|
 In cinemas Wednesday Aug 11[M]
Director: Edgar Wright
Runtime: 112mins.
While an array of films based on comic books have appeared in recent years, there’s been nothing quite like Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World. The marriage of Hot Fuzz director Edgar Wright’s genre-loving, workaholic attention to detail with Bryan Lee O’Malley’s wacky indie-romance-videogame-comedy graphic novels is a match made in Super VGA heaven. The result is a film satisfying for both fans of the comics and total n00bs to the universe of indie rock slacker Scott Pilgrim.
Set in snowy Toronto, Canada, the film quickly introduces bass-playing gadabout Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera) and his garagey indie band Sex Bob-Omb. Dating a high schooler, Knives Chau (Ellen Wong), to salve a heart broken by rock princess Envy Adams (Brie Larson), he notices a newcomer to the party scene in the form of Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), a colourfully-coiffed American with a history of past relationships that Scott discovers he must confront – physically – in order to date her. You see, Ramona has seven evil exes that Scott must defeat in mortal combat before they can truly be together – and as crazy as that sounds, it makes perfect sense in the context of this funny and wildly imaginative film. The clashes, filmed like fight scenes from ‘80s and ‘90s video games, are spectacularly over the top – skinny characters being punched through walls, swords appearing from chests, and defeats resulting in explosions of Super Mario coins. Don’t go looking for any conventional story logic – things like the subspace corridor used by Ramona in her job as an Amazon.com deliverer just exist. You have to give in and go with the flow, which isn’t hard as Wright pulls the audience along at a breathless pace (aided by some super-quick and clever editing).
Blessed with a cast of great supporting characters – including Scott’s dry gay roommate Wallace Wells (Kieran Culkin), long-suffering Sex Bob-Omb drummer Kim Pine (Alison Pill) and an array of fun guest spots by actors like Chris Evans, Jason Schwartzmann and Brandon Routh as Ramona’s exes (Routh’s ‘vegan powered’ Todd Ingram a particular highlight, especially when he falls foul of the vegan police) – the film bubbles over with energy and talent. Add to that Wright’s visual inventiveness – comic book sound effects and panel divisions appearing on screen; hyper-kinetic action scenes melded with gleeful slapstick – and you have a genuine big screen comic book experience. Which isn’t to say the flashiness and humour overshadows the heart of the story, which sees both Scott and Ramona struggling to overcome their emotional baggage and create a new future for each other. It’s sweet and hilarious eye-candy, and completely devoid of cynicism, (which is a rarity these days). Plus it makes you want to play Guitar Hero, Dance Dance Revolution or Street Fighter immediately afterwards, so set aside some post-movie gaming time.
****˝
TOPHER HEALY
|
| Comments are submitted for possible publication on the condition that they may be edited. Poster's IP addresses are logged. |
|
Be first to comment on this article
