Scott Pilgrim vs. the World

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is original, creative, innovative, fun and full of kinetic energy. That being said, I found it too long. And not growing up with video games, I found parts of it hard to relate to. But despite my lack of connection with some of the pop culture aspects, I greatly admired what the director Edgar Wright (Sean of the Dead) was trying to do. 
 
When I saw the cast of Scott Pilgrim at Comic-Con, Michael Cera (Superbad) came out dressed in a cheesy Captain America costume. He looked so ridiculous that every time I looked at him I got the giggles. But that is the beauty of Michael Cera, he can play a scene straight, completely embracing the emotional content and still come off funny. It’s a gift. 
 
In spite of his nerdy man-boy exterior, Michael Cera still attracts the ladies. For this film he had to take extensive martial arts training in order to execute his kick-ass moves. One lady at Comic-Con got up and asked him how, after all that training, he managed to keep his boyish figure. It got a laugh, especially when Cera made a self-depreciating comment, but that is the key to his appeal. Like boy bands and teen-age pop stars, he is lovable, but non-threatening. 
 
Starring opposite Michael Cera is Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Live Free or Die Hard). This will be a break out role for her. She is very appealing with a touch of mystery. You can easily see why Scott Pilgrim would fall for her. But unlike most comic book films, this movie is full of female characters. They may not be as well developed as some of the guy roles, but they are memorable and a lot of fun. You have Alison Pill (Milk) as Kim Pine, the angry drummer, Aubrey Plaza (Funny People) as the profanity laced groupie, Ellen Wong (The Heart of the Warrior) as the 17 year old high school student that gets dumped by Scott and Anna Kendrick (Up in the Air) as Scott’s not always so supportive sister. 
 
In addition to these feisty roles you have Mae Whitman (Parenthood) as one of the evil exes, joined by Brandon Routh (Superman Returns), Satya Bhabha (Fair Game), Jason Schwartzman (Fantastic Mr. Fox), Chris Evans (Push), Keita Saitou and Shota Saito (Feel The Wind). These are the seven evil exes that Scott must defeat to win the fair Ramona. 
 
The other people in Scott’s life are Stephen Stills and Young Neil played by Mark Webber (Winter’s Solstice) and Johnny Simmons (Jennifer’s Body). They play Scott’s Band mates. The other member of Scott’s life is Keiran Culkin (Paper Man) Scott’s gay roommate. We know this because this is how Scott introduces him, “ This is Wallace Wells, my gay roommate.” It is a running gag throughout the film. 
 
As you can see the cast is huge and I haven’t even mentioned them all. In my opinion this film could have used a little trimming. But I did enjoy it even though I couldn’t wait for it to end. As an adult woman, this film was not made for me, but I did appreciate the cleverness, wit and fast paced editing. Artistically, I loved it, it just wasn’t made for me. If you are younger, or grew up in the video game generation, you’ll find a lot to like. 

Rating: Second Run A clever film that runs too long