Scott Pilgrim vs. The World

Last night I took advantage of an opportunity to get into a preview screening of Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. I went into the theater as a Gen-Xer unfamiliar with the graphic novels that serve as the movie's source material and in this post I'll share some observations as a non-fan of the series that might be useful for those trying to decide whether to go see it when it goes into wide release in mid-August.

Michael Cera plays the title character; Scott Pilgrim is a 22-year-old Toronto slacker who gets riddled with grief from his roommate, sister, and bandmates when he starts dating high school student Knives (Ellen Wong). Pilgrim's interest in Knives is barely lukewarm, though, and at first sight during a party he begins pursuing the aloof Ramona (Mary Elizabeth Winstead).

At its core, this is a boy-getting-the-girl flick for Generation Y, with comic book and "augmented reality" gaming visuals splattered all over the frame. I found it all a little tiresome, though, and I was already trying to glance at my watch before the first hour was up. Despite the fast-paced activity seen in the first part of the movie, I still felt as if the plot wasn't appreciably moving forward fast enough. The plot itself is something that could have been lifted from a video game: To win Ramona, Pilgrim must defeat a series of her ex-lovers in fantasy encounters that are conducted as live-action video game duels. And in true video game fashion, there is hardly any backstory shown to explain why the "League of Exes" finds itself so united and motivated in defeating Pilgrim. I can only presume these are items much better explained in the books. Michael Cera does a bang-up job of being, well, Michael Cera -- which left me never completely sold on why we should be rooting for his Pilgrim to reach his desired destination of being with Ramona.

Kieran Culkin delivers many of the funniest moments in the film as the gay roommate who tries to get Pilgrim on the road away from going-nowhereness and eventually towards literally "getting a life." As I watched Wong's portrayal as Knives, I breathed a sigh of relief as she wasn't steered into any embarrassing movie Asian stereotypes. I wouldn't be surprised if Pilgrim turns out to be a film that pulls in lackluster numbers at the box office, but grows legs in the DVD market and eventually picks up a cult following. It's not an in-theater must-see in my eyes, but if your movie house also dabbles in adult beverages, I'd endorse the idea of marinating a viewing of Scott Pilgrim with an adult beverage of your choice as the show begins. It would likely enhance the appreciation of this off-the-wall graphic presentation. By the end, however I couldn't help but draw comparisons to an earlier Cera-getting-the-girl comedy -- Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist -- that I found more enchanting.

My verdict is "wait-for-rental" on this one. It will lose nothing when transferred to the small screen. In fact, the film would probably feel even more at home played on someone's living room XBOX.