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Based on the graphic novels by Bryan Lee O'Malley, "Scott Pilgrim vs. The World" is an insanely fun mishmash of pop culture, romance, action and...whatever it is that they do in Canada. The film is directed by "Shaun of the Dead" director Edgar Wright and stars professional sad-sack Michael Cera in the titular role. Having made a career out of playing the navel-gazer next door, Cera's a perfect choice to fill Pilgrim's Adidas.

 

Scott's a 20-something, unemployed musician living in Toronto. Recently on the mend from a bad breakup, he spends his time playing bass (a cherry red Rickenbacker) with his garage band, Sex Bob-omb and "dating" 17-year old high school student, Knives Chau (Ellen Wong). Scott takes a lot of ribbing from his friends, his sister (Anna Kendrick) and his roommate, Wallace (Kieran Culkin), but his relationship with Knives consists of little more than holding hands.

 

Things take a turn when he meets American delivery girl Ramona Flowers, (literally) the girl of his dreams. Despite repeated warnings that's she's way out of his league and is still stuck on a guy named Gideon, Scott makes chase. With technicolor hair and a New York attitude, Ramona (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) is as bad-ass as Scott is awkward, yet the two spark an unlikely romance. But before things can get going, Scott discovers Ramona does not come without some serious baggage. Soon, he's confronted by the first member of the "League of Ramona's Evil Exes," whom he must fight and defeat before he can date Ramona: her schoolyard crush (Satya Bhabha), an action movie star (Chris Evans), the hunky bass player in Scott's ex-girlfriend's band (Brandon Routh), a girl from her "experimental period" (Mae Whitman) and Japanese DJing twins (Kyle and Ken Katayangi). Between battling Ramona's tragic romantic past, he tries to evade Knives while trying not to wreck his band's shot at stardom.

 

Those familiar with the graphic novels will find the casting nearly pitch-perfect. Winstead makes for a charmingly dour Ramona, while zingers from Hendrick, Culkin, Alison Pill (as Sex Bob-omb's drummer, Kim Pine) and Aubrey Plaza ("Parks and Recreation") keep the laughs coming. Those tired of Cera's hangdog routine might be surprised how he's able to stretch his legs a bit with some Mortal Kombat (or maybe Power Rangers is a better comparison)-style action. Now that he's portrayed the Superman of Generation WTF, it'll will be interesting to see what he'll do next.

 

Taking cues from martial arts movies, video games, manga, fantasy and action movies, "Scott Pilgrim vs. The World" offers a dizzying array of action, wry humor and seizure-inducing animated effects. Director Wright and writer Michael Bacall cleverly condense six graphic novels into one fabulously candy-colored, ear-blasting package of pop culture fantasy. At once hipper-than-thou, nerdily goofy and surprisingly sweet, the film is tailor-made for catch-phrases and pause buttons. The references fly so fast and furious you may need to duck. Wright packs a ton into 112 minutes, and just when you think you've had enough, along comes a bonus round to keep fanboys (and fangirls) along for the ride. While the film relies heavily on visual gimmicks and a painfully cool soundtrack, it's also a rather clever analogy to relationships. To move forward, we need to vanquish the villains of our romantic past and to reconcile the damage we do to others. But not to worry — before the film ever gets close to a hugging and learning moment, there's a roundhouse kick to the face just around the corner.