Scott Pilgrim vs. the World- she said

Sometimes we forget to have fun at the movies. Or the movies that are suppose to be “fun” end up being very forgettable and lackluster. I am honestly tired of those movies. I can’t remember the last time I left a movie smiling because I spent the whole time laughing and thoroughly enjoying myself. Then, I saw Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.


This movie is just plain fun. Fun, fun, fun. It’s non-stop hilariousness, with a copious amount of heart and a splash of coke zero mixed with hair dye…oh and people exploding into coins. It’s flashy, gaudy, cheesy, unique and feels like you just stepped out of a pop-art exhibit or an Atari video game.

Now, I was told by my cohort, Javi, that I needed to read the books because they were epic. I agreed to read them because he’s never suggested a graphic book that I’ve disliked (well, the only other was Watchmen, but still), so I gave the books a shot. And the most notable thing about the books are they made me laugh, literally, out loud. So, when I heard there was a movie being made, I got really excited. But were they going to keep the campiness that is woven throughout the books? After all, the books are basically about a 23 year old falling in love, but in this world, any character can break out into a Mortal Kombat-ish fight, and when defeated, will burst into coins.

I am happy to say that yes, the movie keeps the heart and campiness that the books possess. And you would think that this would seem weird or out of place for fights to break out, but no, in this world, it seems perfectly normal. Everything detail in here is so unique and fun, it almost requires a second viewing to catch everything. Sometimes I found myself laughing so hard, I think I missed some things.

What I enjoyed about the movie is how accurately it captured the awkwardness that life is for a jobless, semi-hopeless, looking-for-love twenty-something. Now Scott is dating 17 year old, Knives, who is way more into him than he is to her. But he keeps dreaming about a girl, Ramona, who he later and very awkwardly tries to pick up at a party. All the while, he’s in a band with his friends trying to find their big break. Ramona seems to dig him. Why…I’m not exactly sure, but they seem to hit it off. Then trouble comes. Ramona is apparently THAT girl which exes have a problem getting over. There are seven of her exes that Scott has to defeat in order to even date her.

So that’s Scott’s quest. Not an easy one when two of her exes are Chris Evans and Brandon Routh. It’s hard to pick which ex was my favorite because they’re all extreme in their own ways. Chris Evans channels his inner-douchey action star who’s too big for his own britches, while Brandon Routh is the clean-cut, perfect Vegan who gained his powers from being Vegan (maybe I should think about that). All the other exes are just a quirky, but they were my favorite.

Also, when did Michael Cera become an action star? I mean, this is the kid from Arrested Development and Juno who has become trapped as playing himself in every movie. Here, he is able to take a different route and actually play a believable love interest and action hero. Weird, I know, but he does it.

Also, the parade of supporting characters completely embody the epicness of the books. Many of them have amazing one-liners and subtleties within their scenes that make this movie one of the most unique movies of the year. Pilgrim’s roommate, Wallace Wells (played by Kieran Culkin), kept me in stitches. Every thing he says is so perfectly placed and timed, he has such a future in comedy.

At its core, Scott Pilgrim is a coming of age story. It’s kind of like Garden State, except if Garden State was set in a video game inspired by Andy Warhol. It’s about trying to find yourself and actually being happy; it’s about trying to let go of the past and facing the past if it interrupts your life; it’s about, literally, fighting for what you want; and it’s about second chances. The movie explores all of these situations with a fresh and original take.  It will definitly speak to the under 30s, but I'm not sure how it was play to older audiences.  People will embrace it for it's unique style and visual eye-candy, and I just hope they see past the campiness and are able to embrace the film.  It’s loaded with heart and humor and is easily one of the most fun movies of the year.