Interesting

Rating: 7/10 (1 February 2013)

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is the old school video game and manga style live action story of an awkward twenty two year old Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera) who lives with his gay friend, Wallace (Kieran Culkin). He finds love in Not Kate Winslet from Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, or Ramona (Mary Elizabeth Winstead). But in order to win her heart he has to get through her eight ex's. Now I am not a Michael Cera fan so it was difficult going into this knowing he was the star. The only reason I wanted to see this movie was the high recommendations. My first impressions of this movie were that it's stylistically beautiful and imaginative. The humor meshes well with the characters and situations, and the plot was very old school video game inspired and worked in the live action setting. But on the other hand, Scott Pilgrim is a terrible person. He's a socially awkward fourteen year old stalker who throws away girlfriends like cheeseburger rappers. He hurts a girl who loves him, even though she's slightly crazy, for a more "interesting" looking girl. My hatred for this character made watching this movie very difficult because when Scott got beaten up I was cheering because he's way out of this girl's league. She is a vulnerable girl who is dating a spineless wimp. But what changed my mind was the ending where he defeats the final ex through the power of self confidence. And after he's won her heart, he realizes how much of a horrible human being he was. He matures and comes to terms with the fact that he has hurt his old girlfriends. And you realize that the reason Ramona dated him was because she ran away from her past, which was filled with ex's who treated her wrongly. She wanted somebody who was harmless. No matter who. But by the end she realizes that he really loves her and is willing to go the distance to protect her. He also mends his old girlfriend's wounds, and she forgives him. The movie as a whole is a feast for the eyes, but doesn't choose style over substance. It balances the two well.