Young Hearts will Clash (at Demonhead)

Rating: 8/10 (9 August 2010)

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is a quite good movie, despite it having to balance kick-ass over-the-top action, dry observational character-based comedy and a sweet, life-like romance. But director Edgar Wright has proved himself to be able to direct with a fast, music video -like style, of pretty normal and mundane things. He is also able to make symphatetic comedy characters that are properly fleshed out.
Scott Pilgrim is based on a comic-book by Bryan Lee O'Malley. The titular character is a slacker in his early twenties. He's just met a new girlfriend, the 17-year-old Knives (Ellen Wong). He introduces her to punk music with his band, Sex Bob-Omb. But as their relationship progresses Scott grows anxious as he's dreaming about a mysterious woman on roller skates, Ramona (Mary Elizabeth Winstead). When he finally meets her, he decides that she is the woman of his dreams and gives everything to be with her. But besides having to break up with his prior girlfriend, this means he has to battle seven bitter old flames of Ramona.
The colorful imagery of the film is very comic book-like. Sound effects are displayed by text, split-screens resemble comic panels, the color scheme is bright and colorful etc. It owes also much to various video games (such as Street Fighter, Devil May Cry and Mortal Kombat) and to anime movies. It's worth noting that rather than copying O'Malley's style, Wright creates his own visual better suited for the film medium.
The OTT style represents on how the characters feel their (love) own lives are earth-shatteringly important. Characters can do basically anything: fly, make sonic blasts with guitars or turn people into quarters.
The editing is fast and furious. It is fitting that the soundtrack consists of fast and furious punk rock music as well. And it is very, very good, especially the songs by Beck.
The biggest strength of the film is the large cast of characters, all of which are well-written and believable in that universe. Wright has chosen his supporting cast well, as even with few lines, they bring out the fun and steal scenes. Michael Cera and Mary Elizabeth Winstead are both good, but overshadowed by the supporting cast. However, their relationship works in the film too, and one can reflect one's own heartbreaks and loves on the screen. This is a feat only films that have characters one can truly identify with, can have.
The film is aimed for an audience from teens to mid-twenties (more if they are really childish). Many people older from that probably won't understand anything from the kinetic style, or have forgotten what it feels like to have heartache at this age. For us that do, and geek out over the stuff this references, this is warmly recommended.
Full review at http://fastmovieblog.blogspot.com/