Pilgrim’s world of slick action
EDGAR Wright's graphic novel adaptation Scott Pilgrim vs the World plays out like a series of music videos.
FILM REVIEW: SCOTT PILGRIM VS THE WORLD
Reviewed by Adam Kamien
Rating: ***
EDGAR Wright’s graphic novel adaptation Scott Pilgrim vs the World is very August 2010. It plays out like a series of music videos, pandering to attention spans of the internet generation.
Nearly every scene is smattered with visual quirks, such as character bios, video game graphics, Batman-style hits and flying and hipster demon-dancers.
All these bells and whistles almost distract from the fact that there isn’t an enormous amount at the film’s core.
Scott Pilgrim (played by Jewish actor Michael Cera, who has appeared in Superbad and Juno) is a charming nerd whose deer-in-the-headlights appeal makes him something of a ladies man.
Pilgrim plays bass in a ‘90s-style guitar band and lives with gay roommate Wallace, played by Kieran Culkin (Igby Goes Down, The Cider House Rules).
Pilgrim is dating Knives Chau (newcomer Ellen Wong), a high school girl who worships him. But the romance is short lived when Pilgrim spies pink-haired indie goddess Ramona Flowers, played by Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Grindhouse: Death Proof, Die Hard 4.0).
He falls instantly in love, but to truly win the heart of the aloof Flowers, Pilgrim must defeat her seven evil ex-boyfriends, who attack him at random intervals with spectacular results.
The legion of scorned former lovers is led by the diabolical Gideon, played by Jewish actor Jason Schwartzman (I Heart Huckabees, The Darjeeling Limited), the most evil of all the exes.
The film is supposed to look as if it has leapt off the pages of the comic it is based on, and it does. Stylistically, Scott Pilgrim vs the World is a success and the relationship between the protagonists has heart. But the premise lacks the depth to drive a feature-length film and Wright attempts to distract us from this with a series of slick visual tricks.
Wright is an ambitious filmmaker. His previous films — the brilliant zombie spoof Sean of the Dead and hilarious action parody Hot Fuzz — hit all the right notes. But where previously he used carefully crafted comedic set-ups with sympathetic buffoons and rapier dialogue, in Pilgrim he relies on high-concept action sequences and a litany of pop-culture references. The result is diverting, but forgettable.
There are some nice casting touches. Brandon Routh, who played the man of steel in 2006’s Superman Returns and Chris Evans, who plays Johnny Storm in the Fantastic 4 movies and is Captain America in the upcoming Avengers, are two of the evil ex-boyfriends.
Wright captures the angst and aimlessness of the 20-something experience, and the triumphal nerd is a tried-and-true construct that is enjoying a renaissance thanks to new school nerd kings Judd Apatow and Wes Anderson.
Ultimately, though, for a film that turns the action up and strives for a relentless assault on the senses, it’s hard not to feel as though Pilgrim has missed a trick.
Scott Pilgrim vs The World is currently screening.
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