Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010)
July 20, 2020 11:53 AM - Subscribe
Scott Pilgrim must defeat his new girlfriend's seven evil exes in order to win her heart.
A commercial failure and a critical mixed bag, Scott Pilgrim continues to be a cult favourite a decade after its release.
As a 10 year anniversary charity stream (most) of the cast did a table reading that can be viewed here: https://ew.com/events/comic-con/scott-pilgrim-cast-reunion-table-read/
The music is excellent, the game was solid and the source material is still great.
A commercial failure and a critical mixed bag, Scott Pilgrim continues to be a cult favourite a decade after its release.
As a 10 year anniversary charity stream (most) of the cast did a table reading that can be viewed here: https://ew.com/events/comic-con/scott-pilgrim-cast-reunion-table-read/
The music is excellent, the game was solid and the source material is still great.
I've never read the original comic and was 35 when this came out, but it always reminds me of how I was (or how I saw myself) in my early 20s. The film is wrong-headed in many ways (Scott is a disaster when the film opens and eventually grows into ... a different disaster, which is portrayed as progress) but the tone and energy level are just about perfect.
posted by AndrewStephens at 12:11 PM on July 20, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by AndrewStephens at 12:11 PM on July 20, 2020 [2 favorites]
For people of a certain age, I think this remains the cultural image of vegans.
posted by one for the books at 12:13 PM on July 20, 2020 [5 favorites]
posted by one for the books at 12:13 PM on July 20, 2020 [5 favorites]
This was an excellently made film. The Video Game inspired Magic Realismesque storytelling was wonderful.
However, the basic premise of fighting a bunch of dudes (and one stereotype of an angry lesbian) to "win" the girl just seems so regressive and gross. I think maybe it was meant to be making fun of the trope, but it feels more like it just reinforces it. Add to that the casual sexism of "I can't fight a girl" and the super problematic presentation of Matthew Patel, and it makes it harder for me to properly appreciate the good parts.
I'm really glad that, in the end, Knives smartly dodged the bullet of any further entanglement with Scott.
I also really enjoyed Aubtey Plaza's character's bizarre vocal effect when yelling at Scott.
posted by thedward at 3:00 PM on July 20, 2020 [3 favorites]
However, the basic premise of fighting a bunch of dudes (and one stereotype of an angry lesbian) to "win" the girl just seems so regressive and gross. I think maybe it was meant to be making fun of the trope, but it feels more like it just reinforces it. Add to that the casual sexism of "I can't fight a girl" and the super problematic presentation of Matthew Patel, and it makes it harder for me to properly appreciate the good parts.
I'm really glad that, in the end, Knives smartly dodged the bullet of any further entanglement with Scott.
I also really enjoyed Aubtey Plaza's character's bizarre vocal effect when yelling at Scott.
posted by thedward at 3:00 PM on July 20, 2020 [3 favorites]
With Chris Evans and Brie Larson both in this movie, I assume it's somehow linked to the MCU.
posted by rmd1023 at 3:12 PM on July 20, 2020 [3 favorites]
posted by rmd1023 at 3:12 PM on July 20, 2020 [3 favorites]
They are both comics, why isn't there an overarching comic-multi-verse that includes Scott, Superman, Mary Worth and Maus?
posted by sammyo at 3:14 PM on July 20, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by sammyo at 3:14 PM on July 20, 2020 [2 favorites]
In the actual comic the point is that Scott's a trashfire of a young adult, dating a girl who's way too young and taking no responsibility for anything. He's completely oblivious to his whole life. Him seeing the world through the lens of video games is a metaphor for his immaturity. He doesn't need to Defeat Seven Evil Exes, he needs to grow up, get a job, support himself, and get over the fact that Ramona had a life before he met her.
The film was made before the comics were finished, and without the benefit of the last book to actually know where the plot and central metaphor are going the film suffers. The comic goes a few days after the last scene of the film and we can see Scott putting together something like an actual life, and he doesn't make friends with Nega-Scott, he absorbs him, because his failures and faults are part of him, not some external antagonist.
The movie's got it's charms, not least of which is a young cast full of people about to become huge stars. But it doesn't understand the story at all, it was made before it should have been, it runs out of steam about halfway through, and Michael Cera (whose schtick is painful, agonizing self-awareness to the point of incapacity) is absolutely terribly cast as Scott (whose central character trait is being totally oblivious to everything except what he's currently focused on, including himself).
posted by Pope Guilty at 8:04 PM on July 20, 2020 [21 favorites]
The film was made before the comics were finished, and without the benefit of the last book to actually know where the plot and central metaphor are going the film suffers. The comic goes a few days after the last scene of the film and we can see Scott putting together something like an actual life, and he doesn't make friends with Nega-Scott, he absorbs him, because his failures and faults are part of him, not some external antagonist.
The movie's got it's charms, not least of which is a young cast full of people about to become huge stars. But it doesn't understand the story at all, it was made before it should have been, it runs out of steam about halfway through, and Michael Cera (whose schtick is painful, agonizing self-awareness to the point of incapacity) is absolutely terribly cast as Scott (whose central character trait is being totally oblivious to everything except what he's currently focused on, including himself).
posted by Pope Guilty at 8:04 PM on July 20, 2020 [21 favorites]
This movie is one of the first times I saw something that was so very clearly catered directly to my demographic only for the whole thing to fall flat. It's a very similar feeling to what I felt when I watched Ready Player One.
posted by Mr.Encyclopedia at 8:05 PM on July 20, 2020 [3 favorites]
posted by Mr.Encyclopedia at 8:05 PM on July 20, 2020 [3 favorites]
I enjoyed seeing people like Chris Evans, Brandon Routh, Brie Larsen, Aubrey Plaza, etc. in fun and over the top roles. The visuals are great. But, watching it for the first time in the now, a lot of it just doesn't sit right. It felt like Scott was meant to be the hero of the movie and yet he was gross and in no way heroic. I would be more likely to recommend that friends watch certain scenes than the entire film.
posted by rednikki at 11:08 PM on July 20, 2020
posted by rednikki at 11:08 PM on July 20, 2020
Question: is this some age cohort or demographic slice's 'watched a million times, endlessly quoted without context' movie? Not a Rocky Horror, but maybe a Breakfast Club? Does this have a bunch of "get in losers, we're going shopping" or "strange things are afoot at the Circle K" lines for somebody? It seems like it might.
posted by bartleby at 12:05 AM on July 21, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by bartleby at 12:05 AM on July 21, 2020 [1 favorite]
I saw this for the first time at a big premiere in a huge movie theatre in Toronto with a gang of friends and it was SO MUCH FUN knowing all the places. Really helped this place feel like home.
posted by wellred at 6:29 AM on July 21, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by wellred at 6:29 AM on July 21, 2020 [2 favorites]
Pope Guilty, that makes a lot of sense.
Thanks for the background. Maybe I'll pick up the comic and give it a try.
posted by thedward at 8:16 AM on July 21, 2020
Thanks for the background. Maybe I'll pick up the comic and give it a try.
posted by thedward at 8:16 AM on July 21, 2020
Scott Pilgrim features prominently in an episode of the YouTube channel "Every Frame a Painting", this one about Edgar Wright and Visual Storytelling in Comedy.
posted by hanov3r at 8:50 AM on July 21, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by hanov3r at 8:50 AM on July 21, 2020 [2 favorites]
On a related note this video about transitions is really worth a look: https://youtu.be/pij5lihbC6k
There's a reason filmmakers tend to get exited about Wright's movies. I wish he treated female characters better and had better representation in general because he's one of the greatest technical filmmakers out there.
Bartleby, that's a really good question which I don't have an answer to. Scott Pilgrim definitely feels like it could have that and the 10 year reunion video makes it clear that there has to be some kind of following for this film.
posted by slimepuppy at 9:31 AM on July 21, 2020 [2 favorites]
There's a reason filmmakers tend to get exited about Wright's movies. I wish he treated female characters better and had better representation in general because he's one of the greatest technical filmmakers out there.
Bartleby, that's a really good question which I don't have an answer to. Scott Pilgrim definitely feels like it could have that and the 10 year reunion video makes it clear that there has to be some kind of following for this film.
posted by slimepuppy at 9:31 AM on July 21, 2020 [2 favorites]
I liked this movie (it's been years) but I'm not a Michael Cera fan and especially think they should have found someone better for the lead in this film. I recall him being both unlikable and vacant.
posted by Catblack at 10:00 AM on July 21, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by Catblack at 10:00 AM on July 21, 2020 [2 favorites]
hanov3r i watch that video and a couple of others from that series at least every few months or so. idk why but i love them so much.
posted by lazaruslong at 10:20 AM on July 24, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by lazaruslong at 10:20 AM on July 24, 2020 [1 favorite]
Question: is this some age cohort or demographic slice's 'watched a million times, endlessly quoted without context' movie?
Uh-huh. My most recent encounter with a group of late-millennial-Scottish-women-video-game-nerds I know included a lot of Scott Pilgrim quotes. Me ordering vegan food really kicked it up a level and all.
posted by rhamphorhynchus at 5:33 PM on July 24, 2020 [4 favorites]
Uh-huh. My most recent encounter with a group of late-millennial-Scottish-women-video-game-nerds I know included a lot of Scott Pilgrim quotes. Me ordering vegan food really kicked it up a level and all.
posted by rhamphorhynchus at 5:33 PM on July 24, 2020 [4 favorites]
I have trouble saying just "milk and eggs" on occasions that I need to mention milk and eggs, which comes up more often than you'd expect.
posted by RobotHero at 11:32 AM on July 27, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by RobotHero at 11:32 AM on July 27, 2020 [1 favorite]
The movie kinda works if you think of it as compressing Scott's entire arc and growth (that takes more than a year) to what could realistically happen in a couple of weeks (not much)
posted by simmering octagon at 1:50 PM on August 2, 2020
posted by simmering octagon at 1:50 PM on August 2, 2020
Pope Guilty, THANK YOU for that context. I saw this movie when it came out and thought it was garbage because it reinforced all of the bad things that it appears the comics were making a point against.
posted by knownassociate at 2:16 PM on August 10, 2020
posted by knownassociate at 2:16 PM on August 10, 2020
I think I'm always going to have a fundamental problem with how now initial box office in inextricably linked to a movie now. I think I had a bit of a let down when I first saw this because I was reading the comic, I'm not a big gamer and there was a lot of hype making it seem like a "big" movie when it's actual a modest story about outsized emotions writ large.
And with everything that is accidentally assaulted at the altar of the hype beast, what will eventually bring me around is something's watchability and ubiquity. I think it was on mtv or some cable all the time, and the music, charm and attention to detail can't help but win. I still like Brie Larson's version of Black Sheep and Beck remains somewhat surprisingly remarkable but what really gets me is with the level detail from excellent casting to what is very much a love letter to Canada, 8 bit games, and the stupidity of young adulthood.
In a way, the parts are sort of greater than the whole and that makes sense in how some fraught situation when you were 22 will end up being recalled as that time you had that terrible haircut and someone who you can't remember showed you an amazing picture from a movie you never rented but was always next to a movie your brother hated because a guy who didn't know he existed but he considered his arch rival had a bit part in it. When someone else refers to this as the time Kenny punched his manager at the Blockbuster, you will have no idea what they are talking about but that picture haunts your dreams.
posted by provoliminal at 10:46 PM on August 11, 2020 [1 favorite]
And with everything that is accidentally assaulted at the altar of the hype beast, what will eventually bring me around is something's watchability and ubiquity. I think it was on mtv or some cable all the time, and the music, charm and attention to detail can't help but win. I still like Brie Larson's version of Black Sheep and Beck remains somewhat surprisingly remarkable but what really gets me is with the level detail from excellent casting to what is very much a love letter to Canada, 8 bit games, and the stupidity of young adulthood.
In a way, the parts are sort of greater than the whole and that makes sense in how some fraught situation when you were 22 will end up being recalled as that time you had that terrible haircut and someone who you can't remember showed you an amazing picture from a movie you never rented but was always next to a movie your brother hated because a guy who didn't know he existed but he considered his arch rival had a bit part in it. When someone else refers to this as the time Kenny punched his manager at the Blockbuster, you will have no idea what they are talking about but that picture haunts your dreams.
posted by provoliminal at 10:46 PM on August 11, 2020 [1 favorite]
The long-lost Scott Pilgrim game is coming back.
posted by 1970s Antihero at 1:13 PM on September 10, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by 1970s Antihero at 1:13 PM on September 10, 2020 [2 favorites]
There's an anniversary showing going on right now.
I think this film is really underrated. It's so much visual fun. Scott's not so much a dick as a dude in a dick phase of his life triggered by his brutal breakup with Envy. He had his chance to get out of it and he took it.
posted by praemunire at 7:40 PM on May 8, 2021
I think this film is really underrated. It's so much visual fun. Scott's not so much a dick as a dude in a dick phase of his life triggered by his brutal breakup with Envy. He had his chance to get out of it and he took it.
posted by praemunire at 7:40 PM on May 8, 2021
Wait, they got the whole cast back??? How in the name of MCU money did they do that???
posted by praemunire at 9:22 AM on August 16, 2023
posted by praemunire at 9:22 AM on August 16, 2023
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Though not perfect by any means, there's something about the utterly unrelenting kinetic energy of this film that keep me coming back to it, especially when I'm feeling a bit under the weather.
posted by slimepuppy at 12:01 PM on July 20, 2020 [4 favorites]