Rating: ****
This latest offering from Edgar Wright takes the phrase 'smash hit' to a new dimension. Writing this review moments after seeing the movie, I must refrain from the over-arching compulsion to use vocabulary such as 'kick-ass' and 'awesome' to sum up a film that has not only pushed the boundaries of genre convention, but created its own category entirely.
This energetic and enthusiastic comic book adaptation has ambition and gusto from the outset. The story is simple: 22-year-old mild-mannered musician, Scott Pilgrim, falls in love with flame-haired, sardonic temptress, Ramona Flowers, but soon discovers she carries with her some pretty hefty baggage.
Ramona's past comes back to haunt her in the form of seven evil exes. Scott must defeat each of these foes to win Ramona's heart. Sound a little far fetched? I neglected to mention Scott lives in a world where physical boundaries resemble that of your average video game.
From the opening credits, this film firmly establishes itself in a computer-generated microcosm, causing the audience to feel as though they are watching a retro Nintendo platforner; turning characters into players and the screen into a console.
Gamers the world over will recognise and appreciate the level of effort involved in maintaining this level of gaming detail in each and every scene. Pilgrim's weird and wonderful 8-bit world has every element of your standard game - levels, tokens, power-ups, combat bonuses, and even each conquered foe bursting into collectible gold coins upon defeat.
Coupling a grunge-rock score with fast-paced graphic novel-style editing, Scott Pilgrim Vs The World is the ultimate geek fest turned 'super cool'. Each character is introduced with a text box appearing on screen, detailing their name, age and ranking. This spells just the beginning of a host of visual spectacles detaching the viewer from any semblance of reality. The movie brings an anime-inspired edge to the big screen, firmly slapping the collective face of the audience with every frame, with a daring and original approach to cinematography.
We are taken on an action-packed journey, tracking Scott's attempts to get his manic-pixie-dream-girl. Jumping from location to location in a palpably dreamlike fashion, opening doors to rooms that were once not there in a free-flowing and progressive manner that lends a creative rhythm that is both fluid and jarring.
As each new evil ex crashes the scene, they become opponents in KO-style combat. These fight scenes could land farcically if one ignores the world in which they are taking place. The first time one of these sword-wielding maniacs bursts onto the screen they seem completely out of place, even in a land of make-believe, (granted, the singing emo pirate wizard guy and his demon chick army was a tad OTT), however once you suspend disbelief, you can lay back and enjoy the ride as six more surreal encounters take place.
What is arguably more alarming is the fact that wimpy Canadian, Michael Cera, manages to hold his own in brutal Street Fighter-style hand-to-hand combat. Every teenager's dream, these sequences more likely represent how well Scott would play them. The biggest hint of this imaginative mind-play is his capacity to survive being hurled through brick walls before proceeding to dust himself off and play some gnarly riffs on his bass guitar. It is fair to assyme a large portion of what we see takes place inside the protagonist's mind.
What makes all of this nonsense work is the fact the film is so self-aware. The script is expertly woven with tongue-in-cheek, fourth-wall-breaking reflexivity. When bleeping out swear words with a censorship box, Scott asks: 'How are you doing that with your mouth?'
Credit where credit's due, Cera demonstrates trademark comic timing and minimalistic sarcasm, delivering his lines with charming naivety. Lending to the idea that the meek will inherit the earth a poetic validity, he creates a loveable goof who spends most of the movie kicking some evil butt.
Overall this is in a wildly unique piece of work that re-establishes the point of absurdity. If you can accept the dramatics of machievellian glares and whiplash-inducing head turns and truly immerse yourself in this brave new world, there's much fun to be had.
Scott Pilgrim has just the right amount of random mixed with references to popular culture that will have gamers jumping for joy. I was pleasantly surprised to see the familiar Universal Pictures logo hijacked by dodgy Super Mario sound effects on its famously boomic theme music. Not just your regurgitated three act structure, the film should be celebrated for innovative production. In an otherwise predictable Hollywood, offering audiences dreary regurgitated storylines and two-dimensional tropes, these nuances render Scott Pilgrim Vs The World an absolute breath of fresh air.
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