Review: Scott Pilgrim vs. The World

Oh nerds. There's something special about involving yourself in something that only seems to appeal to a select group of individuals (usually between the ages of 20 and 35 who live in their parents' basement). I ventured into this world when I saw "Watchmen" at midnight (which shall ever be one of the worst decisions I've ever made) and has continued on with other comic book films, the latest being "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World". I knew I was in for something extra special when the theatre full of these people I have just mentioned exploded into laughter at the sight of the Universal Studios planet symbol in arcade form with the theme song in dinky arcade style music as well. It was a bit overwhelming at first, and to tell the truth, the movie itself is a bit overwhelming. However, I feel like it's the best kind of overwhelming.

First off, we have Edgar Wright directing who has made very popular cult flicks like "Shaun of the Dead" and "Hot Fuzz" (which are both fantastic) and his style of editing and general flow is very unique, choppy, and  may be hard for some to get used to. I for one LOVE his style and it definitely fits the very quirky, cartoonish style of the movie. As I said before, the bizarre nature of the characters and added effects may be annoying to some but I believe it to be one of the most original styles for any movie in a while and only adds to the effect that this is indeed a full blown comic-book movie.

But no need to worry, you definitely don't need to be a fan of the Scott Pilgrim comics to enjoy it. In fact, I think it might even be better if you're not. One of my friends who accompanied me to the film had read the series and said the ending wasn't like the story at all but the rest was. Obviously, this didn't bother me a bit because I had no idea at the time. My friend didn't even mind that much either. I was just highly entertained, and even though the action, style, and effects are comical and captivating enough, I found the cast to be the best part.

If there's one thing that makes a movie better than many others out there it's how well the cast works together and when each has their own thing to add to the story. Unlike movies that try to rely too heavily upon one comedian to carry the weight of entertainment value like Will Ferrell in "The Other Guys", "Scott Pilgrim" evenly disperses the comedy and action. And even though Michael Cera is fantastic and hilarious as the hero Scott Pilgrim trying to win the love of Ramona Flowers by defeating her seven evil exes, everyone else (including Kieran Culkin, Chris Evans, Jason Schwartzman, Brandon Routh, and many more) play their parts well and hold the movie together.

Another thing that I love about Wright's style of comedy is that it's not the same thing over and over again. You know what I mean if you've seen enough comedies that rely on certain jokes and stupid slapstick from stupid characters like in bad Adam Sandler movies. Here we have a few running jokes that remain funny through the whole movie, there is some random/off the wall type humor scattered throughout, and a little bit of traditional slapstick-esque stuff. Just like "Hot Fuzz", there's a bit of everything, so for those of you who get tired easily by the weirder humor in "Hot Fuzz" will still find plenty of laughs elsewhere throughout the movie.

So while it is really kind of weird and crazy, I think you'd have to be a pretty cold-hearted-no-fun person to not enjoy something so light-hearted, creative, and comical as this. I'd say this is definitely your best bet for a trip to the movies this weekend and for a while seeing as the only competition is "Eat, Pray, Love" (about a selfish woman) and "The Expendables" (about a bunch of old guys on steroids, although I still kind of want to see it). I thought it was really funny that "Eat, Pray, Love" was actually sold out at the theatre I went to. Really, middle-aged women? Is it every woman's dream to dump their husband and try to go "find themselves" somewhere in India? Either that or fall in love with a vampire I guess......oh well. So what I'm trying to say is be a bit more adventurous.....see this movie instead.