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Monday, 30 August 2010

Scott Pilgrim VS The World Review (1/5)

Well, I couldn't have called this one. Scott Pilgrim VS The World's ad campaign has trumped most of the other summer blockbusters' out right now, promoting a comedy with action, light romance and gaming references galore. Why is it, then, that despite all of these elements being present, this film simply doesn't hit any of the right notes? At least when The Expendables finally kicked into action, the pay-off came close to being worth it thanks to gratuitous blood and dismemberment- here, Scott's video-game inspired antics against his new girlfriend's seven evil ex's (don't call them ex boyfriends whatever you do) leave so much to be desired, only sporting some decent CGI but otherwise useless animation, sound effects and overall believability. And while I'm sure the writer would argue that's all part of the flick's attempt to mimick gaming classics such as Final Fantasy and Guitar Hero (yep- really.), and yes hardcore fanatics will revel in the noises picked from games of old, there simply wasn't enough film on offer here to justify a release in cinemas, and when movie-esque moments did occur, they were hideously over-dramatic and underplayed. But what really pulls Scott Pilgrim VS The World down is its incredible length: never have 2 hours passed more slowly than they did here, where the build-up to each ex turned out to be better than the battle, where the script continuously used comic panels to remind fans of the film's heritage, and where slapstick fights became repetitive to the point of irritance. Oh, and did you think after playing the irksome, bumbling twit in Juno and Superbad that Michael Cera might redeem himself here with someone more likeable? Think again.

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