Over the weekend, the full trailer for Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World was posted online to relatively positive reception. The main criticism, as with almost all Michael Cera-related content, was that he was once again playing the role of awkward-yet-lovable teenage protagonist. And although it may be frustrating to see a young actor make so much money off of one trick, we must admit that we we’re not ready to quit him quite yet. Here’s why.
1. All cast members of Arrested Development have earned a lifetime pass.
This is simply an undeniable truth. No elaboration needed.
2. He has only been in one really bad movie.
Although this is debatable, in our opinion Cera has only been in one true stinker, Year One. Funny enough, this comedy was also his biggest departure from the interchangeable lovesick alterna-teens that he usually plays — at least costume-wise. Perhaps there’s a good reason to stick to the Michael Cera Movie formula.
3. He has written for McSweeney’s and contributed to Wholphin.
We recommend you check out his short story in McSweeney’s Issue 30, “Pinecone.” It was way better than James Franco’s short story in Esquire. And while we haven’t seen the full version of the “surreal dating short” he stars in from Wholphin No. 6, we do love the story of how director Matthew Lessner convinced him to take the part: “I recruited my friend Max, who’s infinitely more charming than I am, and he called up the agent and convinced him to take this unsolicited student script and forward it on to Michael at the set of Arrested Development. It (the script) was actually hidden in the lining of this multicolored jacket that I had had custom made for Michael; luckily, he found it, cut it out, read it, and much to our surprise, liked it and agreed to do it.”
4. Jesse Eisenberg is still considered cool.
Jesse Eisenberg is for people who want Michael Cera without it actually being “Michael Cera.” For years, people found the lanky, awkward actors almost identical — in fact, after catching his performance in Adventureland, we referred to Eisenberg as the poor man’s Michael Cera. But now, with two new films in theaters (Solitary Man and Holy Rollers), it looks like Eisenberg is winning the popularity contest. It just doesn’t seem fair.
5. We should be able to enjoy Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World without shame.
Admit it: This movie looks like a lot fun. It’s brought to you by Edgar Wright, the director of Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead, which is a really good sign. And as Vulture pointed out, it appears to be staying true to Bryan Lee O’Malley’s original comics without getting too caught up in the details.