the_andy

I like both the movie and the comics. The end.

Just kidding, there's more.

Also, this is going to be kind of random, because it's hot out and I have too many thoughts and I haven't written this much in a long time.

The Comics

To start with, I am pretty much the target market for Scott Pilgrim. I'm the same age as Bryan Lee O'Malley and 90's era video games are the syllabus for who I am. I think I described the fights in Scott Pilgrim to

raanve as what my friends and I always wished out college experience was like: random game/anime brawls over imagined schoolyard slights (and the occasional song and dance number in the science building).

Having said that, I am really glad I didn't start reading until volume 4 was out and I could plow through the first couple in one go, trusting the many recommendations I'd seen for them. Scott's world is amusing, but he's really quite unlikable to start with. He cheats on Knives for half of vol 1, not breaking up until volume 2 (and that page of him on the bus being sad about the pain he caused until he thinks about Ramona just makes me want to punch him in his smug fucking face).

By vols 3 & 4 though it's pretty clear that yes, seeing Scott as an ass is the correct interpretation and that the story is partially about him changing. In the larger scope it's about everyone changing and moving and Scott's inability to deal with that. It's also about Scott's refusal to accept pain, particularly the pain he causes, and how he intentionally forgets/rewrites his past. Ramona is similar in that she's constantly running away from her previous relationships.

It was interesting when rereading to see how obvious it is (if you're paying attention) that Scott's memory is highly selective. Vol 6 hammers it home of course, but compare Kim's story in the middle of Vol 3 about how they started dating with Scott's flashback at the beginning of Vol 2. There's also Scott's continual protestations that he doesn't drink, though several people talk about parties where he's been drunk and he gets smashed in vol 5 (with some gin and beer in earlier volumes).

If the series hits it's stride in Vol 3 & 4, then 5 is there it screw it up. I can see why some people don't like it, but the messier (and more real) relationships set the stage for the final volume. Maybe if all 6 were written at once the flow of fighting/snark/relationships would be more balanced, but for a serial work it seems inevitable that there will be uneven spots.

Do you remember how you, like, cheated on me and stuff? Kind of a crummy boyfriend, in retrospect?

Vol 6 is only average for me, but starts off strong. Scott coming to terms with his past relationships is one of the best parts, but I think the Gideon fight goes on too long, and trying to wrap in the head glowy stuff/subspace makes it more complex than it needs to be. I'm also torn as to whether or not Scott and Ramona together is better than then them growing as people, but still splitting at the end. It's a heartwarming ending, but I think the more bittersweet/realistic parting might have been the correct choice.

Knives gets a raw deal for most of the series and it really bugs me. Possibly too much to get into, so I'll leave it at that for now.

Movie
“Scott Pilgrim vs. the World” is rated PG-13 (Parents strongly cautioned). Violent like a video game, sexy like a pop song on the radio. - NYTimes

Since I've only seen the movie once and have a shitty memory unless I experience something multiple times this is just some impressions. Maybe a larger write up if I see it again or after it's on DVD. Also, I'm sure raanve will have more to say when she write about it.

Overall I think the movie did an excellent job adapting the comics. Sure it sucks to have a lot of backstory dropped, but the core is there. Also, I was impressed how many lines were salvaged and reworked into the script at different places.

Things that worked better:
Scotts break-up dialog with Knives worked better for me in the film. In the comic it just sounded offensive (“are you even allowed to date outside your race?”), but Cera comes across as obliviously flailing about for a way to get out of the relationship without having to deal with the pain and fallout of ending it. It feels more like stupid falling into offensive rather than meaning to be. That doesn't excuse it (Scott's still an ass), but for me anyway it puts him in a more understandable/forgivable category of ass.

I liked how the back and forth lyrics of the Matthew Patel fight (which evoked Space Channel 5 in the comic) were reworked and all given to Patel for a slightly Bollywood number. I was a little disappointed they didn't extend that scene, because a longer song/fight could have worked really well in film.

Actually licensing video game sounds and music was an excellent choice. Opening with the Link to the Past theme made me giddy.

I will finance a Wallace spin off movie/TV show with Kieran Culkin. Seriously though, the casting was amazingly spot on. Cera isn't always smug enough for Scott (for that they would have needed to cast me), but he comes close enough when he needs to (“I always knew I personally rocked”).

The extra life bit was excellent. Overall the end fight was good, and I liked most of the changes. Ramona has less to do, but it serves as Scott and Knives reconciliation, which works for me. Possibly because I like Knives best.

The bad:
I know they were supposed to be bad, but the one liners in the fights were still too painful and I wouldn't have minded in the least if they were dropped. Bi-furious, I'm lookin at you.

I wish the twins had a bigger part. Everyone else gets some lines, they're just sort of there.

Even though it follows the comic, I don't buy Scott and Ramona's first date/make out in the movie. Just too little connection in those first scenes.

Cera doesn't sell the bus scene I mention earlier. To me this is supposed to the real point where we realize “yup, he's a total asshole”.

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Assorted references I used to remind me of things/fill in background (that's right, I got me a bibliography up on this thing)

Interview with Bryan Lee O'Malley: http://www.comicsalliance.com/2010/07/20/scott-pilgrims-finest-hour-bryan-lee-omalley/

Full series review at Newsarama: http://www.newsarama.com/comics/best-shots-megareview-scott-pilgrim-100730.html

Bryan Lee O'Malley and Michael Bacall interview: http://www.wastedtalents.com/scottpilgrimtranscript.html