Post by spoilsport on Nov 13, 2010 17:07:14 GMT -5
Well, let's get the nitty gritty out of the way first.
This is the craziest, loudest, most imaginative fucking movie you are maybe ever going to see.
SO YEAH
Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World tells the story of the eponymous Scott Pilgrim (played by Michael Cera, who breaks his usual "awkward teen" mold) and his attempts to literally win the heart of Ramona Flowers ( Mary Elizabeth Winstead). The problem with this is that she has League of Seven Evil Exes who will completely destroy any and all potential suitors, whether she wants them to or not (she doesn't). The solution? Scott Pilgrim is a badass with improbable kung-fu skills and videogame logic on his side.
The thing that most people are going to remember about Scott Pilgrim is it's visuals. It's about the most fully-realized "living comic-book" style I have ever seen. Sound effects such as "thonk" appear where the sound would originate from, rapidly and nonchalantly so as to not draw too much attention to it. Speed lines, multiple frames and narration are all present and it gives the movie an extremely unique look. Once you get used to it (about ten minutes), it all becomes natural to the film and adds to it.
Next would be the whip-fast direction, editing, and humour. SPvTW does not give you time to think about a joke to "get it" once the movie has said it. Instead, it keeps on going, doesn't hold up, and jumps right into the next punchline, be it visual, character, or dialogue-based. The movie doesn't have a ton of hardcore laughs, but it does produce a healthy dosage of giggles, grins, and it's constantly amusing.
Surprisingly, SPvTW has many incredible fight scenes. The best martial arts action you're ever going to see outside of a Hong Kong flick, and then some. It's all extremely unrealistic and crazy, but damn, is it satisfying. It's all quick, hyper, hard-hitting, and extremely well shot. No shaky-cam nonsense here. You see ever hit, clean and clear and it looks great. The only time things get obscured are during one of the later fight scenes, in which things are mostly CGI, and even then you get the idea that was kind of the point.
The actors are all very entertaining. Michael Cera finally gets another role in which he can break his usual style of "awkward teen who mumbles a lot". While there is some of that in the film (mostly when he's around Ramona), most of the time Scott is loud, brash, and cocky and Cera portrays him very well. All of the side characters, from crazy highschooler Knives Chau (a insanely hyper Ellen Wong), to sarcastic gay roommate Wallace Wells (hilariously portrayed by Kieran Culkin) are much of the same, and a joy to watch. Furthermore, each and every one of the cast members who portray an Evil Ex (from Chris Evans to Brandon Routh to Jason Schwartzman) all look like they're having tons of fun in their roles and it's infectious. Possibly the only downer in the cast is Winstead as Flowers-you never really get a sense of why she's worth fighting for, but the argument could be made that what's love to one person isn't to another so maybe you're not supposed to know. Winstead mostly seems bored with the proceedings, to be honest. Still, the characters could have done with some more development and some extra time to flesh out, but these things happen when you try to cram six graphic novels into two hours.
There are, however, hitches.
For one thing, those who are not videogame fans may be put off by much of the film's references or shout-outs. While knowlege of games are not necessary to get the humour of the film (truly, my mother was laughing almost more than I was), if you don't like lots of visual cues from games or talks about games, then this movie is going to put you off right away.
Furthermore, by the end, things start to seem a bit rushed. This was inevitable due to a over 1000 page story being told in just under two hours, and for the most part the crew managed to keep the pace consistent. Things just start getting skimmed over a bit or moved past even quicker than before, and it hurts the movie in the end.
All of that being said, this is an extremely imaginative film, with a stunning visual style, a hilarious sense of humour, and good performances almost all around. Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World is crazy, and maybe nerdy, but you don't have to be some perceived clique to have fun with it. It's not "hipster" (the source material was very much a deconstruction of the hipster lifestyle), nor is it "pretentious". It's just a fun movie that has an appreciation for videogames. What's so wrong with that?
It's loud, crazy, modern, nostalgic, touching, funny, and many other things. Above all else, Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World is just a lot of fun.
Insert coin, motherfucker.
* * * * 1/2 (out of 5)
This is the craziest, loudest, most imaginative fucking movie you are maybe ever going to see.
SO YEAH
Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World tells the story of the eponymous Scott Pilgrim (played by Michael Cera, who breaks his usual "awkward teen" mold) and his attempts to literally win the heart of Ramona Flowers ( Mary Elizabeth Winstead). The problem with this is that she has League of Seven Evil Exes who will completely destroy any and all potential suitors, whether she wants them to or not (she doesn't). The solution? Scott Pilgrim is a badass with improbable kung-fu skills and videogame logic on his side.
The thing that most people are going to remember about Scott Pilgrim is it's visuals. It's about the most fully-realized "living comic-book" style I have ever seen. Sound effects such as "thonk" appear where the sound would originate from, rapidly and nonchalantly so as to not draw too much attention to it. Speed lines, multiple frames and narration are all present and it gives the movie an extremely unique look. Once you get used to it (about ten minutes), it all becomes natural to the film and adds to it.
Next would be the whip-fast direction, editing, and humour. SPvTW does not give you time to think about a joke to "get it" once the movie has said it. Instead, it keeps on going, doesn't hold up, and jumps right into the next punchline, be it visual, character, or dialogue-based. The movie doesn't have a ton of hardcore laughs, but it does produce a healthy dosage of giggles, grins, and it's constantly amusing.
Surprisingly, SPvTW has many incredible fight scenes. The best martial arts action you're ever going to see outside of a Hong Kong flick, and then some. It's all extremely unrealistic and crazy, but damn, is it satisfying. It's all quick, hyper, hard-hitting, and extremely well shot. No shaky-cam nonsense here. You see ever hit, clean and clear and it looks great. The only time things get obscured are during one of the later fight scenes, in which things are mostly CGI, and even then you get the idea that was kind of the point.
The actors are all very entertaining. Michael Cera finally gets another role in which he can break his usual style of "awkward teen who mumbles a lot". While there is some of that in the film (mostly when he's around Ramona), most of the time Scott is loud, brash, and cocky and Cera portrays him very well. All of the side characters, from crazy highschooler Knives Chau (a insanely hyper Ellen Wong), to sarcastic gay roommate Wallace Wells (hilariously portrayed by Kieran Culkin) are much of the same, and a joy to watch. Furthermore, each and every one of the cast members who portray an Evil Ex (from Chris Evans to Brandon Routh to Jason Schwartzman) all look like they're having tons of fun in their roles and it's infectious. Possibly the only downer in the cast is Winstead as Flowers-you never really get a sense of why she's worth fighting for, but the argument could be made that what's love to one person isn't to another so maybe you're not supposed to know. Winstead mostly seems bored with the proceedings, to be honest. Still, the characters could have done with some more development and some extra time to flesh out, but these things happen when you try to cram six graphic novels into two hours.
There are, however, hitches.
For one thing, those who are not videogame fans may be put off by much of the film's references or shout-outs. While knowlege of games are not necessary to get the humour of the film (truly, my mother was laughing almost more than I was), if you don't like lots of visual cues from games or talks about games, then this movie is going to put you off right away.
Furthermore, by the end, things start to seem a bit rushed. This was inevitable due to a over 1000 page story being told in just under two hours, and for the most part the crew managed to keep the pace consistent. Things just start getting skimmed over a bit or moved past even quicker than before, and it hurts the movie in the end.
All of that being said, this is an extremely imaginative film, with a stunning visual style, a hilarious sense of humour, and good performances almost all around. Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World is crazy, and maybe nerdy, but you don't have to be some perceived clique to have fun with it. It's not "hipster" (the source material was very much a deconstruction of the hipster lifestyle), nor is it "pretentious". It's just a fun movie that has an appreciation for videogames. What's so wrong with that?
It's loud, crazy, modern, nostalgic, touching, funny, and many other things. Above all else, Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World is just a lot of fun.
Insert coin, motherfucker.
* * * * 1/2 (out of 5)