Film Review: Ambition, Ingenuity Win Fight of ‘Scott Pilgrim vs. the World’

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CHICAGO – Working from the graphic novels by Brian Lee O’Malley, Edgar Wright and Michael Cera deliver one of the most unique films of the year in the comedy/romance/comedy/video-game/pop-art/action/musical “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.” You won’t see anything like this again for a long time. It’s an imperfect film that can get downright frustrating but it displays enough flashes of genius to warrant your time and demand your forgiveness of flaws.

HollywoodChicago.com Oscarman rating: 3.5/5.0
Rating: 3.5/5.0

The sad fact is that original, creative filmmaking seems to be a rarer and rarer commodity in an era when so many films feel like product of a committee of producers. When creative voices express this kind of unabashed ambition, it’s our responsibility to encourage it or else stop complaining as the factory line of Hollywood churns out more generic crap. “Pilgrim” doesn’t live up to the very high standard of Wright’s “Shaun of the Dead,” “Hot Fuzz,” or “Spaced” but no one can deny the straight-up passion for the art of moviemaking on display in every single frame of this unusual film.

StarRead Brian Tallerico’s full review of “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World” in our reviews section.

Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera) is in the middle of a quarter-life crisis. He lives in a beat-up studio apartment with his abrasive gay roommate (Kieran Culkin), plays in a mediocre band called Sex Bob-omb (with the great Alison Pill and Mark Webber) that’s so unknown that “all their gigs are secret gigs,” dates a naive high school girl named Knives Chau (Ellen Wong), and generally mopes his way through life. Those of you who think that Cera has been playing the same role for the last few years, Pilgrim almost feels like the apotheosis of the “Cera character.” It’s either the perfect part for him (which is what I think) or too much in line with what he’s done before. If you’re exhausted by Cera, this is not going to change your mind. Personally, I think it’s a perfect role for the actor and he nails it. The entire supporting cast works including Kendrick, Evans, Routh, Culkin, and Schwartzman.

One night, Scott dreams of a pink-haired girl on roller skates named Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) and the next day the girl of his dreams becomes real at a party. Scott virtually stalks her to get close, ignores poor Knives, and soon discovers that if he’s going to be with Ramona, he’ll have to defeat her “seven evil exes” (including Brandon Routh as a super-powered vegan, Chris Evans as a cocky actor, and Jason Schwartzman as Scott’s ultimate nemesis). Anna Kendrick co-stars as Scott’s only vaguely-supportive sister and the great Aubrey Plaza (“Parks and Recreation”) shows up in a small role.

StarContinue reading for Brian Tallerico’s full “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World” review.

‘Scott Pilgrim vs. the World” stars Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Alison Pill, Mark Webber, Ellen Wong, Kieran Culkin, Anna Kendrick, Aubrey Plaza, Chris Evans, Brandon Routh, Mae Whitman, and Jason Schwartzman. It was written by Michael Bacall & Edgar Wright from a series of books by Brian Lee O’Malley and was directed by Wright. It is rated PG-13 and opens on August 13th, 2010.

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
Photo credit: Universal

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