An effects-laden action comedy for indie kids, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World hurtles along faster than the speed of critical thought. That’s probably for the best. The skeletal plot follows the title character (Michael Cera) as he navigates a gauntlet of video game-inspired battles against the former loves of his new alterna-girlfriend (Mary Elizabeth Winstead). But narrative is beside the point here. What matters is director Edgar Wright’s zealous transference of the Pilgrim graphic novel’s aesthetics to the screen, complete with rich colour palettes, bam-pow graphics and arcade sound effects. Counterbalancing the sensory overload is the ever-geeky Cera and a supporting cast that, despite its unassailable indie cred—Kieran Culkin, Aubrey Plaza and Jason Schwartzman all play key roles—keeps the film from drowning in its own ironic hipness.

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Pilgrim and a Plumtree

Real life is rarely as romantic as the movies. But sometimes a small joke between friends turns into a great song title. Plumtree’s Carla Gillis recalls the birth of “Scott Pilgrim,” the song that inspired the character.

Graphic nature

Well before Michael Cera put on a Plumtree t-shirt, Bryan Lee O’Malley’s Scott Pilgrim series became cultishly popular with comic fans. We dissect the elements of a successful graphic novel.

This article appears in Aug 12-18, 2010.

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