Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010)
Starring Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Ellen Wong, Alison Pill, Mark Webber, Johnny Simmons, Anna Kendrick, Brie Larson
Directed by Edgar Wright
Expectations: Super low. Virtually non-existent. I am curious though.
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World has a lot going for it if you’re a nerd that enjoys references to stuff you like. Some of the more noticeable of these are video game 1ups, DDR and the Smashing Pumpkins, but your mileage may vary depending on what nerdalicious things you enjoy yourself. Anyway, the film is a barrage of cool FX that were designed to give the movie a distinctly comic book feel (or a distinctly graphic novel feel for the snobs). The FX succeed marvelously in this department and deliver what is easily the most accurate representation in motion of what the panels in a comic portray. However, this isn’t necessarily ideal for a film.
The medium is key. I’ve never read the Scott Pilgrim comics, but I’m sure this is a fair representation of them. The fact remains that what works in one medium doesn’t necessarily carry over to another, so despite all the flash (and man, there’s a SHITLOAD) the film is rather tedious, devoid of real character & substance and just plain boring. On a positive note, technically the movie is pretty sound and it is shot much more interestingly than your standard Hollywood fare, but this point is moot when everything else is a bore. I’m not within the target demographic either, so if you’re between the ages of 13-19, you’ll likely have a much different opinion. In the end, I just wanted it to be over.
I was quite disappointed by this movie myself. Indeed, it is very nerdy and geeky and I can see why it didn’t do so well at the box office. Boring!
Yes, boring is right! It’s amazing that no matter how much they threw on-screen, almost none of it engaged me in any real way.
I’m glad we are in agreement here. This one was overrated and overblown. It seemed to assault your senses in order to cover up its many deficits in narrative and substance. I loved Shaun of the Dead, but Edgar Wright really seemed to have dropped the ball here.
I can have my senses assaulted to make up for a shitty movie (see: Troll 2) but it just didn’t work here.
Was this movie rated well at all? It was also a bomb, I heard.
Anyway, I was positively afraid this would be the case as Wright really is a champ of a director, but also a bit predictable. Or at least, he hasn’t left much room for mystery of his offerings. I’ve still been strongly urged to see this film, but by an individual who just maybe uniquely receptive to the style.
It was rated well actually. It has 81% from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, and 84% from the audience. I think they saw a different movie.