Great Scott!

What better way to break a months-long unintentional blogging hiatus than a few quick, spoiler-free thoughts on the film adaptation of Scott Pilgrim?

So for starters, as we’ve been repeatedly warned, it is different from the books. Significantly different? Maybe in some ways. The plot is pretty condensed, eliminating a lot of side stories and gags, and combining elements of different subplots and characters. This should really come as no surprise, since you just can’t fit 1,200 pages of comics into a 2 hour movie, even one as fast-paced as this. I can’t really call any of these changes detrimental. Yeah, your favorite secondary or tertiary character might not have made the cut (Joseph? Lisa? Mobile?), or your favorite Toronto location might not have any screen time, but the tone and spirit of the story are there, unscathed.

The cast is pretty much perfect. There was (and probably still is) a lot of worry about Michael Cera as Scott Pilgrim, and his interpretation of the character brings more of his introverted schtick than I get from the book. That said, he also has the perfect bewildered and oblivious air about him. He works in the role, even if it feels like the character has been dialed down just a notch. The supporting cast more than makes up for any minor shortcomings anyways. The look and feel of the movie versions are pretty much spot-on, even for minor characters like Sandra and Monique, or Comeau. Kieran Culkin as Wallace Wells and Aubrey Plaza as Julie Powers are absolutely impeccable, and predictably get some of the biggest laughs in the film.

The video game/magical realism elements are handled fantastically. Everything from bombastic, crackling energy bursts during the fight scenes, to subtle gags that play on the visibility of the sound effects and action lines. there are even some new jokes that play up the “film”-ness of this version, the same way that O’Malley would occasionally play up the “comic”-ness of the original – there’s a scene between Julie Powers and Scott Pilgrim that I’m thinking of specifically, a gag that can only work on film, and not on the comics page.

Last point: the music. Sex Bob-Omb is great, a sloppy, raucous garage rock trio, full of nervous energy and pop hooks. The Clash at Demonhead, with their slick, nimble dance pop and auto-tuned vocals, sound exactly how I’d imagined them. I pictured Crash and the Boys sounding a little more like No Age or Health, but the sludgy, metal influenced sound they ended up with suits them pretty darn well.

All in all, the only complaints I have are nitpicks that are too tiny to even mention. the movie was giddy, inventive, and deeply respectful of the source material, even when it wandered from it. Bravo. Now go shell out your $10 on opening day, with my full approval.