Hollywood Bites Reviews: Scott Pigrim vs. The World

If the words Zelda, Tetris or Duck Hunt have ever held a special place in your heart than Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is the movie for you. From the moment Universal’s logo appears, roughly animated into glorious 8-bit pixilation, the kind known all too well by members of a generation who once thought Pong was the pinnacle of technology, it’s clear that you’ve stepped into a film that embodies the ultimate in hipster chic; a hyper-referential genre piece that’s perfected the affect of nonchalance despite exerting exhaustive efforts to be cool.

Hipster poster boy Michael Cera stars as Scott Pilgrim, a 23-year-old wannabe rock star meandering through life in Toronto, dreaming of greatness with his band, Sex Bob-omb, and dating the trifecta of porn fantasy girls, an underage Asian catholic school girl (Ellen Wong). But after meeting the girl, quite literally, of his dreams, Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), Scott finds himself under siege. In order to win her heart, and keep his beating, he must battle Ramona’s seven evil exes, who range from a studly vegan rocker (Superman star Brandon Routh, ‘member him?) to an experimental lesbian fling (Mae Whitman), to the death.

Based on Bryan Lee O’Malley’s beloved six-volume graphic novel, Scott Pilgrim is an allegory for all romantic relationships. You may not physically fight anyone’s exes when you start dating, but there’s no denying that psychological warfare is always waged with your partner’s past.

It’s a simple concept, dynamically captured by director Edgar Wright (Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead) who festoons the movie with adorable hallmarks, visual witticisms and cinematic in-jokes for Generation X-Box. In many ways, Wright has created what might be this decade’s Reality Bites, a time capsule film fluently speaking the language of a generation, couched in what appears to be a fluffy romance.

Similarly, this movie is an assembled legion of some of the most talented young actors working today. Cera is predictably a-dork-able, leaving the door wide open for scene stealing from the supporting cast who jump at the chance to dazzle. Up in the Air’s Anna Kendrick crops up briefly as Scott’s sister, proving her Oscar nod was no fluke. An exceptional comedienne, even her most momentary appearances are commendable. Similarly, Alison Pill, Mark Webber and Johnny Simmons as Scott’s Sex Bob-omb bandmates turn minimal screen time into memorable, tasty side dishes. But the largest heaping of praise goes to Kieran Culkin as Scott’s gay roommate, Wallace Wells. Pitch perfect in every way, Culkin has barely acted since his attention-grabbing turn in 2002’s Igby Goes Down, a lamentable absence as proven by this performance. With any luck, next time audiences might get to see Wallace Wells vs. The World.