All right...I've been catching a LOT of flack from my friends for any naysaying I do about this movie, so I'm going to put down into words what I DID and DID NOT like about. This way, all my feelings will be out there and any legitimate debate can follow.
First and foremost, I am in NO WAY saying that this is a bad movie and you should not see it. All I am saying is that, from my point of view, this movie had some flaws. That being said...let's dive in.
I'll begin with the negative points first, just so everyone can stop reading this article after this portion's conclusion (as I know most of you are going to, you lazy fucks).
By the way, spoilers.
First, the pacing. Honestly, I thought the pacing at the very beginning of this movie was fairly poor. Let's look at it from several viewpoints. If you're viewing this is an action/kung fu movie, the pacing at the beginning nearly killed it. There was literally NO ACTION for a good chunk of the film (leading up to the introduction of the first of the evil ex's). Normally, this wouldn't have bothered me, but when you billed this movie as an action-y type flick, and than wait that long to provide what you were selling, that's almost false advertising. If you're viewing this as a teen drama, than the pacing at the beginning was just fine. Good build-up to a crescendo, which built up into the climax, but therein lies your problem. No one that saw a SINGLE trailer for this film was going in expecting JUST a teen drama. No, the main pull of this movie was the action, and the pacing at the beginning nearly ruined it for me. I was literally sitting in the theater thinking to myself "Hey...wasn't this supposed to be an action-y flick? Where the hell is all of it?" Additionally, because of the poor pacing at the beginning, I felt the fight scenes later were SLIGHTLY rushed and weren't done as well or as expanded upon as they could have been.
Next, the casting. Now...this is a duel point with me. I both liked and didn't like the casting in many regards. The main issue I had with the casting was with Michael Cera. Now, before you all start chucking your flaming copies of "Juno" and "Superbad" at me, let me explain. I won't use the excuse that Michael Cera plays the same character in every movie (even though he does, the typecasted motherfucker). As a matter of fact, I believe Michael Cera was perfectly cast for the teen drama half of this movie. The action half of it, however....well, a Jackie Chan he ain't. I use Jackie Chan because, in many early Jackie Chan movies, Jackie portrays kind of a somewhat goofy, outnumbered, out-skilled guy caught up in these monumentally dangerous and precarious situations. Jackie Chan pulls that off VERY well (thus explaining how he built a career on it), but Cera doesn't. When I look at Cera in this film, I don't get the blundering but lovable underdog feeling I get from those early Chan movies, but rather a scrawny, douchey kid that would NORMALLY get his ass kicked by any one of these seven opponents (and please don't start with me about how its a surreal reality where Vegans are super warriors and such bullshit because I think my point still stands).
Finally, the writing (to an extent). Now, being a writer myself, I always make sure to focus a great deal on in-story continuity, plotlines, and dialogue when I'm watching a movie (because it's my area). This movie was fairly tight overall when it came to the screenplay, but I did notice ONE thing that stood out and bothered the fucking fudge out of me. One particular plotline that is built up from almost the very beginning of the movie revolved around Scott Pilgrim's ex-girlfriend "Envy" who dumped him to become a famous rockstar. This plotline was frequently hinted at, touched upon, and built up to the point where I expected some huge moment of resolution between the three characters (Pilgrim, Ramona Flowers, and Envy). But what did I receive for my patience? A dropped plotline. After defeating Envy's current boyfriend, one of Ramona's seven evil ex's, Scott apologizes to his ex and we never see her again.
We never. See her. Again.
She's not even mentioned! I figured Scott would have a huge revelation about how the pain he felt from that relationship translated over to how he was treating women, or Ramona and Envy get into a fight themselves, thus allowing another fun action sequence. But no. We got NOTHING. Well done, writers.
Okay...now, the negative is done with. Those of you that wanted to only read those points first and flame me with comments, go ahead. The rest of you, the intelligent lot, may continue with me.
Let's go back to the casting, to begin things. I have to admit that the remainder of the cast was very well chosen. Standout performances, specifically, from Ellen Wong (who played Knives Chau), Kieran Culkin (who played Wallace Wells), and the majority of the seven evil ex's were all fairly spectacular. Pretty much the entire secondary cast was fairly phenomenal in their portrayals of the various characters. Everyone did a stellar job bringing such subtle nuances to each character, such depth and growth, that I could've enjoyed watching the movie for one character at a time. I won't go into details about each particular actor and their portrayal (as I did with my Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy review), but I will say that as an ensemble, I wouldn't have deviated too far from those chosen. Good job, casting director.
Well...good job, except for Michael Cera.
The visuals and editing were above par. Not much to say beyond the fact that the special effects were big and in-your-face when they needed to be, and much more subdued and subtle at the quieter, more emotional moments. Not at any time did I find the SFX intrusive or the editing confusing and unnecessary. Yes, the editing at times was very quick, but not in a "I have no idea where we are now" kind of way. Now, the effects and editing weren't anything award-winning (not by a longshot) but I found them, overall, to be an asset to the movie rather than a hindrance.
I think the selling point for me, after thinking long and hard about this movie, was the underlying story and subtext. It took me several days of contemplating the movie before I came to the realization of what this movie was really about. Now, before I explain myself, I want to address those out there that call shenanigans on this movie because they found the characters of Scott Pilgrim and Ramona Flowers to be too "douchey" and "bitchy" respectively. What do I have to say to you lot?
That was the point. And you missed it.
The whole point was to present these two characters in that way. The character of Scott Pilgrim is meant to start as a somewhat unlikable figure in his slacker, aimless lifestyle and in the manner he treats women. Ramona Flowers, also, is MEANT to be seen as a cold and distant character, detached from pretty much everything around her. The whole point of the movie to watch the growth of these two characters from the points they start at into what they become at the end.
I'll explain.
Scott Pilgrim's journey in this movie is really a journey of self-discovery in that EVERYONE around him in his life recognizes what a dopey, douchey loser he is. The point is that he really doesn't see it himself. His relationship with Knives Chau is meant to be seen as an outlet for his immature ways because the intimacy and speed of the relationship is within his control, and when that control is lost, he doesn't know what to do with it. When he meets Ramona, the object of his desire, he finds that he desires something well outside of his controllable little world and, because of the evil ex's that enter the picture, discovers something that is worth fighting for and THUS discovers, ultimately, that the one true thing he's fighting for is himself. The entire movie is his journey to discover the errors of his past, the growth he goes through into a more mature individual, and hopefully the self-respect he needs to make positive steps forward away from his slacker lifestyle into something a little less....loser-ish.
Ramona, on the other hand, already starts the movie having realized the mistakes of her past. The difference is that she allows those mistakes to continually haunt her (literally) in the form of her seven evil ex's. She knows, from the very first scene she appears in, that she's wronged these seven individuals in some way or another, and honestly wants to step back and reevaluate her life and the choices she makes. The introduction of Scott into Ramona's life comes as a conflict for her, considering she wants to be close to Scott, but fears repeating the same mistakes she's already made with the other seven. In the end, her ex's defeated, she comes to discover that life is full of mistakes and wrong turns, but it's what we take from those mistakes that truly moves us forward.
The last bit I'll touch upon is the general complaint I've heard about the audiences disapproval of Scott ending up with Ramona at the end when Knives is a much more realistic and compatible choice. This, believe it or not, is true. Knives and Scott are the much more likely match up. It is also true that there probably isn't much of a future between Scott and Ramona. But, again, that's the point. Growing up and being an adult means making mistakes not always choosing the path that is "right" at that point in your life. I earnestly believe that this is the message the movie was trying to convey in its ending.
Aaaand that's my review of Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World. Not as vulgar and insulting as my other review, but I think I covered my thoughts fairly well.
All I can say now is...let the flaming begin!
First and foremost, I am in NO WAY saying that this is a bad movie and you should not see it. All I am saying is that, from my point of view, this movie had some flaws. That being said...let's dive in.
I'll begin with the negative points first, just so everyone can stop reading this article after this portion's conclusion (as I know most of you are going to, you lazy fucks).
By the way, spoilers.
First, the pacing. Honestly, I thought the pacing at the very beginning of this movie was fairly poor. Let's look at it from several viewpoints. If you're viewing this is an action/kung fu movie, the pacing at the beginning nearly killed it. There was literally NO ACTION for a good chunk of the film (leading up to the introduction of the first of the evil ex's). Normally, this wouldn't have bothered me, but when you billed this movie as an action-y type flick, and than wait that long to provide what you were selling, that's almost false advertising. If you're viewing this as a teen drama, than the pacing at the beginning was just fine. Good build-up to a crescendo, which built up into the climax, but therein lies your problem. No one that saw a SINGLE trailer for this film was going in expecting JUST a teen drama. No, the main pull of this movie was the action, and the pacing at the beginning nearly ruined it for me. I was literally sitting in the theater thinking to myself "Hey...wasn't this supposed to be an action-y flick? Where the hell is all of it?" Additionally, because of the poor pacing at the beginning, I felt the fight scenes later were SLIGHTLY rushed and weren't done as well or as expanded upon as they could have been.
Next, the casting. Now...this is a duel point with me. I both liked and didn't like the casting in many regards. The main issue I had with the casting was with Michael Cera. Now, before you all start chucking your flaming copies of "Juno" and "Superbad" at me, let me explain. I won't use the excuse that Michael Cera plays the same character in every movie (even though he does, the typecasted motherfucker). As a matter of fact, I believe Michael Cera was perfectly cast for the teen drama half of this movie. The action half of it, however....well, a Jackie Chan he ain't. I use Jackie Chan because, in many early Jackie Chan movies, Jackie portrays kind of a somewhat goofy, outnumbered, out-skilled guy caught up in these monumentally dangerous and precarious situations. Jackie Chan pulls that off VERY well (thus explaining how he built a career on it), but Cera doesn't. When I look at Cera in this film, I don't get the blundering but lovable underdog feeling I get from those early Chan movies, but rather a scrawny, douchey kid that would NORMALLY get his ass kicked by any one of these seven opponents (and please don't start with me about how its a surreal reality where Vegans are super warriors and such bullshit because I think my point still stands).
Finally, the writing (to an extent). Now, being a writer myself, I always make sure to focus a great deal on in-story continuity, plotlines, and dialogue when I'm watching a movie (because it's my area). This movie was fairly tight overall when it came to the screenplay, but I did notice ONE thing that stood out and bothered the fucking fudge out of me. One particular plotline that is built up from almost the very beginning of the movie revolved around Scott Pilgrim's ex-girlfriend "Envy" who dumped him to become a famous rockstar. This plotline was frequently hinted at, touched upon, and built up to the point where I expected some huge moment of resolution between the three characters (Pilgrim, Ramona Flowers, and Envy). But what did I receive for my patience? A dropped plotline. After defeating Envy's current boyfriend, one of Ramona's seven evil ex's, Scott apologizes to his ex and we never see her again.
We never. See her. Again.
She's not even mentioned! I figured Scott would have a huge revelation about how the pain he felt from that relationship translated over to how he was treating women, or Ramona and Envy get into a fight themselves, thus allowing another fun action sequence. But no. We got NOTHING. Well done, writers.
Okay...now, the negative is done with. Those of you that wanted to only read those points first and flame me with comments, go ahead. The rest of you, the intelligent lot, may continue with me.
Let's go back to the casting, to begin things. I have to admit that the remainder of the cast was very well chosen. Standout performances, specifically, from Ellen Wong (who played Knives Chau), Kieran Culkin (who played Wallace Wells), and the majority of the seven evil ex's were all fairly spectacular. Pretty much the entire secondary cast was fairly phenomenal in their portrayals of the various characters. Everyone did a stellar job bringing such subtle nuances to each character, such depth and growth, that I could've enjoyed watching the movie for one character at a time. I won't go into details about each particular actor and their portrayal (as I did with my Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy review), but I will say that as an ensemble, I wouldn't have deviated too far from those chosen. Good job, casting director.
Well...good job, except for Michael Cera.
The visuals and editing were above par. Not much to say beyond the fact that the special effects were big and in-your-face when they needed to be, and much more subdued and subtle at the quieter, more emotional moments. Not at any time did I find the SFX intrusive or the editing confusing and unnecessary. Yes, the editing at times was very quick, but not in a "I have no idea where we are now" kind of way. Now, the effects and editing weren't anything award-winning (not by a longshot) but I found them, overall, to be an asset to the movie rather than a hindrance.
I think the selling point for me, after thinking long and hard about this movie, was the underlying story and subtext. It took me several days of contemplating the movie before I came to the realization of what this movie was really about. Now, before I explain myself, I want to address those out there that call shenanigans on this movie because they found the characters of Scott Pilgrim and Ramona Flowers to be too "douchey" and "bitchy" respectively. What do I have to say to you lot?
That was the point. And you missed it.
The whole point was to present these two characters in that way. The character of Scott Pilgrim is meant to start as a somewhat unlikable figure in his slacker, aimless lifestyle and in the manner he treats women. Ramona Flowers, also, is MEANT to be seen as a cold and distant character, detached from pretty much everything around her. The whole point of the movie to watch the growth of these two characters from the points they start at into what they become at the end.
I'll explain.
Scott Pilgrim's journey in this movie is really a journey of self-discovery in that EVERYONE around him in his life recognizes what a dopey, douchey loser he is. The point is that he really doesn't see it himself. His relationship with Knives Chau is meant to be seen as an outlet for his immature ways because the intimacy and speed of the relationship is within his control, and when that control is lost, he doesn't know what to do with it. When he meets Ramona, the object of his desire, he finds that he desires something well outside of his controllable little world and, because of the evil ex's that enter the picture, discovers something that is worth fighting for and THUS discovers, ultimately, that the one true thing he's fighting for is himself. The entire movie is his journey to discover the errors of his past, the growth he goes through into a more mature individual, and hopefully the self-respect he needs to make positive steps forward away from his slacker lifestyle into something a little less....loser-ish.
Ramona, on the other hand, already starts the movie having realized the mistakes of her past. The difference is that she allows those mistakes to continually haunt her (literally) in the form of her seven evil ex's. She knows, from the very first scene she appears in, that she's wronged these seven individuals in some way or another, and honestly wants to step back and reevaluate her life and the choices she makes. The introduction of Scott into Ramona's life comes as a conflict for her, considering she wants to be close to Scott, but fears repeating the same mistakes she's already made with the other seven. In the end, her ex's defeated, she comes to discover that life is full of mistakes and wrong turns, but it's what we take from those mistakes that truly moves us forward.
The last bit I'll touch upon is the general complaint I've heard about the audiences disapproval of Scott ending up with Ramona at the end when Knives is a much more realistic and compatible choice. This, believe it or not, is true. Knives and Scott are the much more likely match up. It is also true that there probably isn't much of a future between Scott and Ramona. But, again, that's the point. Growing up and being an adult means making mistakes not always choosing the path that is "right" at that point in your life. I earnestly believe that this is the message the movie was trying to convey in its ending.
Aaaand that's my review of Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World. Not as vulgar and insulting as my other review, but I think I covered my thoughts fairly well.
All I can say now is...let the flaming begin!
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