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Author Topic: Scott Pilgrim movie/comic review.  (Read 268 times)

Lumaria

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Scott Pilgrim movie/comic review.
« on: February 28, 2016, 06:26:15 am »
I have a love/hate relationship when it comes to Scott Pilgrim. It has great ideas but it gets lost in the way. I'm going to review it in hopes of figuring out what exactly is wrong with the series.

Comic Review
And nothing says it better than Scott Pilgrim comic series/film. Scott Pilgrim follows the titular character who is 23 and is dealing with a break up over a year ago. To recover he dates a 17 year old high schooler Knives Chau but only to quickly meet the girl literally of his dreams Ramona flowers. During the entire comic, it talks about Scott's livelihood within his band, while dating Ramona (and cheated on Knives briefly until the break up). And soon after beginning to date her he finds out Ramona has seven evil exes. 

One of the key moments in the story that tries to tie Ramona and Scotty together is that Scott first meets her in his dreams and sees that she's real. But during a second dream realizes that he's dreaming when he meets her. When they begin to speak in the real world she admits that she uses "subspace" to travel and his brain happens to intersect the fastest routes. (This is important for later).

The comic at first started very poetic and whimsicle. Had enough time to get a good idea about the characters and the pacing of the story.  When I read it in black and white, it had a Retro rocker feel. However in the color edition, things feel more dulled down. It still gives off similar mood but loses some of the impact. The biggest problem I have with the comic is how the story makes huge shifts in pacing and tone the moment one the evil exes. Things get ridiculous, characters don't question the insaneness and even become part of it. In the Scott Pilgrim world anything can happen and be accepted as fact.

Things like Ramona and one of the evil exes were once coeds and are considered ninjas, but the only thing they both share is they Rollerblade and wield weapons.

But I'm sure most people knew that coming. The problem is that it doesn't always work or fit well. For example: the seven evil exes don't progress the same fashion. We start off with #1 being the most absurd with each ex being just slightly odd.

The story still tries to be serious and it slowly starts to act like a coming of age. The problem is the characters never really grow up. Scott acts childish, throws trantums and very rarely he says something smart. Ramona at first acts too cool for him  but gets jealous over the smallest of things. There are a few characters I really like. Such as Wallace. His dialogue feels the most consistent. Everyone else sounds roughly the same. And of course the problem is naming a character "Knives" as if it was normal. Not one person questioned the oddity of her name. Everyone accepts it. Additionally, birth dates heights and other personal info of these characters mentioned within the story fluctuates. Which is annoying.

One of the biggest gripes I have with Scott Pilgrim is the infamous "glow" scenes. In  both black/white and color, Ramona would have a glow around her head and the reader would not know why. It was also to suggest that she had it only when she was mad. In the final volume it is revealed that the glow is a product of the final evil ex. The glow is basically something that makes people hate others through insecurities. Or what I can gather. The comic does a horrible job of explaining it and it's barely noticeable. This is where the series drops it completely. It doesn't even recap all the events Ramona had the glow on her head to give some readability.

Film differences
The comic spans over roughly a year while the film condenses it to about a few weeks give or take.

The movie quickly cuts out the extra dream scenes and uses only one (the first dream encounter). I would argue the film didn't give it justice but then again, neither did the comic since it's only one dream less. The film does a better job of showing immediate attraction.

The movie adds an ongoing plot such as battle of the bands in order to get a record deal. Something a little more grounded to help the story move along without focus.  The seven evil exes are actually a lot cheesier but also amusing to watch and read. But after the fourth one, they just didn't bother making them personal anymore.

The ending is completely different from the comic but once again they don't learn or change. I liked however that the film tried to cover up some of the hang uuos Such as Ramona not being able in battles with the exes  even though she's capable due to it being a battle for Scott.

Important characters are missing because it had to be condensed. But overall it was more enjoyable than the comic.

Overview
The comic was based on Brian Lee O'Malleys life with the intention of making it more exciting and fun. He refers to shonen manga as his inspiration  and other events in his life, one of which was finding out his ex wife had a number of exes before.

Brian Lee O'Malley's work was always seemed odd or just something missing. I've read his shorts and they are interesting and unique. But they work well as shorts rather than long series. Scott Pilgrim's beginning feels like a good ongoing series. But the fatal flaw to his writing was constantly changing it up rather than trying to build on something consistent based on what he already introduced in the first volume. The final volume tries to go back to it but after so much randomness it didn't feel the same.

I noticed he also added and turned characters gay just for the heck of it. It pissed me off.


His entire writing process for Scott Pilgrim felt childish. I definitely think he's not suited for ongoing series as he will only randomize it.

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Crackhead Johny

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Re: Scott Pilgrim movie/comic review.
« Reply #1 on: February 29, 2016, 06:07:13 pm »
It took more than 6 tried to watch the movie. Finally after a liter+ of vodka I managed to suffer through it.

The problem I had simply put, was Michael Cera. It seemed to me hit hit the "I will kill myself if I play another hopeless loser", Like Anthony Michael Hall did after Weird Science, Vacation, Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles, etc.
So then someone who perfectly plays a hopeless loser went on to play Johny B Goode (foot ball superstar), A bully in Edward Scissor Hands, and that may have been it until they quite miscasting him and he vanished until he aged enough to not be a hopeless loser.
Michael Cera can play nothing but the loser. Anything else is a horrific miscasting. So Cool musician/martial artist was about as far wrong as you could go.  The one advantage was you spent so much time wanting to stab out your eyes and ear drums whenever he was on the screen that any faults with the movie were easily missed.
Cera needs to accept Cera and never make this mistake again... Or he live at the gym and can become Carrot Top... ewww.

I have heard the comic is really good but after the movie, I can't go near it.

Lumaria

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Re: Scott Pilgrim movie/comic review.
« Reply #2 on: March 01, 2016, 01:19:57 am »
It took more than 6 tried to watch the movie. Finally after a liter+ of vodka I managed to suffer through it.

The problem I had simply put, was Michael Cera. It seemed to me hit hit the "I will kill myself if I play another hopeless loser", Like Anthony Michael Hall did after Weird Science, Vacation, Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles, etc.
So then someone who perfectly plays a hopeless loser went on to play Johny B Goode (foot ball superstar), A bully in Edward Scissor Hands, and that may have been it until they quite miscasting him and he vanished until he aged enough to not be a hopeless loser.
Michael Cera can play nothing but the loser. Anything else is a horrific miscasting. So Cool musician/martial artist was about as far wrong as you could go.  The one advantage was you spent so much time wanting to stab out your eyes and ear drums whenever he was on the screen that any faults with the movie were easily missed.
Cera needs to accept Cera and never make this mistake again... Or he live at the gym and can become Carrot Top... ewww.

I have heard the comic is really good but after the movie, I can't go near it.

I thought he had a strong start but he reverted back to the loser. And I believe Michael cera played relatively well compared to his other loser roles. But I agree.

I think you will hate the comic a little. Its not Michael cera, but it feels even more generic.

Orchid

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Re: Scott Pilgrim movie/comic review.
« Reply #3 on: March 09, 2016, 07:43:13 pm »
I never watched or read this comic. It doesn't look appealing. I remember seeing it next to the manga section of the bookstore and gave me this weird vibe.

Lumaria

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Re: Scott Pilgrim movie/comic review.
« Reply #4 on: March 16, 2016, 02:51:13 pm »
I believe that was around the time of the ris of OEL mangs too. Rem manga artist was becoming fairly popular

 

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