Grab the second controller and join in one of the best geeky films ever, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. The movie is based on a graphic novel series by the same name. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is about a man named Scott Pilgrim who strives to date a girl named Ramona Flowers, who agrees, but he must defeat her seven evil exes in order to win her heart. Of course, this is just a brief description of the plot, as there is much, much, much more to it. This film stars Michael Cera as Scott Pilgrim; this seems like a weird choice because Michael is sort of a quiet actor, while Scott is pompous and self-centered. However, Cera makes it work. Mary Winstead stars as Ramona Flowers, and she seems to bring the right amount of restraint and attitude that the character has in the original novels.
This film has the right balance of telling a story and also paying homage to aspects of video games and 80’s/90’s culture. One of the most positive traits of the film is that, while it is heavily inspired by video games, it doesn’t talk about them every single second like most other films centered around video games do. The action scenes are also very funny and tense when Scott has to face all of the evil exes, especially during the 3rd ex. The setting of Toronto, Canada is also quite a contrast to the action scenes in the film; it looks very unsuspecting of all the craziness of what lurks in the film. The actors do a very good job of playing characters that many actors would probably overact with if given the role; even the supporting actors are memorable and the viewer is likely to remember them for a while. The special effects do look a little cheap, but, they work with the film’s straight attitude about itself.
There are nitpicks in the film, though, considering the fact this series spawns six novels filled to the brim with prospective plot points. The film is significantly cut down to an hour and 53 minutes, despite the wealth of material. While most people won’t notice the difference, a reader of the books will immediately. Also, the ending is a little anti-climatic to those who read the books. Again, these are nitpicks that shouldn’t ruin the film for anyone. The film could actually serve as a suitable gateway to reading the books to receive the full experience. Overall, this is a pleasure for the eyes and people who love pop culture. The film isn’t oversaturated with theme, and the story is pretty neat. Aside from the nitpicks, if you have ever played a video game, you will enjoy this film’s special effects and references.