Good Fun

Rating: 6/10 (28 December 2011)

If you are thinking about viewing this film, imagine if Richard and Danny Elfman's expressionistic film "Forbidden Zone" (1980) was effectively blended with "Napoleon Dynamite"(2003), "Malice In Wonderland" (2009), and "Sky High" (2005). If you liked any or all of those three films you should enjoy "Scott Pilgrim vs The World". American audiences have historically been highly resistant to expressionism and it is interesting how that style is now finding an audience in the gamer and comic book crowds, apparently computer generated special effects have effectively kicked down the barriers that have long kept us trapped in the realism style.
I came to this film as a fan of Alison Pill and was not disappointed, she appears to be having a lot of fun playing a variation of Mary Stuart Masterson's "Some Kind of Wonderful" (1987) character; although Alison gets to deadpan much funnier lines.
And Mary Elizabeth Winstead should get some credit for putting herself out there in some unconventional stuff like this and Tarantino's "Death Proof" (2007). It is rare for an actress to take these kind of chances but it is a good way to avoid type casting.
My only complaint is that much of the $60Million budget does not seem to make it to the screen, the film would probably have worked better as a more minimalist production. The computer generated stuff simply has no charm and you just want to fast forward through the silly fight sequences.
Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.