I'm in Lesbians with Scott Pilgrim vs The World

So, last night I *finally* (and by finally I mean I had to wait two whole days after it opened) got to see “Scott Pilgrim vs. The World.”  To say that this was the movie I was most looking forward to this year would not be a big overstatement, and I am overjoyed to tell you that I was in no way disappointed by it. Scott Pilgrim is a comic book or video game come to life, and even though I am not a comic book geek or a gamer gal (despite the best efforts of some of my friends and my son) I found it wholly delightful, entertaining, and fresh.

Michael Cera plays the titular character, and though- as with all his movies- he is basically playing Michael Cera, he does add enough depth and originality to his portrayal to make the character likeable and compelling. You want him to get the girl! Mary Elizabeth Winstead’s imbues his lady love, the aptly named Ramona Flowers, with just enough slacker charm and world-weary sadness to allow us to see what he sees in her. Too often in modern romantic movies you’re left wondering, “Why the hell would s/he go through all of this for him/her!?!?” but that is most certainly not the case in Scott Pilgrim. The secondary characters are equally well portrayed.  My particular favorite is Kieran Culkin (now surpassing Macaulay as my favorite Culkin!) as Wallace Wells, Scott’s gossip-monger gay roommate with whom he is forced to share not just living quarters, not just an actual bed, but several awkwardly intimate moments. Other standouts include Brandon Routh (almost unrecognizable in a white-blond wig) as a smug vegan who has his comeuppance and Anna Kendrick as Scott’s supportive but savvier sister. The sweet-faced Ellen Wong does a wonderful job with a thankless role, that of Knives Chau the girl whom Scott throws over for the enchanting Ramona.

But it is the big special effects and small touches that really make Scott Pilgrim an original and completely engaging film.  Sh*t is blown up, fights are had…no, gang, I did not accidentally step into a theater showing “The Expendables!” Scott Pilgrim is also full of action, and definitely should be topping Stallone’s meatfest in the box office (yes, yes; I’m going to see it. I just think Scott Pilgrim is a way more creative, exciting movie and deserves more box office love for its efforts).  It does things no movie before it has done, and – not unlike “Sin City” before it- will definitely be emulated in upcoming movies that spring forth from the comic book world. I don’t want to spoil the surprises and cute little touches that are sprinkled throughout the film, but I will say that you should definitely hit the loo before you go in so that you don’t miss something and then have to walk back in to your friends yukking it up over something they won’t be able to explain to you adequately later. Scott Pilgrim is a movie to be seen, not to be heard (about).

I’ll leave you with one final piece of advice re. seeing this film: don’t hang around after the credits. There’s a cute little videogamesque sequence at the end, but it is definitely not worth doing the potty dance if you actually bothered to listen to me, went before the movie, but then drank the equivalent of the River Nile in Coke during the film. *That* you can have your friends (or, you know,  me) tell you about!

So, since this is my first movie review, I need some sort of star-like rating system, and I’m looking to you, blog-reading pals, to help me out. I was thinking of giving a movie a certain number of “boobs” (it being me and all), but that seems kind of crass and besides- who really wants FIVE boobs!?!?  Cookies? Meows? What about “words,” since so many of you are amused by my use of the affirmation “word” or “word up?”  Hmm…  “I give Scott Pilgrim 4.5 WORDS!” Eh…I don’t know. What do you think?