Climbing Higher Pictures

Seriously? This is the first time I’d honestly not expect you to be reading the witty flavorful intro text before one of my reviews. Get down there and absorb the good vibes. I do this for educational purposes, and this is one experience you definitely won’t forget. Oh yeah, and it’s probably Edgar Wright‘s best movie, maybe.

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World Review

By Ryan Hamelin

Movie Grade: A+

From the moment the 8-bit rendered Universal Studios logo blasts onto the screen, you know you’ve come to the right place. No longer are you in the world of your movie theater. Whether you know it or not, you’ve just entered the head of one Edgar Wright, director of such instant classics as Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead. The result is a vibrant and redefining experience, setting the bar for graphic novel adaptation visual fidelity at an all time high. Not since Sin City has a film come so close to replicating the feel and the imagery of a moving comic, and the addition of countless video game homages will tickle the fancy of even the least educated geek. This is really a film for everyone, and no matter what you think you’re in for when you enter that theater, this one is sure to surprise you.

The first surprise is probably the one that will shock you the most. Michael Cera isn’t just good here… he’s really good. Though plenty of pundits have accused Cera of skating by on the same basic character outline he’s had since Superbad, he does a lot to demonstrate his range here. Sure he still hits all the quirky and awkward beats you expect him to, but he also brings genuine heart to a part that could’ve been played much more low key. He sets the tone for the rest of the cast, and they feed off of his hyper-stylized, incredibly quick delivery. The film works because of him, not in spite of him, and I think many people will take that as a shock.

The second surprise is Mary Elizabeth Winstead, who builds on her breakthrough performance as Bruce Willis’s daughter in Live Free or Die Hard with an impressive leading lady turn. She is everything you’d want her to be: gorgeous, mysterious, unpredictable, and heartbreaking. Romantic leads in films like this survive based upon their own chemistry and their fidelity to the universe they inhabit. Ramona’s constantly changing hair-color aside, Winstead owns this part, and I for one am happy that the reshot ending, which aligns with the latest published issue of the comic, gives her a bigger payoff. Having had the opportunity to see an early test screening of the film, and the complete version, I am committed to keeping any other changes to the film under wraps from here on out. Mostly this is out of respect for the achievement of the finished product, and because knowing the changes going in could negatively effect that first triumphant experience.

The structure of the film makes for a unique viewing experience. It’s usually taboo to create an antagonist that your characters have to overcome, which, to be defeated, requires your leads to go through a numbered series of steps. Popular opinion says that the audience will simply spend the film counting the obstacles that have yet to be overcome, accelerating the feeling of boredom while also drawing the viewer out of the realm of the film. Somehow, despite the very definite number of evil exes which Scott will have to encounter throughout the story, I never once found myself counting. The pacing is so tightly wound as to render downtime almost nonexistent, and what little there is has been filled to the brim with character moments and side-plots that are each more entertaining than the last. You have to be able to breathe in between the fits of laughter and the whoops of victory after each ridiculous battle, and you’d be hard pressed to find a film which was better balanced or more consistent in its enjoyment.

Scott Pilgrim is a sugarcoated yet timelessly fulfilling pop culture dish best served with a healthy bag of popcorn and an open mind. It pushes the boundaries of what an audience can absorb both auditorily and visually, and you will still be reeling for several minutes after the fact. Anchored with a wonderful story and endearing characters, the flashing lights do not detract, but rather enhance the experience to almost superhuman levels. If you don’t find something here to your liking, there’s really no help for you, and if you’re willing to take the challenge being offered, you won’t be disappointed.