A Generation Y man meets the girl of his dreams, but must battle her former love interests to win her heart in SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD.Michael Cera is the aforementioned young man, and title character, who desires the heart of Ramona Flowers, a young woman he meets at a party. Ramona’s beauty, style and allure makes Scott fall in love with her at first sight. Winning over a girl’s heart isn’t the only obstacle Scott faces, as he must fight off Ramona’s seven exes before he can become a potential number eight.
SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD is based on a comic book, and writer-director Edgar Wright captures the style and attitude of the medium. The film is drenched in pop culture, from video game to television references, but instead of serving as its backdrop, the style and attitude more or less dominates the film’s narrative.
Each ex of Ramona’s serves as another level of a video game that Scott must win to advance to the final ex, or stage of the game. The film is an odd-mix, part romance and part action comedy, neither of which completely work. Each ex encounter provides a portion of the action comedy, but doesn’t provide a greater understanding of who Ramona is, by glimpsing into her past affairs.
The battles Scott has with Ramona’s exes serve as a momentary jolt to a film severely lacking in chemistry. Cera is fine, as is Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Ramona, but together the two don’t work. The differences between their characters makes the romance seem like a stretch, and Wright never allots enough quality time between the two to develop the tough-sell romance.
The talented Wright becomes overly indulged in the spirited, but redundant encounters between Scott and Ramona’s former boyfriends, and girlfriend. Instead of using the battles as a springboard to develop Ramona, and Scott and Ramona’s romance, Wright goes for stylized, yet superficial moments filled with action and so-called comedy.
SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD substitutes style for substance, and delivers an underwhelming romance and action comedy.
Grade: C
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