Scott Pilgrim vs The World
Rating: 9/10
Cast: Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Brandon Routh, Jason Schwartzman, Kieran Culkin, Anna Kendrick
Director: Edgar Wright
I've always believed (and secretly hoped) that the Geek would inherit the Earth.
And man, after this I'm not disappointed or giving up on that hope at all.
Based on the comic book series of the same name, Michael Cera stars as Scott Pilgrim, a slightly loserish 22-year-old who's directionless and a bit aimless and devastated after splitting from (read: dumped by) his girlfriend a year ago.
So when he meets Ramona Flowers, a hipster girl (Winstead), he's desperate to win her heart.
However, what Scott doesn't realise is that this girl comes with some serious baggage - seven exes who will kill Scott rather than let him steal her heart.
Throw into that mix the fact Scott's band Sex Bob-omb are competing for a contract and the boy's certainly got a lot to deal with.
The tone is set right at the beginning of this film with the Universal logo being given an 80s style gaming makeover, Scott Pilgrim wears its geek openly and proudly on its sleeve.
Cera is pitch perfect as the main character with his deadpanning delivery and timing, he's instantly engaging and incredibly amusing (although some may argue he's not stretching his career by playing a variant of every other role he's ever done) and will win you over, not just with the impressive fight scenes (you would really never peg him as an action hero).
All of the cast are great in this - Winstead brings warmth to her role as Flowers and Routh, Schwartzmann and Chris Evans really deliver as part of the evil ex brigade. But it's the initial Bollywood style fight of Satya Bhabha's Matthew Patel which is just genius. Credit also needs to go to Kieran Culkin as Pilgrim's wiseass room mate.
Eschewing pop culture references left right and centre, this comic book gaming crossover is a real treat from Edgar Wright (the genius who was part of the Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz UK comedies). It's hard to describe exactly how it takes the worlds of both the comics and 80s style fight games and brings them to life.
But with pop up style subtitles cropping up on screen, laugh out loud funny moments, Batman style fight scenes (Thwok and Kroww spring up during the scraps and you almost expect a Kazam and Adam West to show up) and frenetic cutting back and forth, it really is like a comic book has been brought vividly to life on the big screen.
Oh and the moment the Vegan police show up is just brilliant.
Once again, Edgar Wright's demonstrated why he's one of the coolest, most inventive and visionary directors in the business - the energy which is liberally sprinkled all over this film stops it ever hitting a lull.
Scott Pilgrim is effortlessly cool and endlessly entertaining - go, get your geek on.
Watch the trailer for Scott Pilgrim vs The World here
