Nearly all style and no substance...

Rating: 7/10 (12 August 2013)

There is a lot to be admired in Edgar Wright's Scott Pilgrim. The quirky visuals, the pop culture references and his inventiveness with the conventions of mainstream cinema -which have all become a visual trademark of Wright's directorial style - are all here in abundance. In this respect the film is a visual treat; the special effects are impressive and used effectively; the stunts and set pieces are well handled and the mixing up of various genres lends the film a pleasant eccentricity.
So far so good
What the film lacks however, is heart. As impressive as the visuals are, there's just something missing which meant I found myself unable to connect with the film in any meaningful way. What made Wright's previous outings Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz so good -apart from the visual inventiveness, was the sharp script and the great comic performances from Pegg and Frost. Whilst there's no one better at playing the sensitive loser in love character than Michael Cera, I'm not sure how long he can keep this up, we've seen it all before and it's wearing a bit thin now, and as a result it's hard to really care about the central character.
The film has good intentions with regards to human relationships but it is ultimately let down by a script which falls short of any genuine sincerity. In the end the film is carried by the strength of its visuals, and its overall genre mixing quirkiness, which is not a bad thing but it could have been so much better.