Edgar Wright does what most thought unthinkable

Rating: 9/10 (14 August 2010)

When you read the Scott Pilgrim comics, it's not something that easily lends itself to the big screen. It's an eye-popping comic rife with idiosyncrasies that seem impossible at first glance to pull off in a movie. I'm happy to report that Edgar Wright did it. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is a special effects tour-de-force full of all the charm that the comic books had in spades.
The movie begins as most know with Scott Pilgrim meeting the girl of his dreams(literally) Ramona V. Flowers. Scott eventually wins her over and the two begin to date. There are only two problems. One, Scott is still in a relationship with a 17 year-old Chinese school girl named Knives Chau. Two, he has to fight and defeat Ramona's seven evil exes in order to date her.
The fights with the evil exes are all mind-blowing sequences. The intensity and energy in these fights is kicked into overdrive. The fights are all absurd as you would expect but in such a way you can't help but love them.
Wright not only knows the source material well but he also revels in the culture of Scott Pilgrim. The movie is full of references to various video games like Tekken, Zelda, Final Fantasy, and Pac-Man. The entire underlying storyline between Knives and Scott is itself a parody of your average harem anime. There's even a hilarious spoof of Seinfeld at one point.
The only problem with the movie is that it feels rushed towards the end. The movie has a brisk pace throughout but near the end you can tell that Wright is sort of rushing towards the conclusion. It's understandable that not every part of the comic books can be included in a two hour movie. It is disappointing though how two of the evil ex battles turn into what are virtually afterthoughts.
One thing that must be mentioned about the movie is how amazing the cast is. All of them work and don't feel forced or out of place at all. Much hoopla was made about casting Michael Cera as Scott Pilgrim but he does a great job. Cera is not playing Cera in this movie, he really is playing Scott Pilgrim. Special mention must be given to Kieran Culkin and Ellen Wong. Culkin steals almost every scene he's in as Scott's gay roommate and best friend, Wallace Wells. And then we come to Ellen Wong who is simply mind blowing as Knives. I've always felt that a character like Knives can never be translated into live action. It's incredibly hard to portray the naiveté and enthusiasm that Knives has without it seeming forced or awkward when done by an actual actress. Wong pulls off both. She plays Knives in a way that will make you view her as an anime character brought to life.
Is Scott Pilgrim a perfect film? No, it most certainly has it's flaws. It is however one of the most inventive, visually appealing, and unique films you'll see this year or any other. There is no other film that Scott Pilgrim can be compared to. It proudly stands out as a new experience whether the viewer ends up liking it or not. In an age where retread after retread is filling the theaters that is something to be commended.