Scott Pilgrim vs. the World

Rating: 5/10 (15 April 2020)

I'd always heard of this film, I assumed it was something to do with music, I was partially right, but I had no idea what else to expect, I was hoping it would be entertaining, the Hollywood debut of British director Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, Baby Driver). Basically, in a surreal world of Toronto, Canada, where everything in society is like a video game, lives twenty-three-year-old unemployed Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera). He is the bassist in an up-and-coming garage rock band called Sex Bob-Omb, with drummer Kim Pine (Alison Pill), who he used to go out with, Stephen Stills (Mark Webber) is The Talent, and Young Neil (Johnny Simmons) lives there and hangs out with the band. Scott is dating seventeen-year-old high-school student Knives Chau (Ellen Wong), to this disapproval of his bandmates, his gay roommate Wallace Wells (Kieran Culkin), and his younger sister Stacey (Anna Kendrick). One night, during a party hosted by Julie Powers (Aubrey Plaza), Scott sees girl he has been seeing in his dreams, Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), an Amazon delivery girl. He loses interest in current girlfriend Knives but does not break up with her whilst pursuing Ramona, he finds it too hard to do so. Sex Bob-Omb get a big opportunity when they play in a battle of the bands concert, sponsored by record executive Gideon "G-Man" Graves (Jason Schwartzman). Scott invites Ramona, she attends along with Wallace, Stacey, and her friend Jimmy (Kjartan Hewitt), who Wallace constantly tries to hit on. Sex Bob-Omb's biggest rival is Crash and the Boys, who play a great set. Knives screams and faints like an overexcited fan when Scott and the others play. But their performance is interrupted by Ramona's ex-boyfriend Matthew Patel (Satya Bhabha) who attacks Scott. They get into a big fight; it ends with Scott defeating Patel. Afterwards, Scott learns that, in order to date Ramona, he must defeat her remaining six evil exes. Knives tells Scott she is in love with him, but finally he breaks it off, she blames Ramona and swears to win him back. Scott goes on to fight with and defeat the next three Ramona's exes: Hollywood actor and skateboarder Lucas Lee (Chris Evans), super-powered vegan Todd Ingram (Superman Returns' Brandon Routh), and lesbian ninja Roxy Richter (Independence Day's Mae Whitman). Meanwhile, Scott is also having to confront his own ex, pop star Envy Adams (Brie Larson), she broke up with him after getting a record deal with her band Clash at Demonhead. Scott grows frustrated having to fight with these various exes, and has an outburst regarding Ramona's dating history, the argument causes her to break up with him. At the next battle of the bands, Sex Bob-Omb defeats Ramona's fifth and sixth evil exes, twins Kyle and Ken Katayanagi (Shota and Keita Saitou), earning Scott an extra life. Despite this, it looks like Ramona has returned to dating her seventh evil ex, Gideon. Sex Bob-Omb accepts Gideon's record deal, except for Scott, who quits the band in protest. Gideon invites Scott to his venue, the Chaos Theatre, where Sex Bob-Omb is playing. Wanting to win Ramona back, Scott challenges Gideon to a fight for her affection, earning the "Power of Love" sword. Knives interrupts the battle, attacking Ramona, and Scott is forced to reveal that he cheated on them both. Gideon kills Scott and Ramona visits him in limbo, a desert land, and reveals Gideon has implanted her with a mind control device. Scott uses his 1-up and re-enters the Chaos Theatre. After making peace with his friends, he challenges Gideon again, this time for himself, gaining the "Power of Self-Respect" sword. After apologising to Ramona and Knives for cheating on them, and disappears into 10,000 coins, and Ramona is released from mind control. She prepares to leave, but Knives accepts that her relationship with Scott is over, she encourages him to return to Ramona, and Scott asks if they can "try again". Also starring Johnny Simmons as Young Neil, Clifton Collins Jr. as Vegan Policeman and Thomas Jane as Vegan Policeman, with the voice of Bill Hader as The Voice. Cera does his dorky hero routine well, Winstead is charming as the colourful (hair) love interest, and there is good support from the likes of Kendrick, Evans, Larson and Schwartzman. It is based on a graphic novel series, hence the video game style, the visuals and editing are fast-paced and cool, it gets a little repetitive, and a bit much in moments, but it is amusing, with likeable characters, and it will it has garnered a cult following, which is fair enough, a fun romantic action comedy. Worth watching!