Video games have been a lasting presence in my life. They’re essentially pointless, but their ability to offer me a form of catharsis in the comfort of my own home is something I truly cherish. What’s disappointing about the general public’s opinion towards video games is that they’re often considered the downfall of our youth. In some circles video games are the basis for an ever growing sedentary life for children as well as the fuel to the ADD riddled minds that now fill our schools. With my reluctance to throw any weight behind those damning words, those who already hate the notion of the kinetic nature of video games will undoubtedly hate Edgar Wright’s Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.
Let’s be honest, Scott Pilgrim is very much a niche film. It will mainly attract teenage males whose libido comes second only to the destruction they can cause on a virtual battle field. The film itself did extremely well with critics, whom are often seen as crusty, old curmudgeons. Despite the acclaim, the film will most likely just appeal to gamers, which is quite disappointing to say considering the film is a synergy of visuals and sound. With those two aspects being the more impressive facets of the film, let’s get past the biggest weakness: the plot. Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera) is a lovelorn twenty-two year old who recently had a rough break up. To make matters worse, the girl who broke Scott’s heart is kind of becoming a big thing with her emerging band called Clash at Demonhead. In an attempt to fill the void, Scott shuffles around with his band (Sex Bob-omb) trying to make it big while dating high school girls. The latter hits a high when Scott meets Knives (Ellen Wong), a high school girl who becomes infatuated with him. In spite of his denial, Scott quickly grows tiresome of his recent relationships, a notion that is further magnified when he meets the colorful Ramona (Elizabeth Winstead) at a party. Like most video game protagonists, or even those under twenty, Scott is quick to fall in love with this beautiful stranger.
After much pestering and creeping, Scott finally earns a date with the unreachable Ramona. The date, which begins as a lark, ends with Scott and Ramona slightly getting to know one another and jumping right into intimacy. They’re smitten and ready to live a life of solidarity. Yet, what Ramona hasn’t explained to Scott is that he must defeat her six evil ex-boyriends (and one girlfriend) in order to be with her. Initially incredulous to the peril that awaits him, Scott does what every man does when they’re infected with puppy love: fight for his woman’s honor. Much like how a video game character battles through varying stages and bosses to reach the end of the game, Scott battles through Ramona’s exes to reach the final boss. As you can probably discern, the film’s plot has as much depth as a measuring cup. Nonetheless, the film is arguably the funniest and most visually inventive film of the year. Each punch, each kick, and each kiss features enough panache and flash to induce a seizure as it dedicates its visual style to a game like Street Fighter. These visual indulgences pep up six battle scenes that are already full of kinetic energy. Part Matrix and part LSD trip, the fight sequences are a well balanced mixture of cartoon violence and absurd hilarity. Pushing each scene to the level of a video game is the hard rock soundtrack mixed with compositions that rival the music you’d find in a classic Nintendo game.
Certainly, seeing battle after battle makes the film feel repetitive, but the fight scenes are filled with enough infectious activity to push us through even the most over wrought sequences. Found within the explosive fight scenes are an assortment of caricatures that are witty and as bold as the special effects that accompany them on the screen. All of the characters, which possess the ability to assert themselves in Sorkin paced dialogue, are well played. Michael Cera, who has seen backlash for playing the same nervous teen, actually shows a bit of confidence as Scott. He by no means does a complete turn, but Cera does enough for us to get on board with his overly confident performance. Showing up Cera is Kieran Culkin as Scott’s roommate Wallace. His rapid fire insults and innuendos are both hilarious and endearing. In many respects, he provides the film with its finest observations on teenage love. Battling Scott are the seven evil exes who are played devilishly by the likes of Brandon Routh, Chris Evans, and Jason Schwarztman. The aforementioned actors take their characters to an unbelievable level of absurdity as they work hard for a comedic payoff. Even though the performances are hammed up and the visuals are in your face, the film possesses a great amount of fun in being its own entity. Directed by Edgar Wright, Scott Pilgrim doesn’t waiver from being a videogame inspired film. Instead, it revels in the fact that it’s spastic and over the top. Because of this, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is an irresistible force that you’d be remiss to look past, even if it is reminiscent of a video game.
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