Scott Pilgrim vs. The World – A Universal Pictures’ Release

http://www.scottpilgrimthemovie.com/

Release Date: August 13th

Rated PG for violence and language may offend

Running time: 112 minutes

Edgar Wright (dir.)

Michael Bacall (screenplay)

Edgar Wright (screenplay)

Based on the Oni Press graphic novels by Bryan Lee O’ Malley

Nigel Godrich (music)

Michael Cera as Scott Pilgrim

Alison Pill as Kim Pine

Mark Webber as Stephen Stills

Johnny Simmons as Young Neil

Ellen Wong as Knives Chau

Kieran Culkin as Wallace Wells

Anna Kendrick as Stacey Pilgrim

Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Ramona Flowers

Photo credit: Universal Pictures

Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Johnny Simmons, Ellen Wong, Alison Pill, and Mark Webber in Scott Pilgrim vs. The World.

Our reviews below:

___________________________________________________________________________

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World Review By John C.

**** (out of 4)

“They film movies in Toronto?” is the question that Scott naively asks his gay roommate Wallace (Kieran Culkin) in the endlessly inventive Scott Pilgrim vs. The World.  And that’s just the first reason why Torontonians, actually everyone, really, should be geeking out to see this pop-art action-comedy – it’s filmed entirely on location in Toronto.

Based on the ever popular series of graphic novels by Toronto writer Bryan Lee O’ Malley, Scott Pilgrim is perhaps the first ever summer blockbuster to feature the main character getting thrown against Casa Loma.  From genre-smashing director Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz), this is probably also the first time that a purely Toronto-based movie will be widely seen across the border.

At the start we are introduced to each character by on-screen words and graphics.  22-year old Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera) is dating 17-year old Knives Chau (Ellen Wong), a relationship that his friends see as only fallout for the girlfriend that dumped him over a year ago.  But when he spots the purple-haired Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizibeth Winstead) he falls into deep infatuation.  Before they can officially be together, Scott must break up with Knives and defeat Ramona’s 7 evil exes.  At the heart of the film is another winning performance from Michael Cera, but there is also some great supporting work here.  Watch out for some hilarious scenes with Anna Kendrick as Scott’s little sister Stacey.

Each of the seven exes, including a movie star, a super-powered vegan, and even a girl, are seen as a new level in this fantasy video game with opponent stats and split screen used to introduce us to each new character.  When defeated they turn into Canadian currency, and every couple of levels Scott can even grab a life.  This is a highly stylized film, but never to the point of annoyance.

The video game style showdowns leave you on the edge of your seat, but Scott Pilgrim works so well because it kept me, and most of the audience, in a constant state of laughter.  If there was a joke that fell flat, I honestly can’t remember it.  There are many iconic one-liners, several of which will surely live on through hipster t-shirts.  Some of the funniest lines are going to really hit home with Toronto audiences.

Another plus is that it’s free of the cynicism and gross-out humour that plagues so many teen comedies these days, and it’s refreshing to see a hero as innocent as an ‘80’s video game.  There’s an innocence and genuine coolness to all the proceedings that makes this a vastly appealing film.  With impressive special effects that never feel out-of-place, the look and feel of this film is like nothing we’ve ever seen before.

As cool as a comic book, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World left me grinning like a fan boy and killing myself laughing at every turn.  A true epic of epic epicness, this movie needs a level bar to measure it’s awesomeness.  One of the most raucously entertaining movies of the year, and we can all drink a Coke Zero to that.

___________________________________________________________________________

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World Review By Erin V.

**** (out of 4)

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is a film unlike any other this year.  Based on a comic series, the main character, Scott (Michael Cera) is an awkward 22-year-old who plays in a garage band.  His life is pretty ordinary – until he meets Ramona Flowers.  They start to date, but if they want to continue, he just may have to defeat her seven evil exes.

Right from the get-go, Scott Pilgrim is a stylized movie – but what it isn’t, is annoying.  Video game elements frequently pop onto the screen (power bars, extra ‘lives’, point scores, etc.) and when someone is defeated, they turn into a shower of coins – Canadian coins.  The whole film does take place in Toronto, ON, after all.

I honestly didn’t know what to expect going in – this could have been a film where when you’ve seen one fight, you’ve seen ’em all.  Thankfully not .  Rather, like levels in a classic game, each evil ex gets their time in the spotlight (except for the twins who have to share…), with each battle raising the stakes and getting more intense than the last.  Well choreographed, and all quite new, I was kept wanting more.  I also want to note how good the editing was in the film – if this was off, it would have made the movie really confusing.

Unlike a lot of teen/college aged comedies, there wasn’t really anything I didn’t like in this movie (e.g., no resorting to low-brow gross-out gags).  I liked all the characters, the script was funny, and the film was really cool, which made for a great time at the movies.  Seeing it with a Toronto audience, made it all the more fun for me, (the crowd recognized the CBC logo T-shirt, Casa Loma, etc.) although I think this will be a big hit south of the border as well.

This is a fresh film that dares to be different and succeeds in being just plain awesome.  It could have gone so wrong – the fact that it didn’t is a testament to all involved, and why it deserves it’s rating.  Go see it!

___________________________________________________________________________

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World Review By Nicole

**** (out of 4)

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is a funny and exciting adventure through the streets of Toronto.  Based on the popular comic books by Bryan Lee O’ Malley, this film stars Canadian actor Michael Cera as Scott, a geeky 22-year old who is a perpetual teenager (he is even dating a Grade 12 student).  He lives with members of his band known as Sex Bob-Omb and is constantly being harassed by his teen sister Stacey (Anna Kendrick).

One night, Scott sees a girl in a dream whom he has never seen before.  He is completely enamoured by her, and is delighted to discover she really exists after meeting her at a party.  Her name is Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), and she is harbouring a secret.  Ramona has seven evil ex-lovers, all of whom Scott must defeat before he can go out with her.  The exes range from singer-dancer Matthew Patel, movie star Luke Lee, a vegan named Todd, a tough girl named Roxy, the Kataynaga rocker twins, and Gideon.  As each ex gets defeated, he (or she) turns into a bunch of Canadian coins.

I enjoyed every minute of Scott Pilgrim vs. The World.  Michael Cera is hilarious as the socially awkward Scott.  I also found the vegan police really funny, as I follow a vegan diet myself.

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World has non-stop action and non-stop comedy.  The violence in this film is no worse than the old 1960’s Batman and Robin TV show, or a a 1980’s arcade game.

One of the things I liked was how every sound effect, or any fight move, contains comic book style captions.  Wonderfully quirky, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is an action comedy that anyone from teens to adult can enjoy.

___________________________________________________________________________

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World Review By Maureen

***1/2 (out of 4)

Part on-screen comic book, part video game, totally Toronto-centric fantasy adventure, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is an incredibly entertaining experience.

Right from the opening scenes with words popping up on the screen to identify characters and sounds you know this is going to be a different kind of movie.  Based on the popular graphic novel series by Toronto writer Bryan Lee O’ Malley the entire movie has a comic book feel.  Any of the fight scenes between Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera) and the villains, seven evil exes, are accompanied by words like Pow and oomph just like in the old Batman TV show.  The fight scenes are also played out like video game battles.

The storyline follows main character Scott Pilgrim a nerdy 22-year-old who lives with his 25-year-old gay roommate, Wallace (Kierin Culkin), plays in a local band called Sex Bob-Omb, dates a 17-year-old high schooler named Knives Chau (Ellen Wong), is trying to get over his ex-girlfriend Envy, and develops a major crush on the girl of his dreams, Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) a mysterious New Yorker with brightly coloured hair.  Ramona Flowers alas comes with a complication, seven evil exes, whom Scott must battle and defeat if he is to be worthy of Ramona’s affections.

Every one of the characters in this movie are hilarious to watch.  Credit has to go to the very witty dialogue and the wonderful comic timing of the talented cast.  Michael Cera is perfect as Scott Pilgrim.  Anna Kendrick is really funny as Scott’s younger sister, Stacie.  There isn’t a character or actor that I didn’t like in this movie.  One of my favourite exes is Todd (Superman Brandon Routh) as a super vegan.  Everyone and everything is oddly believable in this surrealistic action packed world.

The main star of this movie however is Toronto and its many landmark locations.  Casa Loma and Pizza Pizza will now hold a special place in the minds of geeky comic book fans.  It is the little touches like Scott’s CBC t-shirt and his SARS t-shirt that make this movie uniquely Toronto.

Even though I am not at all the demographic for this movie, I loved it.  This is a totally cool, very funny movie.  It has its own unique character and while it may not appeal to everyone fans of the graphic novel and young Torontonians wanting to see what the hype is all about will want to check it out.  Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is best suited for fun-loving, open-minded older teens and young adults looking for a fun time at the movies.  Torontonians will especially have fun watching for all the Toronto references.

___________________________________________________________________________

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World Review By Tony

***1/2 (out of 4)

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, based on a graphic novel by Bryan Lee O’Malley, is set in Toronto where it was directed by Edgar Wright with Michael Cera perfectly typecast as the title character.  Scott is a 22-year-old slacker with a gay roommate (Kieran Culkin). He plays in a punk band and currently has an Asian high school girlfriend (Ellen Wong), which his younger sister (Anna Kendrick) doesn’t approve of. Then he meets the mysterious Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), literally the girl of his dreams, but soon finds out that to win her he has to defeat her seven evil exes.

Though well received by its target audience at Comic Con, I wondered how much SPvtW would appeal to non-fans of comic books and punk rock like myself.  However, as in Step Up 3D, there is a lot to like.  Even before the opening credits, reminiscent (intentionally or not) of the late National Film Board of Canada animator Norman McLaren, the surreal wit of the film is already demonstrated with a good cast, sharp dialogue and comic book style captions labelling characters, props, and sounds. The battles with the exes are treated as levels in a fantasy video game, complete with onscreen player stats, increasing scores racked up as each ex is shattered into a rain of Canadian coins, and even an extra life picked up along the way.  Toronto locations and references were frequent and well received by the young Toronto crowd we were with.  It was refreshing seeing a film that was consistently entertaining without having to rely on realistic violence, excessive crude language or gross-out gags. Still too cool for some folks, SPvtW is deservedly a new cult classic.

___________________________________________________________________________

Consensus: Filmed entirely on-location in Toronto, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is incredibly entertaining and vastly appealing. Featuring great performances, and video game/comic book style graphics, this is an endlessly inventive film. ***3/4 (Out of 4)