'Scott Pilgrim Takes Off' Is a Winning Remix With Surprises Up Its Sleeve

A well-known voice forged returns for this daring, heartfelt, self-referential new tackle a much-loved story.

By Valerie Ettenhofer · Published on November twenty eighth, 2023

Reboot, remake, revival, reimagining, legacy sequel: there are a half-dozen names for the shocking second comings of beloved and mediocre franchises alike, however none of them describe the exact alchemy of Scott Pilgrim Takes Off. The new Netflix animated collection acts as an excellent bait-and-switch, one which begins as a straight-faced anime model of Bryan Lee O’Malley’s comics and Edgar Wright’s film (O’Malley co-created the present with BenDavid Grabinski) earlier than subverting followers’ expectations in one of the best ways attainable. It’s an impressed remix of an already-great story, one which rewards longtime followers whereas remaining as offbeat and humorous as ever for informal viewers.

To converse in depth concerning the pleasant adjustments Scott Pilgrim Takes Off makes to its supply materials can be to spoil a few of its magic; certainly, a part of the enjoyment of the present comes from seeing it begin to careen off-course after setting itself up (for all of 20 minutes) as a modestly devoted adaptation of the favored aughts comedian collection. O’Malley and Grabinski take a deeply self-referential method to the fabric, one which opens up the story in candy and insightful new methods. The meta angle would possibly seem to be an inside joke that’s run lengthy for those who’re not acquainted with the Scott Pilgrim collection, however the story of Toronto teen bassist Scott battling the evil exes of his new girlfriend Ramona has all the time been deeply bizarre and self-aware.

The fast eight-episode collection makes use of the framework of the Scott Pilgrim story – a brand new relationship hindered by previous baggage, video game-style fights towards evil exes – and rebuilds it from a distinct angle, specializing in characters and elements of the story that have been underdeveloped throughout the first go-round. The present has loads of components price loving, however its best energy is its writing, which can be higher described as rewriting. O’Malley enthusiastically takes an eraser to his personal work, treating the comedian collection he spent years making as a tough draft or a residing doc reasonably than an untouchable story bible. It’s fun within the face of the drained concept that tales ought to all the time stay the identical when leaping from medium to medium, and an impressively well-executed one at that.

If you’re a Scott Pilgrim fan who can’t grasp with the brand new model, that is likely to be what the youngsters today name a talent subject. Aside from its welcome, considerate, and infrequently hilarious reframing of the unique Scott Pilgrim story (there’s a joke about straight actors taking part in homosexual from Kieran Culkin’s Wallace that I nonetheless haven’t stopped laughing about), the present additionally advantages from a killer voice forged and expressive, pitch-perfect animation. Shockingly, just about your complete star-studded forged of Wright’s 2010 movie adaptation returns for the present, together with Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Chris Evans, Jason Schwartzman, Brie Larson, Aubrey Plaza, Anna Kendrick, and extra. While there’s definitely one thing to be stated about permitting anime actors to voice anime reveals (a criticism that appeared forward of the collection’ launch), the present feedback on its live-action counterpart in a means that advantages from the unique forged’s return.

Plus, this ensemble remains to be extremely humorous. While a number of the actors don’t actually sound like teenagers anymore, they nonetheless fall again into the world of Scott Pilgrim with ease. Cera and Kulkin, particularly, have a knack for nailing line deliveries in essentially the most endearingly wacky methods, whereas Winstead imbues Ramona’s journey with an acceptable sense of gravity. Scott Pilgrim Takes Off winkingly pokes enjoyable at lots of the similar subjects as the unique – Brandon Routh’s Todd nonetheless has vegan superpowers, and there’s nonetheless a bit concerning the surprising realization that “bread makes you fat” – but it surely additionally expands its world significantly, leading to comedic detours which might be typically fulfilling and sometimes chaotic.

This world has all the time had a peculiar, frenetic brief consideration span, a form of all-over-the-place-ness that’s each endearing and dizzying, and that continues right here. As timelines and realities converge and layers of self-reference increase outward (there’s not only a film about Scott’s life being made throughout the present, but additionally an off-Broadway musical), it may be robust to know each character beat and joke on first watch. As a fan of Wright’s movie and informal reader of the books, I used to be in a position to grasp what was occurring, however I’m wondering if newer followers would possibly really feel like they’ve missed one thing because the present races ahead.

There’s nonetheless loads to cling to right here, although, from the kooky performances to the colourful Japanese animation from Science Saru, to the stellar rock soundtrack. The present additionally operates at a brisk clip, doing extra for a few of its most underrated characters in lower than 4 hours than the comedian ebook run did in six volumes. Scott Pilgrim’s method to vary is probably finest signified by a scene that comes up repeatedly within the new collection, by which Ramona Flowers fastidiously, lovingly dyes her hair a brand new coloration, wiping off a foggy mirror to look her reflection useless within the eye. With Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, O’Malley offers his personal opus a great laborious look, and adjustments it with a positive hand and an excellent surer coronary heart. The result’s a win for everybody.