Scott Pilgrim Takes Off Isn't The Adaptation You're Expecting
This post contains spoilers for "Scott Pilgrim Takes Off" and "Scott Pilgrim vs. The World."
You might have varied expectations from "Scott Pilgrim Takes Off" — the animated Netflix series that is based on the "Scott Pilgrim" graphic novels by Bryan Lee O'Malley — but it is not a recreation of 2010's "Scott Pilgrim vs. The World." The film, rightfully, is beloved for various reasons throughout its journey from box-office bomb to cult classic, be it its fun videogame-style aesthetics or the unabashed celebration of its quirky, inventive core. Instead of using the film as a base to expand upon its arcade-fighting structured narrative, "Scott Pilgrim Takes Off" completely flips the script and dives right into mystery-thriller territory while still retaining the quirks of the original.
The ensemble cast from the film adaptation has returned for this new adventure, lending more immersion to this fresh story from the get-go, as these are characters we are already intimately aware of, but still do not know enough about in terms of individual motivations. The animated series' eight-episode structure facilitates this deep dive after it quickly sets up a great chunk of exposition — right from the shaggy-haired Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera) meeting the girl of, or from his dreams, Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) to Scott's fateful fight with Matthew Patel (Satya Bhabha), the first of Ramona's seven evil exes that he needs to defeat to get the girl.
Just when you expect Matthew to turn into $2.10 worth of loot (not nearly enough for Scott to take a bus back to his apartment), things take a wild turn. Matthew lunges, apparently landing a punch so deadly that Scott turns into a handful of coins, while a horrified Ramona watches on. Just before the first episode is over, Scott Pilgrim is announced dead.
Solving the mystery
This wasn't supposed to happen, right? After all, despite his flaws, Scott is the dude who is supposed to win in the end, using his massive point accumulation and power-ups to defeat the big bad, Gideon Graves (Jason Schwartzman). However, the anime thwarts these expectations, making the famed fighter lose his first match, with everyone reacting to his death in underwhelming ways. Things are no better during his funeral, which Scott's ex (the big one!), celebrity sensation Envy Adams (Brie Larson), crashes to belt out a sad-yet-groovy number.
The only person affected by the death is Ramona, who returns home and relives the magical moments from their first date. Everything, from the cups of Sleepy Time tea to the blanket she had wrapped around them to stay warm during the snowstorm reminds her of Scott's dorky sweetness, and things take an interesting turn when she hears Scott's voice in the subspace highways. Coming to the conclusion that he's alive, Ramona decides to sleuth her way to the truth in an attempt to make sense of the mess that unraveled with the appearance of Matthew at Battle of the Bands.
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the animated series is the effortless way in which it weaves fresh character insights into the ongoing storyline, something there was little to no space for in a star-studded feature-length film. For example, the film tells us a bit about Ramona and Roxie's (Mae Whitman) fling during college, but here, we are taken on a wild, action-packed, location-hopping ride that ends with tender emotional closure between the two. While Ramona still smacks Roxie with a giant hammer, the recontextualization of the scene adds more layers to their relationship and allows us to see Roxie for who she really is.
The plot thickens
The world of "Scott Pilgrim Takes Off" seems much more intense and colorful, where characters are always at the risk of experiencing "reversals of fortune," such as when Gideon loses to Matthew and is forced to sign away everything he owns. This sequence not only allows Gideon to shine as someone more than the mastermind behind The League of Evil Exes but also maps out the shenanigans within this exclusive club, which we have never been privy to before. While these scenes are steeped in comedy that is on-brand for the world of "Scott Pilgrim," there's also an undercurrent of earnestness when we get to know some characters and the complicated relationships they share with Ramona. Other characters like Young Neil (Johnny Simmons) also have meaningful ties to the central mystery, for better or for worse.
During her mission to uncover the truth, Ramona discovers that Scott is not actually dead, as the footage from the fight hints at someone grabbing him and pulling him through a portal moments before the coins materialize. The identity of this mysterious person is the crux of the animated series, spurring Ramona on a journey to confront each of her exes about the matter — a decision that grants her more agency and lets her be as badass and vulnerable as she wants to be.
Moreover, there's no dearth of hilarious gamification embedded into the fabric of the story, including classic Mortal Kombat-esque fights and 8-bit hearts floating when Scott and Ramona kiss. While heartfelt moments are aplenty in the new series, there is never a dull moment, as a lot of fresh developments occur within the ambit of defying the metanarrative, and re-telling a familiar story in an endearingly bonkers fashion.
"Scott Pilgrim Takes Off" is currently streaming on Netflix.