Scott Pilgrim vs The World

First published on 10 Aug 2010.

The first thing that springs to mind when viewing Scott Pilgrim vs The World is that director Edgar Wright is a genius. Never before has a comic book been so gracefully transferred to the big screen than in his latest effort, based on the series of graphic novels by Bryan Lee O'Malley.

The title character is a hipster heartbreaker who meets the girl of his dreams and in order to be with her  must defeat her seven evil exes in combat. Even if you aren't familiar with the source material, the movie lays everything out quickly and you never feel like you are missing out on anything.

Wright's success on this film comes from meeting his stylistic references on their own territory: onomatopoeic words accompany sound effects just like in comic books; videogame powerups float around in 8-bit glory; and martial arts battles climax in eye-shattering visuals reminiscent of anime. Clever direction and editing give the movie the feel of actually reading the comics themselves, with scenes flowing and blending like comic panels and great physical comedy adding a hint of classic cartoons to the mix.

The casting is flawless. As Scott, Michael Cera finally gets to showcase a wider range of talent than his usual ‘simpering teen' role. He is excellent, not only capturing the humourous, vunerable side of his character, but also playing a mightily convincing hero. Mary Elizabeth Winstead is both charming and mysterious as Scott's object of desire, and Jason Schwartzman gleefully chomps the scenery as the main villain Gideon. Special mentions have to go to Kieran Culkin as Scott's wry, gay roommate Wallace and Aubrey Plaza as the foul-mouthed social busybody Julie Powers.

With a tight, hilarious script, excellent special effects, brilliant cultural references and a story that marries romance and action perfectly, Scott Pilgrim is potentially the most fun movie to come out this year – a kinetic epic that both stands for and gently lampoons the generation it came from. Superheroes should be so lucky to get this treatment. Jonathon Valenzuela