Quick, what is the first comic book movie starring Chris Evans and Brie Larson? If you pick one of the Marvel movies, you’re mistaken–they both appear in this film based on a comic book series. I’d hoped that that would have come up on a trivia night the night after we watched this film, but it did not–2004 films fall into the dead zone of trivia these days. I might have a post for a later time about trivia nights in the 2020s, but that’s for another time.
In this film, Scott Pilgrim, a nebbish in Toronto, lives in a garage apartment with a gay roommate who is actually paying for everything. Scott is the bassist in a band called Sex Bob-omb. He’s 22, but he’s dating a girl in high school. And then he sees Ramona, the, well, not manic pixie girlfriend archetype but something simliar–the girl with the colored hair with a mysterious past and a jaded attitude. I mean, this was an archetype even when I was going to college a decade before the comic book appeared. To date her, he must defeat her seven evil exes he discovers. They include a Vegan bassist in the band fronted by Scott’s successful pop star ex, a professional-skateboarder-turned-actor, twin Japanese DJs, and a half-Ninja woman amongst others.
The film has a great look-and-feel that combines elements of film, video games, and comic books to great effect. The first time I watched it, it took me a couple of sittings to get through the movie, but I bought the soundtrack and have listened to it since. This time, I watched it with my oldest son, and we both enjoyed it.
And what’s not to enjoy with a cast like this?
Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Ramona
Ellen Wong as Knives Chau
Mae Whitman as Roxy
Brie Larson as Envy Adams
Anna Kendrick as Stacey Pilgrim
Allison Pill as Kim
Aubrey Plaza as Julie
As a former nebbish myself, that is a nebbish wish fulfillment set of girls Scott Pilgrim has dated.
