The Film Thugs Movie Show

I’ve never really used the term “graphic novel.” I just haven’t. It’s a comic, right? There’s nothing wrong with that. But that’s what it is. There are people who insist on using it and I’m fine with that. What you choose to name your comic books is none of my business. Yes, I know that technically there is a difference, but I also know that I have so many more important things to think about, things like coming up with lists of things to think about, that what comic books are referred to is rather irrelevant. I normally just call them “books.”

But people who do care about this title are the types who tend to love books like “Scott Pilgrim vs. The World.” I’m not disparaging those people at all. Actually, on some levels I tend to side with them more than against. I’ve never been much on the superhero book and I put more weight on story and characters than on action. However, that being said, I am not a totally indie guy. Most of the comics I read are indie, but they are the mainstream indie. But even then, I have never read a single panel of Scott Pilgrim. This is mostly because from an aesthetic standpoint the books were always packaged to look like Manga (basically anime comics). I have never been into anime or Japanamation and the people who are over the moon about it and its aesthetics kind of annoy me (not all the time mind you, just when they are talking about anime).

So, when it was announced that Edgar Wright would be teaming with Michael Cera to adapt it I was a bit mixed in my feelings. First the source material held little appeal to me, second I am part of that group of people who has had just about enough of Cera being Cera. Like everyone else I loved him on “Arrested Development,” but have slowly begun to tire of his fumblingly awkward persona. But Edgar Wright was involved. Let me be clear; I LOVE Edgar Wright. Honestly, I love the guy. He hasn’t made anything that isn’t amazing. I am on record saying that “Shaun of the Dead” is as near a perfect film as is possible. “Hot Fuzz,” is as worthy a follow up as one could dream of, and literally any episode of “Spaced” is better than 95% of what is released in theatres. This is a man who can do no wrong.

The story is interesting. Scott Pilgrim is a loveable looser who meets the girl of his dreams only to find out that he has to fight and defeat her 7 evil exes. It’s unique and has a lot of potential.

That being said, I didn’t love “Scott Pilgrim vs. The World.” I liked it ok, but it just didn’t really do that much for me. This is a movie for the 13 year old Asian boy in all of us, unfortunately I strangled mine a long time ago.

Let me start with what I did like.

Everyone who reviews or talks about this mention my first two, Chris Evans and Brandon Routh, two of the evil exes. Evans is brilliantly over the top and appears to love every second of it. He chews the hell out of some scenery, but that is completely the nature of the character. The swaggery cocksureness of his character is hilarious would be over the top and farcical in any other film, but in this world it is oddly believable, which makes it all the more hilarious. He even finds a way to bring a nice guy edge to his character. It’s probably his best work.

Brandon Routh plays very much against type as the vegan bass player in Scott’s very successful ex-girlfriend’s band. He’s a prick, (he hits a girl, but it’s ok because he’s a rock star), and kind of an idiot (he has one of the best over talked tough talk lines ever), but swings with everything he’s got and knocks the ball clean out of the park. His fight scene also culminates in one of the best cameo appearances ever; however I shan’t spoil that for you.

My third is something that is criminally overlooked; Kieran Culkin. This guy is slowly becoming one of my favorite actors. Between this and “The Secret Lives of Altar Boys,” he has cornered the market on the confident, but not an asshole, best friend. It’s kind of refreshing. As Scott’s gay roommate he is definitely the most in control character in the film and completely owns every scene he’s in.

This next part kills me because I really wanted to love this, but it is deeply flawed on one big level. The only reason I cared at all about Scott or Ramona, or Scott and Ramona getting together is because the conventions of drama tell me I should. Scott is the protagonist, Ramona is his infatuation and that’s about it. Centuries of western narrative tells me that I have to pull for him.

The problem is that I don’t. Oh, I don’t hate him or want him to lose. I just don’t care if he wins or not. He wasn’t developed into a loveable enough looser. He’s kind of a dick. The movie starts with him dating a 17 year old (he’s 22) that he doesn’t really have any affection towards and who he completely looses interest in when he sees Ramona. That’s it. He SEES her.

Ramona doesn’t seem particularly special. She doesn’t even seem to like Scott. I know they’re going for the whole, “I’ve been hurt before,” thing, but that isn’t enough for me. I need something from her; otherwise she seems like a real bitch who is just leading Scott on. There isn’t much development of her character beyond changing her hair color every week. The relationship simply doesn’t make sense.

To make matters worse, the 17 year old (horribly named “Knives”) is one of the sweetest, most adorable, and most affectionate characters I’ve seen in years. And she and Scott have a genuine connection. So when he dumps her… it’s like watching someone kill a childhood pet because they saw a picture of a cuter one in a pet store window. All I wanted was for her to get over Scott and find a nice guy and be happy.

Had she been a bitch he was unmotivated to break up with, then he meets this girl and has a connection, which pushes him to break things off with Knives and then have to fight to keep hold of this happiness he’s found, well then you have yourself a movie. As it stands, there is genuine attraction and connection between Scott and Knives (genuine reciprocal attraction) and he decides to toss her aside because he sees an attractive girl who doesn’t seem to give a crap about him.

The real problem is that none of the action drives the plot, the plot dictates the action of the character. Why does he like her? Because the movie needs her to? Why does he dump Knives? Because he needs to for the story. Why is he fighting for this girl who seems ambivalent towards him? Because there is no movie if he doesn't.

This is where I can hear people saying, “But it’s just a fun movie Jim!” That is a cop out. “Shaun of the Dead” was just a fun movie, but they were able to provide some sort of emotional connection and arc that made the characters genuinely likeable and made you care about what happens to them. And the people who are into the book can carp on all they want; this movie fails the basic “indie” comic test. It is all about the visuals and the action and the characters and story are left secondary. Yeah, I get that it’s a supposed to be like a video game that’s a movie, but that’s the point. It’s a video game that’s a MOVIE. The story has to be king. I found myself at the end not caring about what happens to the relationship, not being invested in Scott’s growth, and not having any feelings one way or the other about the proceedings. Basically, I felt like I had spent 90 minutes playing a video game, but without the satisfaction of killing anyone myself.

Oh, and on the subject of the visuals; I didn’t find them as annoying as I thought I would. I was literally thinking to my self while watching it, “This should be getting on my nerves, but it’s not.” They were over the top and all over the place, but the world of the film was set up so that, for as ever present as they were, they felt like a natural and unobtrusive part of the characters every day life.

So, this isn’t a bad film, it’s just not a particularly good one. Yeah, it’s enjoyable and funny, but it’s also immediately forgettable. There’s nothing wrong with that if all it’s taken for is disposable entertainment. But I get the feeling that there was a slightly higher aim, and for me it just missed that mark. This makes me a bit sad because there is potential for something more here, and if Edgar Wright can’t hit that mark with this material, nobody can.