Book Versus Movie, Part II

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (three and a half stars total) As far as movies with video game sensibilities that don't look like The Matrix (1999) go, it's all up to Tron: Legacy (2010) now. Watching the trailer for Resident Evil: Afterlife (2010), it saddens me to think that a more than decade (that's right, over ten years!) have passed and we're still seeing action movies that look and sound and feel like wholesale rip-offs of The Matrix. Children have been born and already reached puberty during this time span and we have yet to see any originality in the action movie genre. Then thankfully, Scott Pilgrim came along. For an adaptation of a graphic novel series, I had really high hopes that Scott Pilgrim could break the CG-Matrix-style kung fu mold, but then it went its own direction in the final half hour and replaced the original subspace ending from the books with an unoriginal light saber duel (may Tron: Legacy avoid any comparisons to The Matrix OR Star Wars). There were things that the movie did that books could never do, like play an 8-bit beeps and blips version of Universal's theme music (and beeps and blips over Julie's profanity as well), turn 180 degrees to show that Scott's childhood home is across the street from his current basement apartment and add a TV sitcom laugh track. Music and sound effects are what this movie's all about, and it's not for people that don't have favorite bands. And by bands, I mean rock bands - no sure-fire, trendy but cheesy '70s funk or disco here, and how refreshing that is I might add (nothing against cheesy '70s funk or disco, but enough inundation already). I would've given Scott Pilgrim four stars (same as I did other polished popcorn fare this year: Iron Man 2, The Karate Kid and Inception) except I disagreed with most of its acting and casting choices. Michael Cera's long hair made his eyes look even smaller, not manga-style big like they were originally drawn, and his high-pitched voice made Scott's character seem effeminate, which I never got from books. The actor playing Young Neil would've made a better Scott, which is ironic because that character is like a copycat Scott in the books. Kieran Culkin is not the epitome of cool, which is what I saw Wallace's character as. If anything, Kieran is the opposite of coolness. Finally, as much as I like actress Mary Elizabeth Winstead and loved Ramona's character in the books (even though she gave me no reason to), they made Knives prettier and more likable, so I guess that's one point for the movie, unless you take a point for Ramona. At Comic-Con this year, I went to the panel with Scott Pilgrim creator Bryan O'Malley and someone in the audience (not the costumed person pictured below) asked him if he realized that the book series could be just as much Kim's story as Scott's. He agreed but I bring it up here to point out that the same couldn't be said for the movie. For having such a large and diverse cast of characters, only one perspective is made possible on the big screen. But I'll still give you a taste right here. Let's take a look at my very favorite lines from each book in the series:

Vol. 1 (an edited version of this quote is used in the movie)
RAMONA: "It was in the seventh grade. It was football season, and the little jocks were in high gear. For some reason they all wanted me... Matthew Patel was the only non-white, non-jock kid in school. Probably the only one for miles around, or in the entire state, for all I know. So, of course... We joined forces and took 'em all out. We were one hell of a team. Nothing could beat Matthew's mystical powers combined with my brute strength. Nothing but pre-adolescent capriciousness."

Vol. 2 (aside from the Seinfeld scene, there is no cooking in the movie)
SCOTT: "Chopping vegetables keeps us out of trouble with the law."

Vol. 3 (Envy gets a lot more backstory in the books, plus she looks better)
ENVY: "You unbelievable-"
RAMONA: "BELIEVE IT!!"
ENVY: "Wow, Ramona, isn't this kind of unfair? One swing of your burly man-arms and my little head is pasta salad."

Vol. 4 (an extended version of this quote is used in the movie)
SCOTT: "Who's the guy in bed? Just a guy?"
WALLACE: "Just a guy. Presumably you saw his junk, and I apologize for that."

Vol. 5 (Kim gets a lot more backstory in the books, plus she looks better)
SCOTT: "Do you know anything about cats?"
KIM: "I know they smell like cat pee."
SCOTT: "Cool, I'll make a note of that."

Vol. 6 (Knives gets to turn 18 in the books, plus Scott almost fights her dad)
SCOTT: "So... uh... how's it feel to be... uh... no longer a child in the eyes of the law?"