a visually stunning anthem to pop culture

Rating: 10/10 (12 January 2011)

There is something to be said for movies with a tight plot, a realistic approach to the material being filmed, and perhaps a clear message..., or for movies that make us think deeply about certain topics or situations... (as long as they don't devolve into drab, monotonous affairs)
"Scott Pilgrim vs the World", however, has nothing to do with any of those movies, instead it embraces and combines decades of pop culture with a fresh, insouciant approach that never fails to dazzle and entertain from the first minute to the last.
The recipe for this particular movie is pretty simple, one part video game, one part comic book (especially manga), one part adolescent comedy, and one part Honk Kong action movie. Add an array of visually stunning special effects, a generous amount of quirky jokes (that at times lovingly satirize the same pop culture the movie celebrates), time it to a steady beat of very enjoyable rock and pop songs, frame it all with creative, well above average camera work and you'll have a final product that plays like a breezy, silly romp through not only pop culture but also the subconscious of generation X survivors.
While other visually stunning movies, for instance Avatar, add a ponderous, clichéd, predictable morale, fortunately nothing of the sort interferes with the sheer, mindless fun of this amazing pop opera.
Now, it's true that this movie would probably look like an artifact from some distant alien civilization to people in their fifties or older, but I'm in my early forties myself and I could relate to all its elements, as I grew up enjoying all of them, and watching this film was a fun re-visitation of themes that accompanied my childhood, adolescence and maybe even early adulthood, adding a bittersweet element of nostalgia to the viewing experience. Kids still immersed in present pop culture obviously will not experience that, but I seriously doubt they'll fail to enjoy it, as it brings together so many themes they will be easily able to recognize..
"Scott Pilgrim" is not for people who somehow managed to grow up unaffected by pop culture, or high brow connoisseurs that want more than fun from films...... but if the elements of the recipe hold any attraction for you this gem of a movie will surprise you, thrill you and amuse you like few others ever do.