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REVIEW: Scott Pilgrim vs. The World

Posted by under *like, Comics, Movies, Video Games |

In a freak occurrence, Pete and I got to see Scott Pilgrim vs The World last week. Go sneak previews! Not only did we think we wouldn’t have any chance of getting into the 7PM (assumed time) screening, we had reserved seating for the 7:30PM (actual time) screening. It pays to know the right people! Thank you, Steve D!

The best part for me about going to screenings, besides the cost, is the lack of previews. We hung out in the theater for a bit, the lights dimmed, and we were immediately in love with the movie. Tiny spoiler here, but we’ll try to not ruin much else. Universal logo on the screen. Pixelated. 8-bit MIDI music. Awesome. We both agree on that point, and here’s what else we have to say.

Angelique: We both have our own reasons for not having read the books. For me, well…it’s a comic book.

PTB: I read a lot of comics, but this one would have never made it onto my radar. Between the black and whiteness and the fact that it isn’t a superhero book, it’s completely outside of my reading list. After seeing the movie, I think I’m going to check out the books.

Angelique: They might be something that I would glance at, and that’s says a lot. Don’t know if I’d commit to buying them, maybe borrow from the library.

PTB: The crazy thing about reading the books is that sound and music were such a huge component of the movie, it might make the comic seem a little boring.

Angelique: Well what about in your other comics that have been transformed into movies? Or are you thinking the lack of 80’s video game noises while reading would make it seem lame by comparison?

PTB: That’s a huge part of it. hearing those sound effects added so much to the movie. Their absence will be sorely missed, but there’s also the way music plays into the plot. No other comic to movie adaptations would be so affected. A music score in Spider-Man or Batman adds a great dimension to the action and drama, but not having that in a comic doesn’t create a void the way not hearing the Sex Bob Ombs will when I read the books.

Angelique: What if you listened to old Mario games while reading the books? I could play some 8-bit Nintendo games while you read. Would that work?

PTB: That might actually help a lot. Adding your own soundtrack is a fun idea. It’s a very dynamically visual movie that brings a number of static elements from the page to the big screen very effectively using text along with sound effects and captions to accentuate scenes and communicate information. It’s going to be interesting to go from that to reading the book.

Angelique: I agree that the music was great throughout, I’m a little disappointed that the soundtrack doesn’t look like it reflects what was in the movie entirely. I recognized one of the songs from a big fight scene but can’t place it. I wish I could figure out what it was. Let’s talk about the evil exes, because they were a lot of fun.

PTB: Brandon Routh’s Todd (#3) stole the show for me. All of them were fun, but the absurd super vegan was my favorite.

Angelique: I agree. Having just finished reading pro-vegan propaganda book Skinny Bitch, I took great delight in his destruction. Chris Evan’s entry into the “talking like this contest” was a very close second. I also really enjoyed the variety of bit players in the movie especially since I had gone in not knowing much about who was in it.

PTB: Aubrey Plaza and Kieran Culkin were great as part of Scott’s supporting cast, particularly when she did that thing with her mouth.

Angelique: True, it was a stark contrast to hearing what Hit Girl had to say when we saw Kick-Ass. Much more family friendly 😉

What I think I liked most about Scott Pilgrim is that it’s not just a comic book movie but a video game movie as well. I’m really glad to have discovered it. There’s even a side scrolling video game based on the movie coming to XBOX Live Arcade (8/25) and the Playstation Network (8/10). Knowing it’s a downloadable game make even more appealing.

PTB: It really is a great movie that combines some of the things we enjoy the most. I highly recommend it for anyone that likes fun.

Angelique: Despite it being a comic book movie and Michael Cera’s performance of the same character in a different role (don’t get us wrong, we like him), I really enjoyed it. Even with my super judge-y approach of what to pay for at the theater, I would totally pay to see this. I’m also glad it’s not in 3D.

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  • kamila harris said,

    i want to see this. the previews look like it’s just really different and fun. i have never heard of scott pilgrim before and do not know anything about the comic book, and i am slightly tired of Cera’s schtick but … it’s George Michael. i gotta see it.

  • Angelique said,

    Kamila, you would really enjoy Scott Pilgrim. George Michael even has a run in with Egg Veal.

    I always love when that happens 🙂

    Oh – and the music is awesome.

  • kamila harris said,

    p.s. miss you guys

  • kamila harris said,

    let’s do something when you get back from vaca now that i am no longer a walking biohazard

  • Dave said,

    FYI guys… at the end of each book, O’Malley lists the music he was listening to while he wrote it. Some of that music did make it into the film.

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