Though I had first heard of Scott Pilgrim vs. The World long ago, I never had the opportunity to watch it until yesterday. Now, I have no idea what to think. I believe it may be the strangest, most bizarre film I’ve ever watched (maybe excluding Everything Everywhere All At Once). I enjoyed some of it, disliked some of it, and still have no clue how to process some of it. Will I ever watch it again? I don’t know. Will I recommend it to anyone? I don’t know. Did I like it or dislike it as a whole? I also don’t know.
Let’s start off with what I can definitively say I enjoyed about Scott Pilgrim. Firstly, the action was great. It was highly stylized, which may throw some viewers off, but I found it visceral and exciting. Similarly, the vibrant use of colors was extremely appealing. Like a comic book or arcade game, this film really popped off the screen, providing a refreshing contrast from many of the muted, gritty movies of recent times. And finally, the other positive takeaway I had from this film was the great performances throughout. While I am still unsure about how I feel in regard to the personalities and likeability of some characters, it is undeniable that the performances from the entire cast are top-notch. Everyone must’ve seen how out there this movie was going to be, but they still gave it their all. From Michael Cera to Brie Larson to Chris Evans, the cast was infinitely fun to watch.
Currently, I only have one major gripe with Scott Pilgrim, and I still may be inclined to change my mind in the future. While I went into this movie expecting it to be weird and “off-the-walls”, it was strange. I mean, it was really bizarre. I have enjoyed many hyper-stylized movies before, but Scott Pilgrim may have been the most unique film I have ever seen. It just felt much too far removed from any of my preconceived notions to be examined properly, and it really just left me somewhat shellshocked. Again, this is only a negative for now. Once I have more time to think and digest what I saw, I may change my mind.
As I just mentioned, Scott Pilgrim was unlike any other movie I’ve ever watched. So, I really have no idea what to think or say about it at the present moment. I have never been a proponent of “first time reactions” or “first time reviews”, as I believe it takes time more than anything else to decide how one feels about a piece of art, and that could not be closer to the truth than with this film. It was so jarring, so surreal, that I am still uncertain what to feel or think about it. For now, I can say that I enjoyed some aspects and disliked others, and only hope that I gain a more concrete opinion as time goes on.
Russell A. Wells 