Superhero Media: Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World

Ok, so this is another one where I'm not covering the comics first, as the set I brought are in the possession of an ex-girlfriend and I can't get my hands on them. Then again, the comics and the film are quite different in many ways and, like The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, the film is the version with which more people are familiar, so it makes sense to start there. I really enjoy watching Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World, but I'm not sure how much I enjoy the film versus how slick and visually vibrant it is. I remember seeing Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World in the cinema with my then-girlfriend and not being terribly impressed, though she was literally bouncing with joy in her seat the entire film, but clearly at some stage I turned around on it. I also remember talking to a friend about it and him telling me that I didn't get it as I wasn't "Gen X", who it was made for. Whilst I'll agree that the original comics are certainly aimed at that audience, the film is a full-on "Millennial" trip and hit that bracket hard. Also, from what I've read of the comics, they seem to be mostly about growing up in Toronto at the same time as the author, so who the "intended" audience is is pretty debatable. 

The primary reference material for Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World is, of course, retro video games, making the film not only one of the best "Video Game Movies" of all time, but also a great primer for making video game-styled characters into more grounded characters for your own games and stories. Not that I want to dip into the comics, but the reason Scott is such a good fighter is because he's good at fighting games, just to clear up how powers work in the setting; not that Vegan or Skateboarding based super-powers are too far "out-there" for most comic settings. I think that the world of Scott Pilgrim can be read as a place where a decent number of people have super-powers of some form, making them less of a big deal if they're minor, like My Hero Academia or other powers-heavy settings. No one really seems to think twice about most of the strange stuff going on, and Scott's friend asks about Vegan Super Powers as if they're a well-known thing. Again, I like the mundane nature of powers this presents, because in a world of people with extra-normal abilities, life would just tend to go on after a while; why superheroes didn't arise is interesting though and may be a fun thing to explore. 

In terms of the film, Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World features both an amazing cast and a pretty banging soundtrack, with the original Sex Bom-Omb songs being written by Beck and the rival bands drawing from performers like Metric and other hipster-cool indy rock and pop acts. Until I upgraded to an MP3 capable stereo, I kept the soundtrack in my car for years because it was a great listen, even if it jumped around a lot. That Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World didn't perform better at the box office is no real shock, no matter the true intended audience; the film is built out of visual gags and pop culture references and was probably a little before it's time. In a post-Deadpool world, something with the pace and humour of Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World probably would have performed better, especially with a cast like Jason Schwartzman, Alison Pill, Anna Kendrick and Mary Elizabeth Winstead, who have all gone on to be cult actors in their own rights. I'm not sure I can really recommend Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World as a "must see", it is fun and an enjoyable watch, but I'm never sure what others will make of it, so take a look for yourself, I guess?