by Hayley Charlesworth
It’s Canada Day, and what better way to celebrate than with the most awesome Canadian action comedy film of all time? Granted, that is a very small category, but it should not diminish the excellence of Scott Pilgrim vs the World.
Part coming-of-age comedy, part epic video game battles to the death, Scott Pilgrim is a truly unique vision from UK director Edgar Wright (he of The Cornetto Trilogy) based on Canadian Bryan O’Malley’s even funnier comic book. It also marks the high point of Michael Cera’s career, and proves that there’s an even better Culkin than Macauley out there, so there’s that.
It’s Canada Day, and what better way to celebrate than with the most awesome Canadian action comedy film of all time? Granted, that is a very small category, but it should not diminish the excellence of Scott Pilgrim vs the World.
Part coming-of-age comedy, part epic video game battles to the death, Scott Pilgrim is a truly unique vision from UK director Edgar Wright (he of The Cornetto Trilogy) based on Canadian Bryan O’Malley’s even funnier comic book. It also marks the high point of Michael Cera’s career, and proves that there’s an even better Culkin than Macauley out there, so there’s that.
In Scott Pilgrim vs the World, Toronto is a city where you can kill a man by headbutting him into a cascade of coins, and a pee bar appears above your head when you visit the loo. In this world lives Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera), professional slacker and bassist for hapless band Sex Bobomb. Scott is a loser, and a bit of a dick. He sponges off his cool gay roommate Wallace Wells (Kieran Culkin), and is dating 17 year old Chinese schoolgirl Knives Chau (Ellen Wong), despite not actually being into her. But then one day he encounters beautiful, pink-haired Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) and falls head over heels in love. Problem is, Ramona has a past, and to get with her, Scott has to defeat her seven evil exes (not ex-boyfriends, note) in increasingly over the top Street Fighter-esque ways for them to be together, including, but not limited to: a bass player battle, intervention from the vegan police, and summoning a giant monster with the power of indie music.
Scott Pilgrim initially found it difficult to find an audience, and that is a crying shame, as it is one of the most inventive and exciting comedies of recent years. Perhaps the fact that it starred Michael Cera didn’t work in its favour, but Cera is excellent in the role of Scott, a guy who’s a bit of a useless dick but underneath lies the heart of a hero. The supporting cast, also, is wonderful, from the neurotic “talent” of Sex Bobomb Stephen Stills, to fangirly and later badass Knives, by way of sarcastic drummer Kim Pine. The exes too, are fantastic casting, from Chris Evans parodying himself as arrogant movie star Lucas Lee, to Mae Whitman’s bi-furious Roxy Richter. There’s even time for one of Scott’s exes to appear, Envy Adams as played by the brilliant Brie Larson. But the king showstealer of Scott Pilgrim vs the World, as with the comic book, is Kieran Culkin’s Wallace Wells. Wallace’s default setting is “drunk homosexual”, and as such, he gets all of the best lines and moments. But refreshingly, these aren’t tired, stereotypical gay jokes, but again new and genuinely funny. Wallace is without doubt the cool best friend everyone wants to have. In fact, LGBT visibility is huge in the Scott Pilgrim books, and while some character’s own sexuality (Stephen Stills, for example) is not mentioned due to time constraints, neither Wallace being gay, or Ramona and Roxie’s former relationship is seen as a big deal. Well, the latter is a big deal to Scott, but that’s the point. And there’s also the presence of Other Scott and Jimmy, two of Wallace’s love interests, who also steal some of the best moments.
Scott Pilgrim initially found it difficult to find an audience, and that is a crying shame, as it is one of the most inventive and exciting comedies of recent years. Perhaps the fact that it starred Michael Cera didn’t work in its favour, but Cera is excellent in the role of Scott, a guy who’s a bit of a useless dick but underneath lies the heart of a hero. The supporting cast, also, is wonderful, from the neurotic “talent” of Sex Bobomb Stephen Stills, to fangirly and later badass Knives, by way of sarcastic drummer Kim Pine. The exes too, are fantastic casting, from Chris Evans parodying himself as arrogant movie star Lucas Lee, to Mae Whitman’s bi-furious Roxy Richter. There’s even time for one of Scott’s exes to appear, Envy Adams as played by the brilliant Brie Larson. But the king showstealer of Scott Pilgrim vs the World, as with the comic book, is Kieran Culkin’s Wallace Wells. Wallace’s default setting is “drunk homosexual”, and as such, he gets all of the best lines and moments. But refreshingly, these aren’t tired, stereotypical gay jokes, but again new and genuinely funny. Wallace is without doubt the cool best friend everyone wants to have. In fact, LGBT visibility is huge in the Scott Pilgrim books, and while some character’s own sexuality (Stephen Stills, for example) is not mentioned due to time constraints, neither Wallace being gay, or Ramona and Roxie’s former relationship is seen as a big deal. Well, the latter is a big deal to Scott, but that’s the point. And there’s also the presence of Other Scott and Jimmy, two of Wallace’s love interests, who also steal some of the best moments.
Edgar Wright has proven himself as a unique and talented director with the Cornetto Trilogy, and in his first major work away from Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, he gets even more opportunity to showcase his skills. His incorporation of video game tropes into the movie are seamless and expertly handled, and Wright is a master of using editing and staging to generate even more comedy. Scott Pilgrim, as a result, is outlandish and unreal, making it all the more funny. Battles with the exes resemble Street Fighter or Mortal Kombat duels, Scott’s encounters in the dream world look like video game cut scenes, and ordinary scenes of the cast are enlivened with visible sound effects that owe more than a little to Adam West’s Batman.
Scott Pilgrim feels like a truly modern film, self-referential and clever, with just enough cool action scenes to satisfy the blockbuster crowd. While much of the comic is missed out, which is necessary, nothing feels particularly lacking and missing. Well, except for the possibility of having even more Wallace screen time. If you’ve never entered the world of Scott Pilgrim before, watch this film immediately, and pick up O’Malley’s six-book comic series straight after.
Scott Pilgrim feels like a truly modern film, self-referential and clever, with just enough cool action scenes to satisfy the blockbuster crowd. While much of the comic is missed out, which is necessary, nothing feels particularly lacking and missing. Well, except for the possibility of having even more Wallace screen time. If you’ve never entered the world of Scott Pilgrim before, watch this film immediately, and pick up O’Malley’s six-book comic series straight after.
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