Hollow loser

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
12A, Nationwide

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World has a running time of 113 hateful minutes — actually, make that 112 hateful minutes; the first minute was fine, and not too loud — but, in its defence, it probably wasn’t made for someone as hopelessly middle-aged and frighteningly not with-it as me. (I’ve even started saying ‘Ooh, that so hits the spot’ when I take a first sip of tea.) It’s based on the graphic novel by Bryan Lee O’Malley, should that mean anything to you, and is a frantic, frenetic mash-up of comic-book iconography, video games, music videos and, I’m guessing, whatever else young people are into today but I just didn’t get. I do not know if this film failed me or I failed it. I can only say it gave me a headache, and then a second headache, on top of the first, and if there is one thing you don’t need when you reach my age it’s a double headache.

It’s directed and co-written by Edgar Wright, who also directed the deservedly well-liked comedies Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, but, here, there is no Britain to satirise as the action has been moved to Toronto. This is a loss. It stars Michael Cera as our hero Scott, a successful young attorney who is socially confident, a total dish and a big hit with the ladies. I’m toying with you. Michael Cera’s Scott is a dorky loser in an anorak because dorky losers in anoraks are what Michael Cera does, and will probably do until the end of time itself, God bless him. Scott is 22, jobless, plays bass in a bad garage band and is in pursuit of the girl of his dreams.