Tom Reviews "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World"

Tom's Corner:



Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World
(2010, Edgar Wright, director)

“We are Sex Bob-Omb, and we are here to make you think about death and get sad and stuff.”

Ok, we all know the hype surrounding Scott Pilgrim. Bryan Lee O'Malley's six graphic novels (available anywhere comics are sold) were condensed into one 2 hour movie. But was Scott Pilgrim worth the price of admission? Oh yeah...

First off, let's talk about the stellar cast. When you base a movie on...well, anything, it's hard to get a cast who can really embrace the characters. This cast did. Let's start right at the top: Michael Cera, who I've been hard on for playing the same character again and again (you all know what I mean) plays Scott Pilgrim to perfection. Scott is your average bass-playing underachiever, who has little to no responsibility in his life. He lives with (and in fact shares a bed with) his gay roommate, Wallace Wells (Kieran Culkin). Wallace gets so many of the lines that make you laugh out loud it's almost ridiculous. Culkin needs to be in more movies, and now. Next up we have Scott's “high-schooler” girlfriend Knives Chau (Ellen Wong). Wong nails Knives' obsession with Scott, and you really feel for her. Scott's band, Sex Bob-Omb, are Stephen Stills (AKA the Talent, played by Mark Webber), Kim Pines (Alison Pill), and hanger-on Young Neil (Johnny Simmons, escaping from the black-hole of suck Jennifer's Body). SBO are a new band who want to win a local battle of the bands.

As he goes out with Knives, Scott meets Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead). He falls head over heels for her, and after stalking her a bit (in a non-creepy way) he asks her out. It is then he learns he has to fight her seven evil exes to win her hand.

Wow, the fights are so well done. Combining animation, video game elements and incredible choreography, each fight will keep your attention and make you laugh. And the evil exes are hilarious: Brandon Routh, Chris Evans, and Jason Schwartzman number among them. The rest of the cast is equally great.

Now, the one caveat I will issue to the fans of the comic: they did take six 200-300 page books and condense them into a two hour movie, so there were a LOT of parts that were cut out or changed. That being said, the spirit of the comic series is alive and raging. See this movie, you'll definitely be entertained.

- Tom