Scott Pilgrim: A new vein of fun

Rating: 9/10 (27 September 2010)

"Scott Pilgrim" is some sort of godsend to any guy between the ages of 17 and 25, and will probably be the most unique movie to hit your local theater this summer (stylistically, at least, for people who are gonna hound me about "Inception"). That isn't to say it won't be enjoyed by people who don't fit this category - it's just that the writing aims and hits at that precise demographic.
For a movie that manages to be nerdy, trendy, absurd, hipster and even touching, the pacing and editing are spot on. Even Michael Cera's deadpan, which has been lacking in his last couple of films, will be sure make you laugh this time around (even the milieu of savvy video game/indie jokes should at least entertain the unfamiliar). I've never read the original comic book serial, but the paneling of the comics shines through magnificently in the screenplay with its overblown camera angles and graphics - it's the exact kind of thing that belongs in a comic book adaptation.
The setting is also a perfect world for the plot - the overblown story takes place in modest Toronto, though a Toronto where no one breaks the age 30 barrier and high school seems eons away. It plays the college mentality to perfection: your age group is the only group that matters, and you will live life by your own whims. I'm a bit worried this direct exclusion of age groups is a factor that will deter a large portion of the movie-going crowd. For that certain crowd, though, this movie is the perfect remedy for boredom and is a great cap-off to the summer.