Without knowing what Negascott was from the comics, there was an added lightbulb moment joke to him being really nice because Negascott read as simple evil twin, but since Scott is actually the evil twin obviously Negascott has to be a nice guy

My biggest complaint against the movie is how they just made Ramona depressed the whole time. In the comics, her relationship with Scott is actually really wholesome and cute despite the obvious flaws.

As someone who lives in Toronto, this isn't an adaptation. It's a documentary of how life is up here.

The funny thing is, I interpreted Scott’s relationship with Knives in the movie as Scott always needing someone to tell him he’s awesome because he doesn’t actually believe it.

Fun fact: Brian Lee O'Malley has stated that every different media piece of Scott Pilgrim (Book, movie, Netflix series) is actually an alternate timeline.

I think a really important thing about Scott's character in the comics, that I didn't really understand fully until a reread, is that he's not JUST an idiot. He's a willful idiot. He's an idiot as a defense mechanism, because he can't be held accountable for or feel guilty about the things that he does if he's too stupid to understand them. I mean he's genuinely stupid too, like he was always gonna be an idiot, but he's perpetually content to avoid learning things or paying attention to the world around him for the same reason he represses and rewrites his memories of all the shitty things he's done to his previous partners. It's one of the wrinkles that makes Scott Pilgrim and interesting comic to think about and I hope we get some exploration of that in the upcoming anime's take on the story.

I just always got the feeling that Comic Scott, while a lame nerd, was never the degree of lame nerd that Michael Cera portrayed. I think comic Scott was a little more indie and confident than Michael cera displays throughout the movie

Scott realising all his friends moving on and Scott eventually realising his memories are wrong and him getting a job is the thing that the movies are missing to its detriment for me. It really makes "Scott earned the power of self respect" mean alot more and not having it without that makes it feel unearned in the movie. The journey of self improvement is just absent in the movie.

this is literally my fav live action movie

For me personally, why I love this movie and why it deeply resonates with me, is because I don't see movie Scott's problem as that he's simply insecure. Instead I see movie Scott as someone who is deeply narcissisticaly insecure, he's so caught up in his own head about his own insecurities that his world fails to see the feelings and thoughts of others. His Journey to self respect is what allows him to get over himself and grow up and finally start considering what's best for people other than himself.

The big thing I noticed last time I consumed Scott Pilgrim was the difference between Scott's exes and Ramona's exes - where Ramona's exes all need to be defeated in order to deal with them, Scott's exes are all either already chill, or are talked down - the movie even ends with Knives literally telling Scott to go with Ramona, in direct contrast to Ramona's exes insisting she can't date anyone but them. I feel like that says something about Scott and Ramona, but I'm not sure what...

What I liked about Cera’s performance is how he captured the “nice” guy. He plays the victim given the opportunity and with a little power he’s manipulative. At the end of the film Scott has learned to be honest about his feeling and realizes how he has hurt people. That’s why nega Scott is a joke since the the painful part of that growth already occurred.

Its funny this came out two days before the faithful adaptation on netflix was shown off, which looks amazing!

I will stand by the scene where Scott jumps out of the window behind Wallace as he closes the door as one of most well written and timed physical comedy scenes of all time. The pace of the film gives you 0 seconds to process the joke so it just gets stepped over by the next scene.

Thank you for willing the anime's trailer into existence, we all know it would only drop after you released your video

Very good discussion. I don't care how true to the original the adaptation is, as I never read the comics. I only care if it works as a movie - and it does to me. I love it. That said, it's not perfect. I was mostly frustrated with the ending because Scott fighting Gideon is not a culmination of his arc - it should be Ramona's arc. She's the one who needs to break free of him. Scott should have fought with Nega-Scott, and it should not be about overcoming his insecurities, but him realising he uses his insecurities as a way to manipulate and not take responsibility for how he hurts people. While he sort of learned that lesson, it was not effectively managed. I tend to be a bit more critical wince Wright's Cornetto trilogy is so perfect in setting up and paying off. But it was revealing that he had to work with a story that was not finished when they started on the script. Explains a lot.

You make so mutch quality content even while being on 45k. Keep going, your videos always brighten my day.

Totally forgot that Scott Pilgrim is like Revolutionary Girl Utena but with video games

Thank you for bringing me up the books not being finished. A lot of discussions about Scott Pilgrim tend to forget or ignore the comic wasn’t fully adapted.

So much of this echoes how I've felt about the movie forever - i read the comics *after* I saw the movie, and I love both of them for completely different reasons. The movie is a tour de force action movie about some likeable jerks, and the comic is a deep dive into why these likeable jerks are the way they are. The comics blow the movie out of the water, but not because the movie is bad; they're just that much *better*.

I can’t help but wonder if the movie had the self respect ‘message’ , it would have been better off having a “Scott ends up not picking anyone” ending because of what the film was attempting to do and it would have a different ending from the comic, In a way leading up to learning about dealing with his insecurities and not needing a relationship ect ect

You're one of the best essayists out there. Everything you've made is really good and way more people should be subscribed to you.

I’m so glad this video exists! So many people seem to only take in the superficial similarities between the comics and movie and that’s left me feeling rather bitter towards the movie. But hearing more background and in-depth analysis of why it turned out this way (and the narrative failings that come with it) has me honestly feeling a lot more positively about it!

I actually like the fact that there was an intent to show that Scott DOES have insecurities. Typically, people(men) who cheat on their partners and treat everyone around them like crap tend to behave this way BECAUSE it stems from insecurities or even unresolved trauma. Though Scott is shown to be more cool in the comics, making him more human for a LIVE action movie was a smart and , imo cute decision. It's cute to see the types of things guys get self conscious about(needing a haircut, too confident girlfriends etc) and how it plays into their actions.

The main thing about the movie is that the movie does it's style so well that it only needs the most basic of okay plots to be good, and having watched the movie first, I think it did a great job. There is just enough character growth to say there is arcs, and I think that's fine.

It's just insane that they got Everyone for the Netflix show

perfect video essay for scott pilgrim lovers!! i had no idea that the movie script was being written during book 2. super cool to learn that the movie and books had such an impact on each other in tandem

I hope the anime is able to adapt those smaller moments in the comic that the movie didnt have time to cover. Especially Scott's depression arc, after Ramona leaves him. I feel like so much of his character development happens during that small time frame, and the movie totally gleams over it. I love the movie for what it is, but the comics just hit so much harder. Excited to see how the anime turns out.

I have neither seen the film not read the comics, but I watched all of this. Top notch work, James, as always.

I really love the animations in this video. Gotta Love it when a creator goes the extra mile

Scott Pilgrim has been my favorite movie for a while, but I see more and more of its problems the more time goes, even though it doesn’t change anything to me. I think in some ways it’s better than the comic as it’s more contained and Edgar Wright is so precise in his projects, and in other ways the comic - because it goes further and deeper - is more interesting. I can’t wait to see what you have to say.

21:41 - that kind of quality animation and research coming from a channel this size is easily worth a sub alone. Not to mention doing a deep dive into one of my favourite films ever. Stunning work, can’t wait to see more content from you!

I think the thing I liked about the comic that never translated to screen was just how much the indie rock scene and Toronto felt like a character in its own right. I felt like the movie was really missing the groundedness in time and place that felt present in the comics.

My favorite movie cause they really let it be a comic book movie. The movie is very creative and stylish, it feels like such an unique world. The first half honestly is pretty much a perfect adaptation of the comics.

Bad? Bad?! Are you ok? Do you feel well?

i like that both the comics and movie are different because it gives each one it’s own special value to going back to

Kudos on the production of this one, it's incredibly polished.

I feel so represented in this story that your analysis truly felt like a therapy session

I always felt like movie Scott should have ended with them all going their separate ways and the lesson being that if it starts with hurting people it's best to just start over. And durring the credits because they resolved things when they are pulled into supe ex battles they just meet the new partner amicably

After watching Scott Pilgrim the first time I was conflicted on it due to some of the story flaws it possesses. I had never read the comics but I could see the arcs not fully satisfying me. However, upon countless rewatches, the sheer technical aspects of the film make it my all time favorite. The level of detail in every aspect, the comedy, cinematography, editing, vfx, sound design, all of it is so meticulously crafted for maximum stylization and that dedication to style makes it so enjoyable as every time you watch it, you notice something new. That’s the mark of a filmmaking team who truly cares about their work and a movie with limitless heart and creativity.

I was waiting for the point where the other shoe would drop and you'd bring up that the latter bits of the comic and the film were being made at the same time, and I was not disappointed.

I think this will definitely resonate with OG fans of the graphic novel if anything. I definitely do enjoy the film but I can't deny there was a lot sacrificed due to the film formatting (also some interesting casting choices)

I’ve never read the comic, but the movie is a serious contender for my favorite movie of all time

First 10 seconds are really great of you

Slightly unrelated, but i think that a big part of why scott works as a protagonist is *because* hes relatable. Hes a sensitive person who is so afraid of confronting his past that he's willing to live life fully ignorant to all the wrong he's done and all the hurt he's caused in his life, even if unintentionally. You can see that really deep down he's not a terrible asshole, and that he's just too afraid to do anything to change his behavior after some bad events that happened in his most formative years (at least thats how i see it). I feel like everyone learns this lesson at one point or another, and often times this is a lesson learned during your teenage/early 20's. Scott learning to accept that his past doesnt have to affect his present is a lesson i think is very important and relatable to so many people (me included). It just sucks that you cant say that you actually like the character of scott pilgrim because all of the people who say they relate to him because theyre just media illiterate lmao

Always happy to watch any video talking about this masterpiece.

The editing in this video is great!

masculine urge to write and upload video essay abt how crazy it is that he likes not 1 but 2 adaptations of the same story

KZfaq just now decided to put this video on my feed even though I'm subscribed and I immediately clicked on it. This is such an incredible video. The process of adapting a work into a new medium is so interesting (I took a whole class on it during my first year of college!) and you do such a good job discussing Scott Pilgrim's unique place in that world. All of your videos have such an obvious high level of thought and work put into them. This one is so good!! Keep up the amazing work! Love your videos :)

Literally rereading the comic atm since its been a few years and man its still great. That being said also LOVE the movie

"BREAD MAKES YOU FAT ?!!" XDDD

Great video! I can't overstate how important Scott Pilgrim felt to me as a dorky 19 year old when it was in its heyday, and the movie only seems to get better (and worse??) over time with each rewatch. It prioritizes lines of the comic without any context. the backstage scene where Knives' highlights get punched out is the best microcosm. it makes zero sense, it's just a funny "thing" from the comic. stuck in the adaptation, as you explained.

This sounds like how 2001 a Space Odyssey and it's novelization were made simultaneously, except in that case the book actually explained wtf was going on.

I wouldn’t be me without this movie. This is my go to feel good

Scott pilgrim and speed racer are some of the best movies evermade, and some my top 2

I had interviewed Bryan Lee O'Malley the day the film was first announced. At that point Wright was still attached to Ant-Man, so we would have had to wait a lot longer for the film to start production. I loved hearing more about the writing process behind the books and the movie, being written in parallel. Thanks!

23:50 it’s kinda like how dragon ball super was being published as a manga at the same time as the anime so there were differences but still the same.

James- this is fucking phenomenal

Gonna watch the whole video before I say anything about it specifically, but as someone who is really conflicted about the Scott Pilgrim movie, this is something I've thought about a lot. So I wonder why my knee-jerk reaction was to say "Of course! Scott Pilgrim is an excellent movie, I disagree with this guy." Even though several times I've thought to myself that the comics are much better and the movie is harmed by adapting certain moments Verbatim.

New James video! New James video! (dances around with sparklers)

When referring to it missing the moon but landing among the stars, I'd argue that even though it doesn't really hit a lot of it's graphic novel inspirations in tone, what it does absolutely nail is it's video game inspirations.

I love this essay. I’d love to see your take on the animated series.

Cannot wait

THE EDITS ON THIS VIDEO OMG

REMEMBER The movie was written after the first book, there are very little similarities after VOL 2 for that reason. After that the books are slightly working off the movie so you may see a few similar scenes in the book for that reason.

As a psychologist I can tell you that someone who believes he's awesome can have massive insecurities, that's why creates a big ego

I love this. I absolutely love this movie. The actors were all such great roles and the action campiness was top notch, but even I can understand that the comics are better and wished that there were other scenes in the movie. Here’s hoping with the anime can be both a great retelling of the comics with the great actors and amazing action of the movie

I never read the comic and didn't know it was a comic so the movie was awesome to me!

I really like this movie one of my favorites

saw it in 3d when it came out and yeah i got the blue ray and next time u watch it watch it with headphones

Yesssss, you describe perfectly how I feel about the visual language in the film not matching the comic, despite sometimes being a direct copy of a specific panel.

What a nice production and video! :)

Can’t wait to hear your thoughts on the Netflix show since it’s story is so different from any Scott Pilgrim media before!

I've always felt Cera Scott only ever captured part of Comics Scott and, while I do personally enjoy Cera's performances usually, I always found it lacking in a way I didn't have the words for. You've summed up that side of things beautifully and touched on more things here than I'd personally thought about. What I'm saying is this is a great video and I'm happy to subscribe due to it! :D

Oh man, this was timed *very* well with how the teaser just dropped for the anime.

Jesus this is a well made video, great work!!

the flanderisation of the characters, skipping thru huge storylines, trying to speedrun the main story, IGNORING THE IMPORTANCE AND METAPHORICAL VALUE OF SUBSPACE, and ofc the lack of the scene where Scott and NegaScott reflect on their relationship w Ramona and embrace eachother, with the beautiful messege of moving on and accepting your past, yeah the movie is just a boiled down fun rollercoaster that while enjoyable, misses the greatness of what made the original storytelling great

Fantastic analysis James, thank you!

nice video jim!!!

the smirk at 14:20 like you know you ate that pun up

I just read the series a few days ago, and I was looking for a good video that analyzed the themes and compared them with the movie, and this is just perfect! I tried to watch a couple videos before this, but they were just awful, and this is a breath of fresh air

It's interesting to have been introduced to your channel late, and seeing your project on the recent readaptation first before this one.

Fantastic work

There is another adaptation that needs to be brought up: Scott Pilgrim Versus the World: the Video Game. It also has a messy adaptation of the plot of a somewhat strange mix of both of the movie and the comics, but it REALLY deviates at the end, with Scott defeating NegaScott, learning nothing and becoming the biggest jerk in the world. This all said, I still love the comics, I love the movie, I love the video game. I don't have to agree with where the story ends to enjoy the ride.

Awesome video!

I love Michael Cera

Thank you very much for this essay. I was living in Toronto - where the comic and movie are based (and filmed!) - at the peak of the Scott Pilgrim craze. I saw the movie in a Toronto theater (we cheered at every reference). I've said for years that I love both the comic and the movie equally, but for different reasons. The movie truncates the comic's narrative, but I like how it focuses a little more on the "battle of the bands" aspect. I'm disappointed we didn't get the Honest Ed's fight, but we got the fun bass battle as a finale with Todd, instead. We lost the fun robot fight and gained a fun battle of the bands with the twins. The focus on the battle of the bands doesn't quite resolve itself in the end, but it keeps the narrative tighter as a result. After watching this, I agree that the movie is maybe adapts too closely with the comic without its own thing to say. I think people saying it's style over substance is reductive, but there's a grain of truth in there. I didn't know the script was being written in conjunction with the majority of the book's publishing history. I thought it mostly came together before the final book came out. But that makes this adaptation all the more interesting. I still love both works, but I will say you made me appreciate the comic a little more. I haven't honestly read it since the final book came out. Maybe it's time I revisit it.

To me, I think what ties movie Scott's insecurities to relationships and also the contradiction that he's way cooler than he thinks is that he's the kind of nerd who thinks he's too big of a victim to be a bully. He may not be slick, but he's the plucky underdog, and there's a cool factor with that as well He puts up a front that he's cooler than he really is, but deep down sees himself as the socially awkward geek that people never give a chance and all merely gang up on that he can't see the fact that he's hurting people. He hurt Knives because he didn't have a backbone to realize dating a high schooler is fucking weird and rather than immediately ending things with her before vying for Ramona he waffled in self pity that he had to go through it. So by finally gaining self-respect he also accepts that he has the capacity to be a prick and he's not just some waifish nerd.

Love the vid, man. The editing was dope!😄

with scott pilgrim takes off, I am convinced Old Scott is the Movie Scott who didn't learn his faults in relationships from NegaScott and just kept on with them with Ramona

I very much like the movie though I like most of Edgar Wright films but the comic is very much better and I hope the new animated show will be able to tell the comic’s story well

Absolutely stunning video as always

I think sometimes stories just work while breaking some or even all of the writing rules. Our lives are more chaotic piles of events rather then some well designed character arcs, so a movie can also be that. Scott Pilgrim movie is one of those, where not everything has meaning and even make sense, but you just feel something while watching it and that’s satisfying

I’m glad that with the release of the anime, we can get an adaptation that can give more development to the characters that movie, while entertaining sort of lacked.

I wish they could've made it two movies, splitting the first and second three books. It still remains to be one of my few favorite movies.

Such an Amazing video about a series that’s been a part of my life for a while, Loved It!!

After the anime comes out we need all the Scott’s and Negascotts to unite and form the Scottron Ultimate

I lesbian you too, man

Always excited when a new video drops!!

Great video. Didn't think about how different the adaptation was compared to the comic.