In time, all could be forgiven. Even as much as the last 2 movies I saw this year left a horrendous taste in my mouth that scarred me from seeing movies. And just when I just got around to think (American) movies were making a comeback. However, all was forgiven and blessed briefly when I left the theatre after seeing Scott Pilgrim vs The World.
Scott Pilgrim is another one of those graphic novel/comic turned movies. For most times they are hit or miss as some become disjointed in it's translation. Same thing can be said for video game to movies. This is related as Scott Pilgrim is part comic, part video game referencing, part manga inspired turned movie and it truly succeeds.
To begin Scott Pilgrim is this Canadian slacker loser who doesn't have a bed even to his name and shares it with his straight gay roommate word of wisdom obi wan Wallace. Scott has no goals in mind and his crowning moment for the day is mastering the bass line for the intro to the battle theme to Final Fantasy IV, not II, idiot! I don't care if others see it as II. Take into perspective the origins to what it originally was, from it's own origins. Scott at the beginning of the film is dating 17 year old Knives Chau. Strange name to name your Chinese daughter considering she has no connection to Vash's iconic villain brother. Because of this, his friends including bitter deadpan friend Kim are not looking at Scott's relationship as normal.
Scott's friends, the aforementioned rejection filled Kim include Steve who I guess his name is Stills, and ironically to pay homage to Crosby Stills, Nash and Young, there is a Young Neil. They are in a band called Sex Bob-Omb. Cute. Meanwhile Knives being clinged onto Scott is the perky fangirl and the only one at that because the band itself is not known. One day they get invited to join a party where record label big timer Gideon is hosting. Sex Bob-Omb wants to get a record deal with Gideon. There Scott meets the wig color changing Ramona Flowers. Scott tries and beefs up his introduction and Ramona leaves...Then he stalks her. What a creep.
Next day Ramona appears in front of Scott's door to deliver a package. Scott reluctantly asks her to date, but all she wants to do is get his signature for the package. In a flash, they start dating. There's a catch to all this however as Scott Pilgrim learns the hard way: Don't date a chick who has emotional baggage, which happens to be in the form of her 7 evil exes.
The story is very quirky with a lesson to learn. Kinda typical Canada to teach a lesson in everything. Look at Wayne's World. There was the bad end, the Scooby Doo end, and the happy end where people learn something. Did I mention Mike Myers is Canadian? Just putting it out there. Scott Pilgrim gets himself gets lots of character development, both outside and not so much inside battle. Least he grows some balls in the end. The others aren't as fluid as Scott. Such as Young Neil who was a hanger on to the Sex Bob-Omb went from Young Neil to just plain Neil. Downer.
What steals the show are the League of 7 Evil Exes. Why 7? The question would be 7?! No it'd be why 7 evil exes instead of boyfriends? Well, some people partake on some strange journeys as Ramona went les yay at least once. I don't count it as les yay if it was just a fling. If they were really together the relationship would have lasted longer.
Matthew Patel, the first evil ex is a very outlandish ex as he goes into a musical fight a la Space Channel 5, shoots fireballs from his hands and summons demon hipster chicks that do nothing. After Matthew is defeated and turned into coins aka River City Ransom, no one ever mentions him again. BIG LIPPED ALLIGATOR MOMENT! It had me at demon hipster chicks.
Lucas Lee, the second evil ex is an action star that Ramona briefly dated seconds after Matthew. He is very creative and a jerk, but hes a real nice guy, even if he is the enemy. Though summoning stunt doubles to do your work isn't honorable. Even if his death was subtle, dying doing a gnarly grind Ollie downhill is not exactly going to kill you. Ask Tony Hawk.
Todd the third evil ex is straight up a goku wannabe since he has psychic powers by being vegan and super vegan. He isn't that strong since his powers are only borrowed, but he can lick guitars like they were lollipops. I'm straight, but Todd's guitar licks are hot. Scott Pilgrim put up a formidable fight using the battle theme from FFIV, but was outmatched because the boss battle theme packed more punch than the battle theme. After all he IS fighting a boss right? Scott, though pulped to a beaten fools him into drinking half and half. Apparently a big no no. Then through the hole in the brick wall comes the vegan police to reprimand Todd's powers i.e Men in Green. Todd is kinda stupid really. Eating chicken Parmesan? meat a cheese. Gelato IS milk and eggs, bitch, but there's also soy gelato...maybe. Then there's the half and half. 3 strikes, no powers for you. Scott headbutts him and he turns into monetary exp. That's using your head.
Roxy, the fourth is the odd ex out. For one Scott said it best, "You had a SEXY PHASE?!" Despite her bitchy jock goth Misa Amane wannabe Ivy from Soul Caliber look, I like her. Her heartless ninja powers notwithstanding her whip sword belt is very cool. Ramona's fight with her is stylish, very much so when she pulls a hammer from hammerspace. Sad she doesn't get to use it long enough and the touch of her finger to Roxy's back of her knee is what was the crux in Roxy's fight. It was then that Roxy let out a sigh and I went wtf. Her last words to Scott were, "You'll never get to do this to her!" however disappointed me as she just emancipated Scott right before she turns into monetary rain. In case you haven't been paying attention, I'm liking this so far. The fights are creative and none are the same. Sure the concept of fighting an evil ex seems ludicrous, but hell I heard of crazier reasons for revenge.
The fifth and sixth evil exes are a pair of, and I'm not kidding when I say this: evil twin Japanese Djs that Ramona cheated on at the same time behind their backs. There's not much development on their ends since it was Japanese twins, the male kind...and their DJs to. This fight being a battle of the amps blew me way. Though it doesn't hold a candle to a salaryman who used to be in a band who uses a giant laser powered by a guitar and uses it to fight aliens in a giant spaceship. Using only the purist core of rock! That's what makes the girls shiver. This fight however is so epic that a yeti on the bands side and twin silver dragons from the twins side appear out of nowhere and duke it out. The twins are defeated by Scott's band cranking it up to past 11 which is way beyond the impossible. Guess the yeti is mightier than the twin silver dragons.
Meanwhile Scott goes through that cliched time where hes not at his best as he finds out the 7th evil ex is none other than Gideon, the final 7th evil ex. Gideon isn't evil, nor is he good. What we we don't see is his cryogenically frozen exes powering his lair. Instead hes manipulating Ramona. What a dick!
As soon as Scott mans up to take on Gideon, he to his lair and shows his true colors. Because of that, he gains the flaming sword of love. What he really gains is the Angel's Heart, thought he isn't an angel per se. That's not how it works and Gideon shows his true form and unleashes...a digitana? Now I've heard of turning the Miracle Blade to the Recovery Cutlass (blade sounds better) or the Angel's Heart rescinding back in the sheath to release the hikari no ken, but a sword from the hand movements and thin air is just ridiculous! Scott is taken out by it, poor guy.
Scott is then seen in what I call the DFIL (Desert for Infinite Losers). I call it this cause Canada doesn't like hell. In there Ramona reveals that she is being controlled by Gideon through a microchip on the back of her head. Geez, whoever heard of an ex that is so obsessed with getting back with someone they want to control them again? Scott remembers he received a 1up and uses it to restart the events before he died...which were a few minutes ago.
Before the final battle, one guy in the background says, "the comic book is better than the movie." A movie that lampshaded itself. I like that. Scott finally approaches Gideon and receives the sword of self respect, but it's more of a flametounge. He takes the mooks out with ease. Now I keep mentioning Angel's Heart as it is the sword that comes from within ones heart. It isn't exactly powerful and very flimsy, like an epee. Scott's Sword of Love is that, but his Sword of Self Respect is an upgraded version. He seems better without it and is more than capable of fighting in sync with Knives like they were on Ninja Ninja Revolution.
Gideon once again unleashes his digitana and the final battle resumes. Gideon is defeated with the pair double teaming on Gideon as they unleash a hyper combo finish on him and won the game. Later, Knives appears out of nowhere, pissed as a scorn high school catholic Asian chick would be and fights Ramona. Knives thinks she took Scott away from her, but Scott intervenes and reveals that he cheated on Knives for Ramona. Typical not teenage drama.
Suddenly a new challenger appears! It's Nega Scott. Scott's evil counterpart. That's right. Just like in Ninja Ninja Revolution there was a Nega Ninja, here there's a Nega Scott. So what does Scott do to his evil counterpart that seems so epic?! Why, chum up and go for coffee later. Well Scott is Scott, but lame!
As the movie draws to a close Scott consoles Knives and Ramona that what he did was wrong. Ramona walks into the frigid dark background of Toronto as Knives tells Scott to go to her. And so our movies ends with Scott and Ramona together. Roll credits, good night, winners don't use drugs.
Scott Pilgrim is a special case and the underdog of the summer flicks. It's got heart and shows a deeper side to modern relationships. Sure you may not get it because of the references to games, but if you put down the brown colored glasses that you have put on for some reason thinking you are part of an elite group that snobs at people like Scott Pilgrim or Michael Cera, you'll see that the movie is a very very well put together flick that sticks to you till the end.
Here's how I put it. If you read this far then you won't care for the spoilers: "Hi, I'm Scott Pilgrim and as a gaming slacker loser mcjerkass, I almost lost both my girlfriends. Thanks to cheating." Cory Rouse I am not/eat your heart out.
This movie as of this entry reached 10Th place at the box office. I am upset that this has happened. It doesn't matter if looks like a hipster/anime/game movie comic thing, it's stylish and is balls to the wall fun and more entertaining than any other movie out there. Yes even more entertaining than Expendables (ha! I casted Avalon Shield prior to this so flame away). I'm curious to know what movie beat it out that also beat out the Expendables. What?! Vampires Suck beat out Scott Pilgrim and Expendables?! ARRRGGGHHH!!! *rage quit* You humans are unfuckinbelievable!
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