REVIEW: Scott Pilgrim vs. The World

When you think of movies for our generation, you would probably rattle off films like Clueless or tv shows like My So Called Life, but I never felt an affinity for them or connected to them at all. They just didn’t speak to me or about my life or where I’m coming from. Sure they are entertainment – yes, I like Clueless a great deal so what? – but the point of those films, to capture (or satire) an amount of cultural youth relevance, felt superfluous to me.

Then I saw Scott Pilgrim vs. The World and that void was filled. Not only did I relate entirely to the film, except never having been in a fight, much less one involving seven evil ex-boyfriends, but Scott Pilgrim effortlessly peeled my face off, shoved three fingers into my eye and nasal cavities like a bowling ball made of warm ham, and proceeded to stimulate the most erogenous of zones in my brain. Scott Pilgrim was hitting my g-spot all night. My geek-spot. Wow, that sounds gay.

The premise of the film is simple and genius. Scott Pilgrim, a young-ish bass-player for the nowhere band Sex Bob-omb, meets Ramona Flowers, the girl of his dreams (literally). As if women weren’t challenging enough on their own (please, hold the hate mail), in order to continue dating Ramona, Scott must defeat her seven ex-boyfriends, all of whom are evil to varying degrees. Insert copious amounts – I’m talking nine-ropers here – of video game, rock music, pop-culture goodness, pop yourself a speedball of exstacy, pixie sticks, red bull and garlic bread and you’ve got a truly unique and exceptionally executed film. It sounds unremarkable to say, so I’ll pepper in a swear word for emphasis: Scott Pilgrim is fucking fun.

A few months ago I bought the first five volumes of the Scott Pilgrim graphic novel series (now complete with volume six concluding them), created by writer/artist Bryan Lee O’Malley. I was immediately captured in this world – not hard considering the story is set in Toronto and references dozens of actual locations and establishments – and it wasn’t long before I felt I knew the characters, thanks to O’Malley’s masterful writing. The books are a perfect balance of humor, ultra video game violence and true, believable love. Every character feels defined and hits every beat. If you haven’t climbed aboard Train Pilgrim, you don’t know what you’re missing. With the final volume of the series hitting shelves earlier this month, I felt that pit form in my stomach as I turned the last page. That moment where you’re high from seeing how it all turned out, yet mildly depressed that it’s now over. For me, seeing the Scott Pilgrim film adaptation – especially weeks before release – was the perfect cap to the whole experience, as Edgar Wright and the cast hit this one out of the park.

I wouldn’t hesitate to put Scott Pilgrim high on the list of most faithful comic-to-movie adaptations, nor would I hesitate to call it one of the most enjoyable times I’ve had in a movie theatre in recent years. Just like Bryan Lee O’Malley’s books, I was sad to see it end. Don’t take my sentiments as saying the film is only for fans though – Wright has made a movie totally accessible to those who haven’t experienced Pilgrim on paper. In fact, there are major differences between the book and the film, story-wise; like Kick-Ass, the screenplay for Pilgrim was written long before the series concluded. The film exists as itself for all young, energetic eyes to behold, and offers a completely new experience for both fans and non-fans alike. If there’s a geeky bone in your body (want one?), then it deserves to see this film, multiple times at that.

The film also marks a huge landmark for director Edgar Wright. We love Edgar, no one’s disputing that. He hasn’t been on an uphill battle with his films, people adore them. At this point he hasn’t had to, nor should he feel the need, to prove himself, and that makes it all the more spectacular to see just how he’s grown as a director. A visceral, visually stunning director. I’m convinced the man can do it all. Hilarious writing. Killer editing and camera work. Genuinely awesome fight-scenes. Adjective verb. Adjective verb times ten. Scott Pilgrim looks fucking amazing, easily sitting comfortably, knees apart, balls on the seat, next to critically praised visuals seen as recently as Inception or Star Trek. All previous attempts at creating a video game movie have turned to ash and cinder as Pilgrim manages to perfect the convergence of three genres – comics, film and games, into one. Essentially, Edgar Wright’s film is the sexiest tranny alive, being both the hottest, most gorgeous woman and the most chiseled, tree-trunks-for-quads fireman in the world. Again, it’s not gay if it’s Scott Pilgrim, but I’m so comfortably in love with him that I don’t care. Besides, it’s 2010, get over yourself. If it feels good, do it.

I would be doing myself and the film a disservice by continuing on with my horrible, crude metaphors and hyperbole, but dammit, that’s what Pilgrim did to me. It’s entirely positive. It makes me proud to be a geek and love the things that I love and the references that I get. It makes me want to be social. I want to own a bass guitar. I want garlic bread, even if it makes you fat. I want an X-Men patch on my fur-lined winter coat. But most importantly, I want to see Scott Pilgrim again and show it to all of my friends.

The film opens on August 13th. Be there or be dust.