It's Love Story meets video-game action and comic book élan in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (PG-13), a motion picture adaptation of Bryan Lee O'Malley's award-winning graphic novel series published by Oni Press. The film, which was released on August 13 by Universal Pictures, is directed by Edgar Wright (creator of the zombie comedy Shaun of the Dead), who penned the screenplay along with Michael Bacall. Part eye-rolling slapstick, part old-fashioned romance, and part superhero flick, the movie mixes realism with frenetic fantasy and incorporates the sensibilities of a generation of viewers raised on Sonic the Hedgehog and Super Mario Bros.
Michael Cera stars as the title character, a currently jobless 22-year-old who excels at being a slacker and plays bass guitar in a mostly unheard of garage band called Sex Bob-Omb. A bit of a charmer, Scott is no stranger to romance, and when the stylish and eye-riveting Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) rollerblades into his dreams (literally) and then into his life, he soon finds himself head over heels in love. She's just the girl to patch up his broken heart (left in sloppy pieces by his ex, Envy Adams [Brie Larson], now a trendy rock star) and distract him from his dalliance with teenager Knives Chau (Ellen Wong). Alas, before his relationship with Ramona can power up to the next level, Scott must first defeat all seven of her evil ex-boyfriends. Each member of this nefarious league—which includes a skateboarder turned Hollywood heart throb, a bass-playing vegan with telekinetic powers, and an influential and immoral indie rock music producer—is determined to do him in. As his fearsome weapon-wielding foes become progressively more dangerous, Scott must go from zero to hero in time to win Ramona's heart (and stay alive).
With a bright pop-art design, video game-style audios and icons, and a bounty of colorful film clips and stills, the official movie website provides a tempting taste of the action. A fun-to-follow flowchart introduces the characters and their relationships with amusingly staged photo caricatures and fast facts. Teens can watch an i-trailer and click on icons to access video interviews, interesting details, and other behind-the-scenes tidbits (while earning points and unlocking achievements, of course). The site also provides entrée to downloads, a movie-in-the-making video blog, and an array of social networking links. Other options allow viewers to design their own comic-book style avatars and display them in an online gallery, or sample the movie's soundtrack (released by ABKCO Records). Teens interested in delving more deeply into the artistic vision behind the motion picture, details about casting and production, and insights about how the concept was translated from comic book to big screen, can download and browse an in-depth "Notes" section.
The film is sure to fire up interest in Bryan Lee O'Malley's source material, as movie fans hurry to meet (or re-visit) the slacker extraordinaire in the comfortable pages of his original milieu. This series of digest-size graphic novels was launched in 2004 with Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life, and, fueled by positive critical reception and word-of-mouth buzz, has been growing in popularity ever since. The sixth and final installment, Scott Pilgrim's Finest Hour (both Oni), was released in July 2010, making it the perfect time for libraries to replace missing titles and/or collect the entire sequence.
Teens wowed by the movie's original approach, wry humor, and dynamic blend of pop-culture elements will discover the basis for this unique perspective in O'Malley's witty and winning series. The author deftly portrays his characters and their interactions through believable dialogue (complete with snide comments and cha-ching one-liners) and crisp black-and-white manga-influenced artwork. O'Malley's comic timing never misses a beat, quieter moments pack a wallop of subtle emotion, and the action sequences move at a pleasingly frantic pace. Gaming references and gizmos are imaginatively woven into this tale of an otherwise ordinary—even dorky—guy, providing an invitingly contemporary sense of magical realism. All in all, the story is driven by strong characterizations, and readers will come to care about the fate of this reluctant hero and his ultimate dream girl. The final installment serves as a satisfying conclusion: the climactic conflict unfolds with delicious drama, Scott's evolution as a character comes to completion (he really does get a life), and numerous subplots are entertainingly squared away. Readers who sample the first volume will quickly become hooked by the storytelling and avoid all save points to speed through the entire series. Send teens to Scott Pilgrim's website for the scoop about the books, links to "Scott dot Ning" (the official discussion forum), a glimpse at fan art and avatar images, and more. A video game based on the comic books was released in August by Ubisoft for PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade.
Publication Information
O'MALLEY, Bryan Lee. Scott Pilgrim Vol. 1: Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life. 2004. ISBN 978-1-932664-08-9.
_____. Scott Pilgrim Vol. 2: Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. 2005. ISBN 978-1-932664-12-6.
_____. Scott Pilgrim Vol. 3: Scott Pilgrim & the Infinite Sadness. 2006. ISBN 978-1-932664-22-5.
_____. Scott Pilgrim Vol. 4: Scott Pilgrim Gets it Together. 2007. ISBN 978-1-932664-49-2.
_____. Scott Pilgrim Vol. 5: Scott Pilgrim vs. the Universe. 2009. ISBN 978-1-934964-10-1.
_____. Scott Pilgrim Vol. 6: Scott Pilgrim's Finest Hour. 2010. ISBN 978-1-934964-38-5.
Ea vol: illus. by author. Oni Press, dist. by Diamond Book Distributors. pap. $11.99.
My 15-year-old son started reading the Scott Pilgrim graphic novels a few weeks before we went to see the movie (on opening day!). He's now a Scott Pilgrim fan, and he loves the books and the movie. The books have more depth of feeling, emotion, and philosophy, while the movie is full of action and fun. It's really great that Brian Lee O'Malley was so involved in the movie-making process, and it shows!
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