Walking into Scott Pilgrim vs. The World 2 weeks ago fresh off the buzz of San Diego Comic-Con, I was just a bit apprehensive. I had yet to hear a negative word about the film, and for all the hundreds treated to free advance screenings the weekend before, it had only piqued my curiosity; because I know geeks simply love to trash things they adore once it gets popular.
See, for a film based on a comic like this where any changes would be considered heresy, fans could easily start boycotting and trashing the film, which would also guarantee a quick death at the box office. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World has done something very rare, and something most directors talk about but never really take to heart. While the film is quite different than the 6 volume series on which it is based, and takes quite a few liberties telling its story, Edgar Wrighthas captured the heart and spirit of Scott Pilgrim in his film beautifully.
More after the Jump!
The plot of the film, if you haven’t seen the trailer, goes something like this; in order to date Romona Flowers, Scott Pilgrim must first defeat her 7 evil exes. I would have to say plot-wise the film stays pretty much on target for the first book and then veers off on its own, which considering time and pacing for a film as opposed to a graphic novel is a very good thing. While things still remain somewhat familiar they are different enough to keep the hard-core fan pleased, while not totally losing those that haven’t taken the time to read all six volumes. The only place I think where this might hurt the film, is at times the dialogue doesn’t work quite as well off the page as it did on the page.
Now for the casting, because I was actually in a comic book store where someone (who hadn’t seen the film) was talking about how he didn’t buy Michael Cera as Scott Pilgrim. But literally within minutes of the film, Cera embodies the role perfectly. You’d think O’Malley had Cera in mind when he wrote the comic to begin with. He somehow captures the naive duality of nice guy/complete and total asshole that we all know and love Scott Pilgrim for. My only concern for Cera was the fight sequences, and to tell you the truth Cera pulls those off without a hitch going from mild mannered Scott one minute, to full on Dragon Upper-Cut Scott the next without even breaking a sweat.
The rest of the cast is amazing. Kieran Culkin, who plays Wallace Scott’s gay roommate, totally steals the show from time to time, just like he has a tendency to do in the comic. Jason Schwartzman also really brings it as Gideon, Ramona’s final Evil Ex. I love Jason Schwartzman, and have been a huge fan since I saw him in Rushmore. It’s nice to see him take on something much different than the roles he is traditionally known for, owning it, and kicking ass oh so well.
The rest of the casting is pretty fantastic, with my only casting quip being Ellen Wong as Knives Chou, simply because I didn’t buy her as 17 years-old in the beginning of the film, but once the story got moving I just rolled with it. Besides she did my favorite line from the book “Chou Down!” and I will forgive her for anything after that.
One thing I kept hearing from people I spoke to after the screening about Scott Pilgrim was, “This film looked like nothing I had ever seen before” and it doesn’t. This film did so many things right visually I can’t list them all in this review. But I will say this, if you have read the comic and you got that picture in your head of what the film would look like; THIS IS IT! The text overlays, status bars and 8-bit references abound; every fiber of this film was not afraid to be what it was and loved every minute of it. Now, if only other films felt comfortable enough with their video-game roots to do the same.
I would almost be remiss in this review if I didn’t talk about the music of the film, which is definitely a character unto itself in Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World. The music is one of Scott’s greatest weapons, and the way Wright visualizes it for this film is truly stunning; because he somehow visually captured how music makes you feel inside perfectly. If I was in a band I would be throwing piles of money at Edgar Wright to make my next music video after seeing this film, because he obviously from watching this knows what he’s doing. The soundtrack which rivals a Tarantino soundtrack in it’s effectiveness of just oozing cool of conveying scenes perfectly is easily a must own.
It’s rare that a comic book film like this comes along, that hasn’t been filtered for a mainstream audience by people who don’t understand the visual Medium it’s based on to begin with. A film that is so good it transcends the media that it is derived from to tell a story that you don’t have to know what a long-box is to understand and is just so damn cool doing it. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is a film that will be ripped off visually for years to come, and that will live on in fans blu-ray and dvd collections forever. I honestly think while this maybe a slightly different version of Scott Pilgrim than we all know and love, the heart is the same and for a film all about love isn’t that what really counts.
Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World gets a PERFECT!
OMAKE: After seeing the film for the second time a week later this review still holds iron clad for me, and I will go as far to say this is my pick for the summer if not the year mainstream film-wise! Sorry Woody, Buzz and Inception this film was just the most fun I have had in a cineplex in a very, very long time.
The film truly holds up the second time around, which is a true test if you ask me. Quite honestly the second time you get all the subtle video game and comic book references you might have missed the first time around, because you were either awe-struck at the visuals or just too busy laughing your ass off. It’s very rare when a poster doesn’t lie but this film is indeed “An Epic of Epic Epicness” and that is all I have to say about Scott Pilgrim.