'Scott Pilgrim Takes Off' Review
Image Source: IGN
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World was essentially the perfect comic book movie. It stayed true to the source material, without venturing too far away, and had a stellar cast that fit their characters perfectly. Scott Pilgrim Takes Off is the newest adaptation of the beloved comic book series, and does a great job of keeping that comic book feel, while giving us a remix of the original story. It is sure to please any Scott Pilgrim fan.
The comic focuses on Scott Pilgrim, which makes sense considering it’s about him. However, starting in episode 2, the show changes focus to Ramona. As we know in the original story, Scott is able to defeat the evil exes, and finally get with Ramona, the show also changes that, and Scott is “killed” by the first evil ex, Matthew Patel at the end of the first episode. We get to see the ensemble cast shine as they confront their pasts and learn to move on. There are even moments when the exes outshine Ramona. Ramona suspects that Scott was not actually killed, but kidnapped. Each episode focuses on an evil ex, and Ramona’s quest to find answers, to rescue Scott. Even though you don’t get Scott fighting the evil exes, we still get plenty of enjoyable, video-game-like fight scenes.
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Image Source: Animation World Network
My favorite part of the show is the fact we’re able to see Ramona fleshed out more as a character, which is something that the movie struggled to do. While she is still warm and distant, we also get to see the other side of her, which is fun and full of love for Scott, something that I am glad to see the show remembered. Instead of avoiding her exes, she even goes as far as to make amends with them, and sometimes helps them out.
One of the most special parts of the series, however, is that the original movie cast reprises their roles. When the movie came out, some of these actors were just starting in their Hollywood careers, such as Chris Evans, Brie Larson, and Michael Cera, all of whom are now pretty big names in the industry. Evans returning as Lucas Lee, is one of my favorite parts, as his character is just as ridiculous as he was in the movie. One of the many reasons why the original cast returned is that they love these characters, and are even protective of them. Even though they did not record their lines together in the studio, they did a wonderful job of translating their live-action characters into animation. Some super special guest stars will surprise you when you read the credits.
Image Source: Super Hero Hype
The show is extremely colorful, and the animation looks like it came right off of the pages. This is thanks to the genius Japanese animation studio, Science Saru. It also has those video game elements that the movie had as well. The music is all done by Anamanguchi and adds another layer to the show. The opening credits are also full of color, have the perfect anime opening feel, and give off major Cowboy Bebop vibes. The show also keeps the original nostalgia, and humor, from when the series was first written, especially with the mention of Netflix DVDS and referring to the internet as the world wide web.
Scott Pilgrim Takes Off is a wonderful iteration of the original series. There are plenty of easter eggs for comic, movie, and even video game fans to enjoy. The final twist and showdown at the end is one of the coolest scenes and makes the whole series worth it. It’s also a great starting point for new fans to get into the series. While sometimes you wish that series stayed closer to that of the comic book, you get over pretty quickly as the show goes on. It's fresh, hilarious, exciting, and gives you a new take on the story we’re so familiar with. The show is a surefire hit and will make any Scott Pilgrim fan happy.
Rating: 9/10
All episodes of Scott Pilgrim Takes Off are now available on Netflix.
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