Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World Plays Like a Video Game

Besides doing fun domestic partner stuff like arguing about why dirty socks don’t go on the couch and whose last name will come first in their hyphenated union, Phoenix New Times staff writer Niki D’Andrea and her girlfriend, Esther Groves, like to occasionally get out of the house for “dates.”

Last week, for the first time, they went to a preview screening of a new movie, the comedy Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World (Universal Pictures). After watching garage rocker Pilgrim (played by Michael Cera) battle “seven evil exes” for the affection of Ramona Flowers, they had much to discuss on the ride home (read the full review and watch the movie trailer after the jump).

Niki: To me, the movie was total geek chic. Geeks will totally love it and probably watch it a bunch of times and quote lines from the movie.
Esther: I really dug all the video game references, and the coin showers, and all the silliness. I liked all the geek chic shirts Scott Pilgrim was wearing — “Sars,” Astro Boy, Fantastic Four. And he had an X-Men patch on his jacket.
Niki: That’s because you’re a geek. I didn’t know what half those shirts were. I liked all the onomatopoeia going on — all the “Kapows!” and “Thunks!” and “Bams!” I also like any excuse to use the word “onomatopoeia.”

Esther: That’s because you’re an English dork.
Niki: Yeah, but Scott Pilgrim was a total dork, too. Michael Cera’s really good at playing the awkward dude. I liked when he told Ramona that he was “in lesbians” with her. That’s a perfect illustration of just how awkward this dude is.
Esther: Honestly, my favorite part was when that goth chick showed up. What was her name?
Niki: Roxy. She was evil ex number four or something. She called Ramona a “hasbian.”
Esther: I really enjoyed the fight scenes with Roxy and Ramona. They made me think of the video game Soul Caliber.
Niki: Since I’m not a video game geek, I totally missed that reference. But did you notice Ramona’s beaver shot in that scene? When she was flying upside-down and the camera was filming in slow motion.
Esther: It was like a reverse upskirt. It was a downskirt.
Niki: Honestly, I was kind of miffed that they had a chubby actress play the lesbian ex. Like, why does the lesbian have to be chubby?
Esther: Hey! I thought she was kind of cute because she was chubby.
Niki: You know what I think? I think Ramona would never date a chick that was hotter than her — hence, Roxy. But my favorite of the exes was probably the first one, Matthew Patel. He did the whole Michael Jackson routine with the flames shooting from his fingers.
Esther: With a touch of Bollywood. That was pretty darn hilarious.
Niki: To me, the way that movie was shot — all the strange camera angles, all these different pop culture references, like the Seinfeld theme — it was so choppy and surreal, it was like the Natural Born Killers of comedy.
Esther: I don’t think I quite agree with you there. I’d say it was more like a cheesy independent comic book. But it is a good movie for short attention spans.

Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World opens in theaters nationwide Friday, August 13.