Walks a very fine line but just about manages to carry the film with good laughs and a great sense of style and design

Rating: Null/10 (18 November 2010)

I heard a lot of gushing about this film's originality and brilliance so I approached it with caution. At the same time I was aware that some hated it and that it had underperformed at the box office – and again I had tried to put this out of my mind and just see what it did for me. Having watched it myself I have to agree that I can see the arguments from both sides but only partial agree with either. The film is not awful, but nor is it brilliant – but what it does do is know its intentions really well and all parts of it work to that goal.
The end result is a film that will play strongly with target audience and maybe some outside it taken by its freshness, but that will leave many casual viewers cold and perhaps a little hostile to the meaningless bombardment that I imagine some will feel this film is. I understand this because the film walks a very fine line because so much of it is reliant on the style and energy of the delivery and to some, if this doesn't work, then the rest will fall flat. The entire film is wrapped in pop culture but mostly the influence on the design and delivery is that of Japanese animation, comic books and old school video gaming. While the gaming part of it speaks to me most, the rest is delivered with such consistency and energy that I found it refreshing and clever in how it is done.
What helps it a lot is that it is all done with real warmth and heart – it is not a cold exercise in mimicking styles, but rather a nice little romantic comedy delivered as such. It is frequently funny and light and, most importantly, the consistency allows it to convince within its own world. Had the film had moments outside of its approach (eg scenes specifically to move the plot forward) then it would have knocked the legs away, revealing that it is "doing" this approach rather than "being" it. Fortunately it doesn't do it this way and the consistent and note-perfect delivery is really well done, bringing the viewer in and keeping them in this world so those that "get it" will not question it.
The cast get this too and they are great at matching their director's vision for the film. Cera is strong in the lead and plenty of the material exercises the comic timing and smart wit that fans of Arrested Development loved him for before he became a bit of a pastiche of himself with his many awkward roles. Ramona is the type of girl that would annoy me in real life, but yet Winstead makes me like her (or at least not dislike her). The support cast are generally good and most of the seven "ex's" are colourful and bring a lot of fun to their parts. Wright's direction is great though – I would love to see the story boarding for this film just because it was so well done that it must have been planned out to the smallest detail to make it as steady as it was.
Scott Pilgrim is not as brilliant as some would have you believe but nor is it as bad as others would try to convince you it is. For target audience it will be like catnip, for those totally removed from the world it uses then it may be awful apart from feeling fresh and energetic. Personally I felt that its short comings were compensated for with how inventive, consistent, enjoyable and warm it all was. Although it is mostly about the style of delivery, it has enough heart and comedy to avoid being a case of style over substance – it is perhaps close, but it is on the right side of the line.