It’s Valentine’s Day stargazers, marking the end of the love-themed vault review series, A Fistful of Romances!. What better way to wrap the series than with a mighty shouryuken to your jaw with a fun-filled, action romance? Let’s get ready to rumble!
After a year of heartbreak, Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera) has finally started dating again. However, his roomie, Wallace (Kieran Culkin) and his Sex Bob-omb band-mates think Knives Chau (Ellen Wong) is his poor, unsuspecting rebound girl and they may be right. While in the midst of ‘like’ for Knives, a crazy-cute chica, Ramona V. Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), rolls out of his dreams and into his reality. Scott is determined to win the heart of Ramona, but her seven evil exes emerge to thwart their budding relationship.
Writer-director Edgar Wright along with writer Michael Bacall have brought Bryan Lee O’Malley’s Scott Pilgrim graphic novels to glorious, graphically-influenced life. Pilgrim has the usual awkward cadence familiar to Wright’s previous films; bouts of wildly fun action balanced with witty discourse that result in a sort of stuttering unevenness that strangely works (kinda like this sentence).
Pilgrim works for many reasons, but foremost is Wright’s stylish mash-up of video games and movies finished off with a dash of Gilliam and a pinch of sitcom for flavor. It’s like Wright watched Uwe Boll’s video-game flick, House of the Dead, and made posilutely sure Pilgrim was the exact opposite.
Kudos on casting Michael Cera as Scott Pilgrim; he’s awesome. Cera has the lovable-slacker, wannabe-rocker shtick down cold and works every minute of it. Winstead smolders as Ramona; her vibe instantly conveys why she’s the object of affection to so many. Wong is also adorably hopeless as Scott’s would-be gal.
Even the smaller roles are on point. If you don’t know all the actors portraying the evil exes and Scott’s cohorts, I won’t spoil it, but they all bring a special something to the table (Arrested Development fans will get a huge kick out of one ex in particular). Clifton Collins, Jr. and Thomas Jane make an absolutely riotous appearance… but I’ve already said too much. I could spend another couple of paragraphs praising the cast, but, point is, together they work well.
The uniqueness of Scott’s battles keeps Pilgrim fresh. I love a good fight, but if I had to watch Scott clamor through level after level, bruised and beaten, the movie would have gotten stale. Instead, Scott must use both his wits, bassist skills, and Street Fighter savvy with each new opponent. Wright cleverly skirts around the severity of Pilgrim’s battle-to-the-death scenarios, so squeamish folks need not fret.
Have I mentioned how lovable Cera is as Scott and how lucky he is to score a wicked cute dame like Winstead to be Ramona? Just checking. The fervor with which Scott pursues Ramona is endearing. Although Ramona ranks as a ten to Scott’s zero, their chemistry keeps you rooting for them.
I was as giddy as a schoolgirl the first time I saw the Pilgrim trailer. When I saw it in theaters, I was ecstatic that my excitement was not misplaced. Now having seen it multiple times, I’m still discovering the subtle nuances and I’m certain Scott and Company will continue to deliver the same knockout hilarity for countless viewing to come.
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I heartily approve this message. Though you needed paragraph in and of itself to talk about how awesome Kieran Culkin was in this movie.
Twitter: waywardjam
February 15, 2012 7:43 am
Thanks. Culkin’s Wallace is an awesome character, a total lothario. I could do a whole other review on the supporting cast; Routh, Schwartzman, Whitman, Plaza with Culkin leading the pack.
I showed this movie to my high school students and it was a treat watching them go from jaded cynics, to completely confused, to WTF!? to enthralled. Tom Jane and Clifton Collins alone make this movie fantastic.
I tried showing this to my high school students last year. They thought it was the stupidest thing they’d ever seen and demanded I turn it off barely 15-20 minutes in.
Twitter: waywardjam
February 15, 2012 7:50 am
WHA?!?!
There was a critic who said not to watch Scott Pilgrim if you were over 25 because it would only frustrate you. Obviously, I don’t agree with him, but I would have never thought today’s teens would hate it.
Next you’ll tell me your kids thought Nicki Minaj’s Grammy performance/seizure was the highlight of the show.
Nobody has really been talking about the Grammys, but I wouldn’t put it past them. At all.
I think Scott Pilgrim is made for people who are currently roughly 18-35. If they’re any older or younger, it’s only for them if they have a vested interest in video games or anime.
WHAT?!
1) If I was a teacher, I would absolutely show them SCOTT PILGRIM, regardless of the class. Hell, if it was a Political Science class, I’d fine a way. Must convert more SPvsTW fans!
2) They demanded it be turned it?!?! Woow. BUT, in a weird way, I’m not too surprised. At least in regards to kids my age seeing the trailer and poster, none of them looked interested in the slightest, at least none that weren’t already thinking, ‘Edgar Wright?! Awesome man!’ But people at my college, one look at they had no interest. The same people who, a few months later, went bonkers over bloody PRINCE OF PERSIA. So, facepalm.
Twitter: waywardjam
February 15, 2012 7:45 am
I bet that was fun. I’ve enjoyed turning my friends onto SPvtW. So many were like, “ugh, no thanks,” but by the end they’d seen the error of their ways.
Twitter: MarkusWelby1
February 15, 2012 8:28 am
I often wonder why this film didn’t resonate well with film audiences. I admit that when I saw the trailer, I wasn’t interested. But I was totally floored after seeing it. Perhaps they just didn’t know how to market the beast that is Scott Pilgrim. Amazing film that works as part musical, kung-fu film, and romantic comedy. Too much of a genre mix up maybe?
I think why it doesn’t work for a lot of people, such as current (non-nerd) teenagers, is because the first 20-30 minutes is basically weirdness with seemingly nothing happening. It’s not until after that when the action (and video game aspect) starts and would gain attention.
Twitter: waywardjam
February 15, 2012 1:57 pm
True. And it’s also true that us ‘nerds’ are its target demographic.
Twitter: waywardjam
February 15, 2012 1:55 pm
I think it is that Pilgrim’s bold and far-reaching. There’s a reason movies like Grown-Ups and Valentine’s Day make the mega bucks. They stick to tried-and-true albeit mediocre stories with big stars and the folks flock to them.
Pilgrim features stars that will be, but aren’t yet, mega-stars in a story that rails against the scripted norms. The marketing didn’t even attempt to bring in the masses, just excite it’s target demographic.
Twitter: agracru
February 17, 2012 6:50 am
The bigger reason movies like that make money is that they appeal to the middle of the road and cost nothing to make. If you’re pointing at a demographic that broad and feeding them something made on the cheap and which requires no heavy lifting on their part and is guaranteed not to challenge or offend them, you’re going to come out ahead in dollars and cents every single time.
Twitter: waywardjam
February 18, 2012 8:10 am
Very true.
Twitter: nevermindpop
February 15, 2012 11:40 am
I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that Scott comes off as an asshole for a majority of the film.
At least three different people that I’ve talked to (and I only know 5 who have seen it) said they hated Cera’s character.
Twitter: waywardjam
February 15, 2012 2:02 pm
You’re right, Scott is kind of an ass. He starts off pitiable, but you can see how folks find him unlikable. Especially when you learn more about his past relationships and watch him chase after Ramona while leading Knives on. I like that about Scott; he’s what I picture an immature guy to be.
I could not have hated this movie with more needless vitriol. Cera drove me crazy, his little girlfriend was useless and obnoxious and the only semi-interesting character was Culkin, who reminded me of a young Robert Downey Jr. Otherwise … God, how I hated this movie. (Right, now I’ve gotten that out).
Twitter: waywardjam
February 18, 2012 8:05 am
You wound me!
Actually, I get it. I have several friends who, had they seen SPvtW, would have been as annoyed as you. I was quick to recommend they avoid it.
Twitter: agracru
February 17, 2012 6:53 am
Scott’s supposed to be something of a jerk, though. This is about selfish youth learning to grow up. Yeah, it’s also about crazy-awesome video game stylization and sensibilities, but it is, in its heart, a coming-of-age story– just one that happens to involve sword fights and sonic monsters duking it out with each other.
Twitter: waywardjam
February 18, 2012 8:07 am
Exactly! If Scott were perfect from the start, there’d be nothing worth watching… except for all the cool sword fights and sonic montsers.
My love for SCOTT PILGRIM is well documented, and I can’t say enough how happy I am to see it mentioned at MILF! Wonderful write-up Wayne to a pretty much perfect movie.
Twitter: waywardjam
February 18, 2012 8:08 am
Thanks! And thanks also for the link.
Twitter: TapaidhNaomh
February 17, 2012 8:00 pm
I hate this movie. I hate this movie. I can’t really qualify how much this movie is a piece of unrelenting garbage. Thin, almost nonexistent characters played by the most bored-looking actors they could find. The editing brings more life to the proceedings than the dialogue or the characters. The fact that people treat this movie like some overlooked and maligned piece of genius drives me bananas. Smart, sensible people defend this movie like a religion, and it always makes me wonder who drugged them.
That said, I respect your right to hold a contradictory opinion, and your review expressed your read on the film very well. I just disagree vehemently.
Twitter: waywardjam
February 18, 2012 8:21 am
I am definitely one of those of the devout Scott Pilgrim faith.
I do think the bored look of the actors is part of the film’s aesthetic, but to each his own. Thanks for sharing. That’s the beautiful thing about film; there’ll never be a movie that appeals to everyone in exactly the same way. If it did, it’d make for a boring set of comments.