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Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World (DVD)

by Cara Nash | January 11, 2011 11:45 | Edited January 11, 2011 12:05

"As with other Edgar Wright DVDs, the abundance of special features here will be an absolute joy for fans."

Having forged a career mashing genres and bending conventions, Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World may be the finest example of director Edgar Wright's hybrid-infused work to date, which has included Shaun Of The Dead and Hot Fuzz.

 

Adapted from Bryan Lee O'Malley's graphic novels, the film charts the adventures of Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera), an unemployed 23-year-old who plays bass guitar in the garage band Sex Bob-omb and is dating a high school girl named Knives (Ellen Wong). Everything changes when he falls for the effortlessly cool Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), but their budding romance is complicated by the fact that Scott must defeat her Seven Evil Exes, all of whom show up at random to do battle with him.

 

Wright's aesthetics provide a joyful shock to the audience's senses, displaying a dizzying barrage of sounds and visuals that prove as jolting as the wonderfully shambolic garage rock that Scott's band plays. The series of hilarious conflicts - which see Scott take on a power-vegan bassist (Brandon Routh) and a smarmy music producer (Jason Schwartzman), amongst others - are staged like arcade games, complete with high-flying movements, split screens and flashing scores. Integrated throughout the film, these artistic flourishes pay homage to the material's video game and comic book roots, and a tech-savvy generation honed on pop culture.

 

As the called-to-be-capable teen, Michael Cera's brand of non-cloying naivety works well, and the rest of the ensemble cast - particularly Kieran Culkin as Scott's all-knowing gay roommate - are excellent. An ambitious achievement, Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World manages to feel meticulous, rambunctious and heartfelt, all at the same time.

 

As with other Edgar Wright DVDs, the abundance of special features here will be an absolute joy for fans. In one of two audio commentaries that Wright partakes in, the enthusiastic director says, "We got super OCD about getting the details right." In hearing the thought which went into every detail - from the song selection to the logos on Scott's t-shirts - one can appreciate what an impressive accomplishment this is.

 

Perhaps the highlight of the special features is the generous handful of deleted scenes, including an alternate ending which sees Ramona disappear and Scott reunite with Knives, closing the film on a bittersweet but slightly more poignant note.