After spotting fuschia-haired Ramona Flowers at the library, Scott Pilgrim is convinced that she’s his dream girl. There are only two problems. One, he’s already dating a high school senior, and two, Ramona comes with a bit of baggage… namely her seven evil exes whom Scott must fight and defeat in order to keep dating her.
Despite having seen plenty of images and gifs of this movie online, this was my first time watching Scott Pilgrim. It was easy to see why this movie has such a cult following. I loved Edgar Wright’s direction and brisk pacing. I had no idea just how many up and coming stars were in this film either. I was impressed by the visual effects and they added a much needed punch (kapow!) to a pretty simple story.
Michael Cera does what Michael Cera does best as a lovelorn slacker who tries to win the heart of the quintessential Cool Girl by being equal parts sweet and awkward. Scott’s not exactly leading man material, and neither is Cera, so the casting worked out perfectly. Scott is human and flawed and can, at times, be a bit of a dick. He shouldn’t be dating a seventeen-year-old girl either, but you do feel for her when she starts to sense that Scott’s interest is waning after he’s laid eyes on Ramona.
Mary Elizabeth Winstead is alluring and vulnerable as Ramona, making it easy to see why someone may want to punch a hole in the moon for her. The standout for me was Kieran Culkin as Scott’s roommate Wallace. A gossip with the film’s best one liners, Wallace also serves as Scott’s conscience, pointing out the obvious, giving Scott advice he needs to hear, whether he follows through with it or not.
I especially enjoyed the fight scenes between Scott and Ramona’s evil exes. The exes themselves were all ridiculous in their own right but they were still a lot of fun. Chris Evans and Brandon Routh were especially funny as a growly voiced action star and a dimwitted vegan. I couldn’t find any real weak link in the cast. They all seemed to be having a blast making the film and every actor seemed to take full advantage of their screentime, even if it only seemed to be a few minutes.
While I did enjoy watching Ramona and Scott’s relationship blossom, I was more invested in the style of the movie than the actual plot. I wanted to see how the movie would approach the next evil ex fight, or what pop culture sequences would transition us into the next scene. Honestly, Scott Pilgrim might have felt bland and flat without the video game, music video, and comic book visuals. There is not really a lot going on underneath the dazzling effects. It has a lot of humor, yes, but I think it could have used more in terms of the actual story.
At the end of the day, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is a delightfully creative movie with a kinetic energy that kept me invested until the end credits.
