Review of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010) by Victor T — 05 Aug 2015

By 2010 Edgar Wright had already proved that he is a stylistic and fast paced director specialized in comedies, so he seem like the perfect director/screenwriter to adapt the beloved "Scott Pilgrim" graphic novels. The result of this adaptation was a box office bomb but it gain a huge cult following. How good is Edgar Wright´s third feature film?

Scott Pilgrim is a 21 year old Canadian that doesn't know what to do with his life, but then he meets the woman of his dreams- literally-, a woman named Ramona Flowers. But if you want to date Ramona Flowers then you need to beat her seven evil ex-boyfriends.

Let's get something out of the way: The concept of this film sound ridiculous but somewhat fun and relatable; so I expected a lame comedy, but thanks to Edgar Wright this film managed to be much more than that. "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World" is a comedy that counts with incredible fun to watch acting with the highlights being Chris Evans, Brandon Roth and Mary Elizabeth Winsted (as teen I feel in love with her), hilarious comedy, Wright´s trademark editing that's energetic and makes the gags even better, peculiar but hilarious characters, it surprisingly has a lot of heart, Cera and Winsted have very good chemistry, over the top anime fight sequences that are inventive and fun to watch, the soundtrack is this both electronic and garage rock, a stylistic 8-bit Nintendo atmosphere mixed with alternative music (you could argue it is hipster but come on, don't be ridiculous), a tight script that, the themes are handle with subtlety, each fight is different, Wright´s directing is at his most energetic as he goes for a comic-booky directing style, and it knows when to take itself seriously and when to go for campiness. But with all those great elements out of the way, it should be said that the film´s greatest virtue (its geeky style) is also its biggest problem, as it starts solidly but by the time the third evil ex is defeated, it becomes repetitive and forgettable; some secondary characters have potential but are thrown away, and the ending isn't satisfying.

"Scott Pilgrim vs. the World" is a highly creative rom-com that guarantees a fun time if you are into the geek culture (anime, comic books, graphic novels, and/or videogames). Another great film in Wright´s catalog.