Scott Pilgrim v. the World

For about thirty minutes, Scott Pilgrim v. the World (Edgar Wright 2010) seems the best popular entertainment picture in the world. But the thrill is short-lived and the film implodes into aggressive and noisy stupidity. Scott Pilgrim is twenty-ish dweeb played by Michael Cera. He falls in love with the exotic and beautiful Ramona Flowers (played with the panache of a young Louise Brooks by Mary Ellen Winstead). Unfortunately, Ramona has seven “evil ex’s” – meaning seven evil ex-boyfriends. Cera’s character has to fight and defeat all of them. Apparently, the plot derives from a graphic novel and, I am told, follows the storyline and even the storyboards of that comic book literally – this explains, the kinetic and startling graphics, the unusual but expressive camera angles and the frequent interpolation of text like “Wham!” and “Pow!” in the frame. Many sequences are shot like Pokemon anime – split frame images of heros and villains charging indomitably charging one another. For awhile the film is brash witty fun, the characters seem well-observed, and the action is effectively staged. But you expect something more: what do the evil ex-boyfriends embody? They could represent different aspects of failed machismo, the seven deadly sins, various political or philosophical ideologies – in other words, the concept is pregnant with possibilities. But, as it turns out, they don’t represent anything and, as they grow increasingly huge and violent, the movie turns into nothing but one big Kung Fu battle after another – the combat is fairly well-staged but so ludicrous that nothing is at stake. Kids love this picture. I watched it with my daughter twice and, I think, she may be watching it again as I right. But the movie’s a big disappointment.