Scott Pilgrim vs The World

Synopsis: Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera) 22, bass player for Sex Bob-Omb, is in love with Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead). There are two problems though. One, he’s dating Knives Chau (Ellen Wong). Two, Ramona has seven evil exes who have sworn to kill anyone who dates her…

“We are Sex Bob-omb and we’re here to make you think about death and get sad and stuff!”

An ADHD extravaganza that also has a solid plot and interesting characters? Can such a thing exist? The answer is yes. Scott Pilgrim vs The World is a take-no-prisoners assault on the senses that lovingly pays homage to old computer games, indie rock music, comic books and all those stupid things you did when you were too young to know any better.

Loosely structured around Sex Bob-omb’s progression through a “battle of the bands” contest, the real content is Scott and Ramona’s awkward courtship. Anyone who’s ever dated someone with a lot of emotional baggage will instantly feel a twinge of sympathy for Scott, as he quite literally has to battle Ramona’s past in the form of The League of Evil Exes, sworn to destroy any chance of her finding happiness. But as the story progresses, real questions begin to surface about both Scott and Ramona. Are either of them really that great? Scott initially cheats on Knives, not maliciously, but because he’s too gutless to break up with her and hurt her feelings. Ramona’s relationship history begins to say a lot about her too, and none of it is nice. But what makes the film awesome is that these facts aren’t hidden away, but dealt with honestly. And as they both grow up, they learn to deal with the less likeable parts of themselves. The fact that this happens within a film full of amazingly choreographed fight sequences and machine-gun dialogue is even more incredible.

Scott's "world' is something to be seen. This isn’t a case of hallucinatory fantasies projected over real life, Scott isn’t delusional. This is magic realism done right, an entirely new reality with its own rules and logic and the confidence to barely explain and never apologise. You just go along for the ride and enjoy the fact that a band gig can explode into a fight scene that references Street Fighter 2, Bollywood dance numbers and Hong Kong martial arts fantasies without skipping a beat. It all makes sense and, literally, it’s a blast.

The acting is great, the SFX and cinematography are flawless and the music is brilliant. With songs for Sex Bob-omb by Beck, a soundtrack by Nigel Godrich (producer of Radiohead) and a bunch of other great musicians, this truly is a feast for the eyes, ears and the mind. But the real star is Edgar Wright, like a gifted DJ, he’s remixed a much loved cult comic, blended in his own rhythms and beats, and served up an amazingly entertaining and emotionally solid film. It’s post-modern pop-art at its best and you should see it now..

 

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