Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Comic! My Thoughts

Having seen the movie twice in theaters, I was amped to read the six volumes that the big screen epic was based on. How did the two differ? How were the two the same? And, the most important question, does Sex Bomb-Omb make it?

Sadly, the answer to the last question is no. But the comic is a good solid read. I liked the movie a little better, mainly because the fights were better "choreographed" and more dynamic (by virtue of it being a MOTION picture). But really, the one complaint I have about the comics is that Scott fights each evil ex like 2 or 3 times in each volume and, if you pardon the pun, those confrontations lack punch. In particular, the fights against Lucas Lee and Todd Ingram (The Vegan) are much better done in the movie.

One thing the comic has over the movie is the development of Scott's and Ramona's relationship. As was talked about in the thread about the movie, the movie takes place over the span of a week, maybe slightly longer. The books take plae over two years, so there is more "time" to explore the relationship. Maybe this is why there is much more fighting in the comic. The fights are supposed to be little annoyances, bumps in the road in a relationship in the comic, while in the movie, they are supposed to be epic hurdles to have a relationship at all. If you want to go with the analogy that the fights are representative of the emotional baggage we all have, the comic treats them as something that comes up ever so often in a relationship while the movies treat them as pre-existing and immediately apparent problems.

The other big thing the comic has is the explanation, of sorts, of Scott's past and his present, video game-like outlook in life. In large part, it is because he can't admit his own mistakes. We learn that most of his stories/flashbacks are NOT accurate and he actually is a unthoughtful, though sometimes caring, jerk. Like Ramona, he is good at the relationships, but when they turn sour, or there is a challenge, he runs away and gurts people. Heavily implied in the movies (especially the jerk part) but spelled out a little clearer in the comic.

Going back to the movie, I like the character portrayal (besides Ramona and Scott, who are a little more relatable/believable in the comic)

Kim Pine: I like the sardonic, sarcastic Kim in the movie more than the almost peppy (though through the filter of being sarcastic) Kim in the book. But again, the book's characters are more "realistic."
Stephen Stills (the talent): The nervous wreck character of the movie plays out better than the Stills in the book, who is regulated to sometimes less than supporting character in a few volumes.
Young Neil: More fleshed out in the movie.
Knive Chau: Here's a hard one. In the first few volumes, I hated her. She was vindicative and over-the-top. I much prefered the movie tragic Chau interpretation. But after a few volumes she shifted into more reasonably lovelorn and made her likable again. Her ending though is less triumphant than the movie ending and I liked her movie ending (as quick as it was).
Wallace Wells: Another tough one. He's awesome in the movie. Awesomer in the comic book just cause he's in it way more.

I also Edgar Wright moved some of the lines said by characters in the book to other characters in the movie correctly. Some of the lines said by Stills, for instance, are better said by Kim. Especially the sardonic Kim.

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What I found interesting listening to the primary (there are four) commentary track on the DVD, with was Edgar Wright, Michael Bacall and Bryon Lee O'Malley, is how much cross pollination occurred between the comic and the screenplay for the movie.

IIRC the first attempt of the screenplay was after book 2 was finished and book 3 was fleshed out and the rest outlined. Eventually lines developed by Wright and Bacall were included in the later books while O'Malley provided a few bits of better dialog to the screenplay. There was about a four year gap between the time Michael Bacall was hired for the screen play and the start of production. It's one reason why the first parts of the movie follow the books while the later parts of the movie diverge.

I've been kicking around reading the books to see how they were par to movie. I've been diving deeper into world of Scott Pilgrim partly as a result of playing the game.

Honestly the best thing I've seen with Scott Pilgrim attached to it is the video game heh. It's awesome.(especially with the DLC update as it unlocks Knives my favorite character of the series.) I highly recommend it to anyone whom likes classic beat em ups, Scott Pilgrim or regularly has people hanging around play games with. My brother whom had no knowledge of Scott Pilgrim was excited to watch the movie(which I loaned him my copy as I snagged it on blu ray to give it another shot.)...though he was underwhelmed as his opinion on it was alot like mine. Which despite having no voice overs it conveys Scott and Ramona being in love better than the movie did.

I will try and get around to picking up the Scott Pilgrim books, but I guess the movie is disapointing because I see potential of what might have been a cool lil universe and unfornately it just didn't hit it's mark. Michael Cera is by far the biggest weakness of the film. He had no business being Scott Pilgrim , as he just has no swagger to him. He's flatter than a week old soda. It didn't make him feel believeable that anyone would be bent out of shape over him.

It's not that he's someone I have issues with, he just wasn't meant for this role. Someone more confident and less whiny. They needed be the determined underdog who's just too dense to know when they should have quit. Someone out of the same vein as Yusuke Urameshi from Yu yu hauksho or Inuyasha. That's the vibe I get when I read anything about him or see his character in game. That's not at all what Cera gives us as he comes across as this scared lil manchild most the time.

Well back to the original idea here, thanks for your insight on the book Baffling beer man. I will really need snag it and see for myself at some point. (after Xmas I need buy alot of presents today heh.)

My biggest disappointment with the movie?

No mention of Roxie being half-ninja.

Darn you guys for making remember SPvsTW. So do I pick up the last 3 Fables books, or pick up the Scott Pilgrim books with that Amazon gift card. Choices choices