Review of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010) by Tiger N — 28 Apr 2014

I love this film. Those of us who do, our capacity to enjoy it feels completely natural. It doesn't really require further analysis or effort to understand it or appreciate it. The film just happens to be aimed at a very, very specific demographic and the tragic failure of the film, both financially as well as in general, is that there just aren't enough of us around. I decided to compile a list of reasons why a person would enjoy this film. The more of these that apply to you, the more you'll enjoy the film.

I. You are a fan of Michael Cera's work (at least in some capacity).

Michael Cera's appeal, or lack thereof, is probably the biggest hurdle for most people. Maybe it wouldn't be an issue if this was the only film in his career up to this point, but of course that isn't the case. It's unfortunate the way public perception of him as an actor has turned out. Many say that Michael Cera plays the same character in every film. And while it's true that his voice and mannerisms carry over from one film to another, it's a disservice to the art of acting to expect each performer to be extremely different in every role they've ever taken. Not everyone can or should be a character actor like Gary Oldman, Stephen Root or Johnny Depp (and I am so sick of Johnny Depp). While it's nice to have regional accents and unique sets of mannerisms in your repertoire to mess around with, the only thing that constitutes a good actor is the ability to embody the character with conviction and real/believable emotions. Just think of actors who look and sound the same in all of their work, but their characters are easily distinguishable. Bryan Cranston. Michael J. Fox. Bill Murray. George Clooney. There is no one actor who is right for every role, but I would challenge anyone to find a better Scott Pilgrim.

I firmly believe Michael Cera has the ability and will only get better with time. The problem is that his body of work is victim to typecasting in mostly forgettable, mediocre films as an awkward teen. Between the release of Scott Pilgrim and the end of Arrested Development, Cera has been in five lead roles across three years. The litmus test of whether or not a person likes Michael Cera is whether or not they've seen and liked Arrested Development. He is brilliant in that show and there is no better evidence of his comedic timing. Arrested Development is the reason why he has a film career. In the years of pre-production for Scott Pilgrim, the director Edgar Wright personally wanted to cast him as the titular hero before he was even old enough to play the role. Based on his work on Arrested Development. I've checked the internet and people who did not like him after more than one of his films became fans of his after they have seen Arrested Development. Being a show that's not as accessible as a typical sitcom, requiring the full attention of the viewer in order for them to appreciate the subtleties of the writing and performances, it's not for everyone. But if there's anything that could make the most impact on whether or not a person can enjoy Scott Pilgrim, nothing can nullify dislike or even hatred of Michael Cera like the best performance of his career thus far.

II. You enjoy the fantasy genre.

The film starts out as a romantic comedy in a heightened reality full of very specific pop culture references, sounds and visuals. Half an hour into the film, the viewer is thrown into the deep end as the fantastical elements are turned up to 11. At this point, you either accept the premise or you do not. It's easy for me to accept because the presentation and unreality of how and why the Scott Pilgrim universe works in the first half hour has prepared me. Just don't take it too seriously and roll with it, baby.

III. The performances of the cast are appealing to you.

Every character is perfectly cast, embodying exactly what you would imagine from reading the comic. For whatever reason, one might not enjoy them as much as I do. Ellen Wong puts a lot of frantic energy into her maiden film role, playing the enthusiastic teenage girl/groupie/stalker/ninja Knives Chau. I can imagine that she would be annoying or grating to some, but I found her hilarious. And I love the way she says, "Woooooooooow.".

While I can write at least a page on the praises I have for each actor's performance, I have to single out Mary Elizabeth Winstead. Both the type of film it is and the run time of just under two hours don't allow any of the characters to have all that much depth. But Winstead adds a lot to Ramona Flowers, her face often showing sad regret. At the end of the film, you can hear the breaking of her voice and see the tears welled up in her eyes. That gets me every time.

IV. You enjoy martial arts action.

When you watch the old romcoms of old, you never expect to see Hugh Grant or Billy Crystal or any of those guys get into some acrobatic kung fu brawls. You could even argue that the audiences for each type of film have little overlap. And maybe that's true. I haven't seen a film quite like Scott Pilgrim before and there surely hasn't been one since. Martial arts films, from Tarantino to Jackie Chan to Bruce Lee, they all seem to be considerably more serious in tone. Any violence in romcoms tends to almost always be for dramatic effect, usually containing nothing visually interesting. The genre fusion of Scott Pilgrim works because, like I said, you're not supposed to take it seriously. Being brutally hit repeatedly rarely causes blood to spill and being knocked through a brick wall is something someone can not only survive, but stand up from, ready for more. If anything, the cartoon-like violence makes the action more palatable to those who might be turned off by martial arts films.

V. You're familiar with (North) American pop culture.

While this is the least important of the five most important reasons a person enjoys Scott Pilgrim, there are so many images, sounds and dialogue referencing the vast, collected knowledge of the modern super geek. The more you know, the funnier that familiarity with the material is. From playing The Legend of Zelda: A Link To The Past to watching a Harry Potter film to using AOL on an old Macintosh computer, the nostalgia is strong with this one. Unfortunately, this has the side-effect of dating the film and most outside my generation are unlikely to get much of the nuance of these references. But for us select few, you could measure our neurological response and see various parts of our brains light up like fireworks when we watch this movie. The only advice I can offer is GO BACK IN TIME AND DO EVERYTHING.

Even if all the references go over your head, there is still much to like about the film if reasons I, II and III apply to you. It is so brilliantly made, with each frame so deliberately and expertly crafted with an endless attention to detail. Weeks if not months worth of fight training and choreography. Masterful editing to keep the film's pace and rapid fire jokes moving at warp 9. Hilarious and punchy dialogue that would even make Joss Whedon jealous. And despite the limitations of a light action comedy fantasy film, there's much to relate to. The roommate, the new love with baggage, the sibling, the bandmate, the betrayal of friends, redemption, overcoming your personal demons. Feeling alone.

What kind of weird metaphor should I use to illustrate how combining each individual element together makes for a potent combination? Elemental crystals in Final Fantasy? The rings of Captain Planet? Three cheese pasta? Well, whatever. You either get it or you don't.

Other reasons that enhance the film's viewing (in no particular order):

You wish Chris Evans was really in a film called Action Doctor.

You like (punk) rock music and indie bands.

You are not a homophobe.

You are not racist (against Asians or white people).

You do not have a problem with the word 'retard'.

You enjoy Edgar Wright's previous films.

You ever lived in a tiny cheap apartment.

You like the Scott Pilgrim graphic novels.

You can read English quickly with ease (or have a pause button).

You heart stuff.

You saw the squirrel.

You're a longtime resident of Toronto.

You have a thing for underdogs.

You have a strong sense of irony.

You know who Bill Hader is.

You imagine/describe someone being hit with typical comic book onomatopoeia like POW or KABAM.

Popcorn.