Scott Pilgrim vs the World

Shaun of the Dead director Edgar Wright makes his Hollywood feature debut with this wacky tale of youth angst based on a series of graphic novels. It plays like a surreal video game, as slacker Scott (Michael Cera, doing his bumbling hero routine) does battle with the seven evil exes of new-girl-in-town Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) in order to win her heart. It's a high-gloss, high-impact approach to the otherwise humdrum reality of being an aspiring rock star in love. The visuals are wildly inventive and there's no doubting Wright's flair for comedy as he uses dramatic anime-style whip-pans and close-ups to heighten Scott's emotions. However, the series of showdowns eventually becomes repetitive, so there is no building sense of peril. Similarly, the fast-cutting doesn't allow the romance to flourish, although Cera and Winstead both have a quiet charm that helps them rise above the surrounding chaos. It's loud and brash, but strangely endearing.