Film review: Scott Pilgram vs. The World

Spent the day thinking about this film.

I really liked it – very comic book-y, which I loved, the differences between still drawings and moving pictures are numerous but the film expressed the best of both media.

The film provided a very nice snapshot of life in the here and now – how Gen Xers and Gen X-wannabes see themselves in the world. Lives filled with music, information, totally technological connectedness, intertwining subconscious, magic and myth.

As hip as the dialogue, fight sequences and music is, the story is universe – we all understand having to get past our current lover’s past lovers to form a real, meaningful relationship here and now.

Yes, I loved the fight sequences, the cultural references, the extremely funny and clever dialogue, but at its heart it was the simplest story – boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy wins girl back. A simple story with excellent storytelling.

The dialogue was clever, at turns biting, witty, tender and confusing always with natural rhythms. Loved the actors and how they were by turns understated and incredibly ham-n-chessey.

I read a few reviews of this movies before going to see – one of the interesting things I found was, yet again, parents thinking that if it based on a comic book, then it means it is for children. Especially if the rating is PG. This isn’t a film for children. At all. It isn’t graphic, no nudity, very little swearing, it is a good, clean kind of fun, but if the characters are 20-somethings, you can bet that they are being adults and showing an interest and making allusions to sex. They are either having it or trying to have it. If you have had that talk with your kids then, sure great movie and enjoy as family – if not, then do your kids a favour and take them to see something else.

Just because it is based on a comic book doesn’t mean it is for kids. These aren’t the comic books you think you remember.

My favourite things about this movie was that it is set in my home town – the original comic book is too and it is a thrill to see familiar sights and sounds and know that yes, this is life here.

Loved all the Canadiana too – the CBC exploding pizza t, the SARS shirt – oh, yes, this is a story perfectly set in the True North.

Bravo to the writer of the original book. Bravo to the creative team that brought this to the screen.

Extremely enjoyable.