As much as it breaks my heart to admit it the summer of 2010 has been one of the most disappointing cinema summers in recent memory so it fell to Scott Pilgrim v The World to close the summer on a positive note.
PLOT: Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera) is a jobless layabout and bass player in a band who meets the brilliantly named Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) and attempts to woo her by using chat up lines featuring that computerised sex-bob-omb Pacman. I was just about able to suspend belief enough to allow myself to buy into the fact that this actually worked for him. Scott quickly discovers that Ramona is a slut and must defeat her seven evil ex’s in a fight to the death - cue some impressive fight scenes complete with brilliant soundtrack. While The Nerdy Trio spend their time trying to figure out which Culkin Kieran is Scott defeats the seven evil ex’s and gets the girl. Mission over. Level complete. END PLOT
On paper Scott Pilgrim is exactly the sort of movie I should love but I didn’t like it. We are not talking X-Men 3 levels of suicidal disappointment but something didn’t click for me and I don’t understand what. I thought the plot was fine, I liked the style and effects and the soundtrack really worked but meh it wasn’t enough and I was bored well before the 7th ex showed up and it is NOT because Chris Evans was ex number 2 and defeated quite early……
I have never watched Arrested Development and don’t get me started on Juno (spit spit) so I wasn’t a Michael Cera fan before Scott Pilgrim but due to the hype I created for myself I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. I quite like the dry style ofShia LeBeouf and Jesse Eisenberg so I probably should like Cera but I just don’t.
Hilts was practically dragged kicking and screaming to Scott Pilgrim and was vocal in her opinion of Cera lamenting that the role should have gone to Jesse Eisenberg, who is still riding high with The Nerdy Trio after Zombieland so perhaps her negative waves rubbed off on me although I think she ended up enjoying it more than I did.
I don’t know how prolific the characters are in the novels but I would have cut Anna Kendrick and Ellen Wong's characters out completely in an attempt to shorten and tighten the movie up as it ran a good half hour longer than it needed too.
I don’t know what it was, perhaps it had something to do with the fact that I had too much cheese for lunch and sat through Scott Pilgrim with a self inflicted cheese headache that no amount of bottled water and Doritos could defeat but Scott Pilgrim is one of my biggest disappointments of the summer.
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World gets a 6/10. Too much style, too much Cera, not enough substance, not enough Culkin.
Edgar Wright needs to stay on his own side of the Atlantic and stick to what he is good at. America cannot have him.
PLOT: Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera) is a jobless layabout and bass player in a band who meets the brilliantly named Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) and attempts to woo her by using chat up lines featuring that computerised sex-bob-omb Pacman. I was just about able to suspend belief enough to allow myself to buy into the fact that this actually worked for him. Scott quickly discovers that Ramona is a slut and must defeat her seven evil ex’s in a fight to the death - cue some impressive fight scenes complete with brilliant soundtrack. While The Nerdy Trio spend their time trying to figure out which Culkin Kieran is Scott defeats the seven evil ex’s and gets the girl. Mission over. Level complete. END PLOT
On paper Scott Pilgrim is exactly the sort of movie I should love but I didn’t like it. We are not talking X-Men 3 levels of suicidal disappointment but something didn’t click for me and I don’t understand what. I thought the plot was fine, I liked the style and effects and the soundtrack really worked but meh it wasn’t enough and I was bored well before the 7th ex showed up and it is NOT because Chris Evans was ex number 2 and defeated quite early……
I have never watched Arrested Development and don’t get me started on Juno (spit spit) so I wasn’t a Michael Cera fan before Scott Pilgrim but due to the hype I created for myself I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. I quite like the dry style of
Hilts was practically dragged kicking and screaming to Scott Pilgrim and was vocal in her opinion of Cera lamenting that the role should have gone to Jesse Eisenberg, who is still riding high with The Nerdy Trio after Zombieland so perhaps her negative waves rubbed off on me although I think she ended up enjoying it more than I did.
I don’t know how prolific the characters are in the novels but I would have cut Anna Kendrick and Ellen Wong's characters out completely in an attempt to shorten and tighten the movie up as it ran a good half hour longer than it needed too.
I don’t know what it was, perhaps it had something to do with the fact that I had too much cheese for lunch and sat through Scott Pilgrim with a self inflicted cheese headache that no amount of bottled water and Doritos could defeat but Scott Pilgrim is one of my biggest disappointments of the summer.
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World gets a 6/10. Too much style, too much Cera, not enough substance, not enough Culkin.
Edgar Wright needs to stay on his own side of the Atlantic and stick to what he is good at. America cannot have him.
