SCOTT PILGRIM VS THE WORLD (2010)

Let's kick this off by saying that I was looking forward to seeing this film. Really looking forward to it. Properly excited. Edgar Wright going over the pond to direct a film with a hefty budget (on the back of the huge success and critical acclaim of Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz). Based on a comic book (or is it graphic novel these days). Brandon Routh, Chris Evans and Jason Schwartzman as evil ex-boyfriend's dueling the always likeable Michael Cera. All the ingredients were there for a true cult classic.



I don't think I've ever been so tickled by a trailer. It built a great wall of anticipation in me with the familiar faces, the over the top colours, the clever Edgar Wright visual touches, a great computer game reference when two fighters line up to one another. It's almost as if someone had undertaken a market research study on one of my day dreams and decided to put it on the big screen.

So, I was excited. So excited that I decided to make this a special cinema trip. Not to the usual haunts, not even to the plush Electric Cinema. But to the Film Club at the Soho Hotel. 'Oooooh, posh' I hear you say.

The film tells the story of Scott Pilgrim of Toronto. Geek. He's in a band who yearn for the big time but are going nowhere and is dating a High School girl and is getting plenty of stick for it. Then he meets the girl of his dreams (Ramona) and falls for her in a big way. But, and there's always a but, if the two of them are to be together then Scott must fight, and defeat, all 7 of Ramona's evil exes.

It begins with some wonderfully playful banter between Scott and his friends, really steeped in the current geek phenomena. There is also a lovely scene where Scott and his high school girl are on a dance arcade machine while casually chit-chatting. These are the moments where the film gets a sensibility really reminding me of Juno and the touching scenes in Zombieland. I could have watched an entire film of these scenes without getting bored.

Then it goes mental.

And if anyone can direct mental it's Edgar Wright. He really is a modern auteur and this is definitely an Edgar Wright film. He revels in the comic book world that he creates here, seemingly delighted that he doesn't have to be held back by the constraint of reality. His favourite trick is sound effects being shown visually with onomatopoeic words on screen in true comic style. Think the old Batman (Pow!). The fights themselves are done with real style and have a very physical feel to them, not like the floaty gravity defying rucks in the Spiderman films. They are also made to look like pixelated videogames of yesteryear (the Universal logo at the start of the film is even pixelated). The coin collecting of Super Mario gets referenced heavily too.

So, at the end of the first fight, I'm thinking 'this is great'. More, more, more. Which is exactly what we get - more of the same. And thats the problem with the film. It's obviously heavily influenced by video games and its worth noting that when playing old videogames (Pac-Man, Frogger, Space Invaders) and you complete a level, you go on to the next level which is almost exactly the same. It might be quicker, more enemies, different layout but it is essentially the same. Scott Pilgrim suffers from the same issue.

Despite all of the exes being unique in their own way, all trying to steal the show (Brandon Routh gets a special mention as Vegan ex number 3) the fights all feel the same, and you never really think that Scott isn't going to be victorious, the question is how he's going to win and when Keiran Culkin is going to pop up with the next funny line (he is brilliant and almost worth the entrance fee alone). Fight, couple of nice scenes, joke, fight, couple of nice scenes, joke, fight. And repeat.

It's not a long film, a couple of hours at the most, but it felt long. I must confess that I found myself wondering how many exes had been defeated and how many were left. Not a good sign. And I got bored of the onomatopoeia's....give it a rest. And then come the end of the film I didn't actually care whether Scott got the girl....I had been battered to the point of indifference.

Having said that, I enjoyed it. I loved the visual elements, I loved the comedy, I loved the references to everything that I love and have loved - who says you can't make a good film from a video game? It's everything Mortal Kombat should have been. But there was just too much of it.

Shaun of the Dead was based on a two minute segment of an episode of the classic sitcom Spaced. Scott Pilgrim vs The World felt like it should have been an episode of Spaced and no longer than that.

I'd like to mention the Film Club at the Firmdale Hotels because they really are a lovely night or afternoon out and a great way to watch a film. For £35 you get a 3 course meal or afternoon tea and champagne as well as entrance to see the film in one of their stylish and well decked out screening rooms. And they give you popcorn. Sweet or Salted It's a good deal and a nice way to treat someone to a trip to the flicks instead of the usual hike to the filthy SIN-e-world (see what I've done there) When you start ordering booze is when it gets a bit expensive though..... http://www.firmdale.com/index.php?page_id=20