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Scott Pilgrim vs. The World

Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead

Everybody’s tryin’ to make a comment about our doubts and fears

True Grit’s the only movie I’ve really understood in years

You gotta take your analyst along to see if it’s fit to see

Whatever happened to Randolph Scott has happened to the industry – The Statler Brothers

I would like to apologize to the reader if my review is a little off this week. One of my roommates took off just before rent was due owing me several thousands of dollars (as he took a nine month sabbatical from working.) It also seems that he has done a little spring cleaning, tossing almost every bill that needed to be paid. So, if my mind is elsewhere I hope you understand.

Anyone who thinks that comic books are just superhero fantasy has not been paying attention to cinema the last few years – 30 Days of Night, 300, Sin City, Stardust, Ghost World, V for Vendetta, A History of Violence, From Hell, Road to Perdition, Art School Confidential, Persepolis, Whiteout, The Losers, Jonah Hex and Oldboy just to name a few. Now it is Bryan Lee O’Malley’s award-winning Scott Pilgrim six-volume series from Oni Press. Never heard of it? You are really missing out.

Looking around my desk I have found a copy of the gas bill = paid it. Internet bill = paid it. Water bill = paid it; Where is the electric bill? I think it is due Monday. What is the name of the electric company?

The lead character’s name comes from a song by the 1990s all-girl band the Plumtree. Scott is a 23-year-old jobless Canadian slacker from Toronto who plays bass guitar for the “Sex Bob-Omb” with his friends Stephen Stills (Mark Webber) and Kim Pine (Alison Pill). He lives with his gay roommate Wallace Wells (Kieran Culkin) and is dating a Chinese-Canadian high school girl named Knives Chau (Ellen Wong). Even though Knives is crazy in love with him, at a party thrown by Stephen’s on again/off again girlfriend Julie Powers (Aubrey Plaza) Scott sees the woman of his dreams in an alternative punk chick named Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) who has recently moved from New York after a messy break-up from a guy named Gideon Graves (Jason Schwartzman). Here is where Scott Pilgrim leaves your typical boy meets girl teenage romantic comedy. In order to win her heart, Scott must fight and defeat her “seven evil exes,” a League of Romona’s Evil Ex-Boyfriends who are going to come after Scott. It is John Hughes meets a superhero, Looney Toons, Nintendo, Matrix type of world. Two of the most perfectly cast boyfriends are Superman (Brandon Routh) and the Human Torch (Chris Evans) as Todd Ingram, a psychic vegan bass player, and Lucas Lee, a jerky movie star. If you allow yourself to suspend disbelief, it is a fun time.

Just figured out the name of the power company. Sweet! It might be a Ramen noodles month but I can pay off everything. Just called the electric company, I cannot believe this. They will not let me pay the bill. I have to have the account number. When I explained that I did not have a copy of the bill, they asked me for the primary person’s social security number. Don’t have that either, as it is the landlord and he is on cruise ship somewhere. The nice lady on the phone explains to me federal privacy laws. I explain that all I want to do is pay the bill. She says that she cannot help me as federal privacy laws prevent her… I stop her and ask her if I came down to the company’s offices with copies of other bills in my name that come to the house. I will come there with this magic green paper with dead white people on it that, when I go to stores, I give it to them and they let me take stuff out of the store. For some unknown reason, when I have it, I am much more attractive to women. I would be glad to give them this paper. No go. I ask if they can expedite a bill to me. She replies that a bill should arrive in the next three weeks. I ask what will happen if the bill is not paid on Monday. The power will be turned off. Sorry, I cannot focus on doing a review.

What makes the movie special is British director Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, “Spaced”, and the upcoming Ant-Man) picks up the little touches that made the comic book special, like graphics one would find in the early Nintendo video games, such as the villains turning into coins when they are defeated and power ratings and bonus points popping up in the midst of the fights.

The power was turned off at noon. My computer’s battery is dying. Going to have to plug my cell phone into the cigarette lighter of my car if I want to make a call. What did I do to deserve this? Must have peed on a Buddha statue in a past life or something. Making no headway with the power company. Realize that I could never be a missionary. I like electric power too much. I miss the Internet and television. What am I going to do? Need to stop so I can save what juice…

While I am not a fan of the Manga-style of the comic book, if anyone in Hollywood was meant to play Scott Pilgrim it is Michael Cera who in his early 20s has racked up an amazing body of work including Juno, Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist, Superbad, and the one of the best situation comedy series in the last decade “Arrested Development” (which will be a big screen movie next year). Not since Ralph Macchio, has an actor been so confined to teenage roles by his looks than Cera. He has carved out the good-natured, nerdy, boy next door roles. In fact, almost every actor is perfectly cast, particularly Culkin and Wong.

Thursday, two o’clock. Got the bill and did a jig. Sat in my car for an hour until I got an operator to pay the bill. She remarked that it had been four days. I remarked that I had not noticed. Tried not to be too much of a smart ass as I asked when the power would be turned back on. Sometime in the next twelve to twenty-four hours. Power, beautiful power, a rose by any other name. Have realized camping is just pretending you are poor.

A movie everyone should watch, especially critics, is Preston Sturges’ Sullivan’s Travels. It is the story of a director name John Lloyd Sullivan who wants to make a profound movie about homelessness so he goes undercover as a hobo. (The film he wants to make is called O Brother, Where Art Thou?) What he discovers is the escapist fare that he derides so much at the beginning of the film is more important than he realized. He remarks, “There's a lot to be said for making people laugh. Did you know that that's all some people have? It isn't much, but it's better than nothing in this cockeyed caravan.” That is how movies should be evaluated. It is why movies and newspapers like this one are important. There are people out there who have a lot of problems, more than just not having power for a week. Does this movie give you a break from your day? Yes. Did it allow you to escape for an hour or two? Yes. Scott Pilgrim is escapist fare, well done escapist fare. It is witty, weird, and wild in places. If you are below 40 years of age, you should enjoy this movie.

Verdict: Home Run