good ones. My favorites are 'garbage truck' and 'Launchpad McQuack'(I think that's how it's spelled). It's just good old fashion rock/grunge music. A good battle in this, which is quite symbolic is their band "Sex Bob-omb"(isn't that just the best name!) vs the kantianagi twins. It's Rock vs Electro! And of course you know who wins, but the fun is seeing it. That is another thing. It is a very visual film, if you have seen other Wright films like Hot Fuzz of Shaun of the Dead, you will notice that they really just tell the story through the characters and their interactions, this does so as well but with more emphasis on imagery and visual effects. Also I love the lead, Micheal who is very funny in this role. The same can be said for most of the cast. With Brandon Routh giving a more decent performance as a villain than superman, Anna Kendrick as a socially driven, sometimes spiteful sister and Wallace as a bitch of a gay roommate.

But when I really analyzed it, the problems were still there, some small, others...pretty-big. My main problem is Mary's performance for a large majority of the film. She keeps the same 'I'm bored' face, like this was really phoned in. She also has a very monotone voice, but in some way it emphasizes Ramona's unhappiness with having to run away from a disappointing love life. But that is only one problem. The other is that too much is happening in this movie. The band, the romance, the battles and  the past. it just feel's a bit crowded sometimes, but that is just more of a pet peeve. Sometimes the humor dies. Yes I pointed out that the humor is very good and it is...on the first viewing. This is what I call a memorable film. A film that is very funny or very clever or very scary that it sticks in your memory like flies to the tongue of a Venus fly trap. And it takes a while to forget. I usually like to forget a lot of what i see in a movie so that I can watch it again and regain that feeling of awe. But this is usually my problem. Another way th humor can die here is that sometime's the joke isn't funny or is overused, like Knives being obsessed with Scott, her heart isn't broken, in fact I am happy that Scott dumped her for Ramona, because the obsession is really freaking creepy.

Those problems aside, it is a genuinely good film. I think the reason there is a Cult following around Scott Pilgrim is because of how trippy it comes off as (As well as the classic example of being well received by audiences, but doing poorly at box-office). In fact only in the first third is there some really trippy moments. After that it is rather tame. In my opinion the film should be re-released with maybe an extended/directors cut. This film reflects both an element of the hipster crowd, mainstream crowd and the cult crowd, all because of one man Edgar Wright. I love ya Ed, we all do. So for my final verdict here it is:
Premise:1/2 star( a bit contrived, but still original and good fun)
Cast: Exceptional, 1 star
Direction:1 Star
Script: excellently transcribed from the Graphic novel, very funny dialog, 1 star
Effects: Very well done. 1 star
****1/2 stars out of five. As a treat here is my favorite(hopefully, spoiler free) scene from the movie.