Many Levels Above

Rating: 8/10 (10 January 2011)

"Scott Pilgrim vs the World" is the most visually stunning and elaborate film taken from the pages of a graphic novel since "Watchmen." Actually, it's probably the most visually stunning film, period, since "Watchmen." And even more so, it is a prime example of cinema's ability to reconfigure familiar tropes (in this case, the Romantic Comedy run through the John Hughes/Diablo Cody hipster-slang script machine) into a finished whole that transcends nearly all crippling convention. Like Hughes and Cody, the language of "Scott Pilgrim" is distinctive, pop-culture savvy, and with a unique heart under its glossy, showy surface. Who knew that Edgar Wright, the promising director of such quaint-by-comparison genre homages as "Shaun of the Dead" and "Hot Fuzz" had the capability to wield extravagant digital effects (with more dexterity than most high-budget filmmakers) in a film that sets a new precedent for hip romantic comedies? Scott Pilgrim (perpetual adolescent Michael Cera, typecast to his advantage here), the bass player in a struggling indie band, is getting over his last girlfriend by dating an Asian high-schooler; when he notices the neon bob of a steampunk rollerblader (the wonderfully deadpan Mary Elizabeth Winstead) one day, he becomes fixated on winning her over. Little does Scott suspect that this enticing babe has 7 ex-boyfriends he must lay to waste in order to claim her hand (and thus proving that chivalry is not dead). The film's setup takes some adjustment (with an emphasis on superimposed factoids about characters, comic-book sound effects, and storyboard panels laying out certain plot details), but by the time Scott is thrust into his first battle (not ironically at his band's first gig), Wright's approach establishes itself as something to be reckoned with -- these guys don't fight with traditional fisticuffs; they fight with the impossibly slick maneuvers of joystick-controlled video game Spartans. While it may sound eye-rolling in print, the choreography is smoothly rendered and edited with a precision that keeps us firmly rooted in the action; and better yet, Wright finds new ways to tweak and spin this fresh, candy-colored technique over the remainder of the film, so that it never gets tedious. By its close, "Scott Pilgrim" has given us an incendiary tale of romance and intrigue, never sacrificing character or story for the sake of mere visual dazzle. It surprises me to say, but I think it's the best movie of 2010.