Movie vs. Graph Novel

Rating: 8/10 (23 July 2010)

The Scott Pilgrim graphic novel series is a great mix of comedy, romance, science fiction and fantasy. I was fortunate enough to see a screening of the film at San Diego Comic Con.
I am also a huge fan of Edgar Wright. His vision of the film turned an epic genre mash up into a big screen video game. It was fun to watch but a poor substitute for the books. The jokes were there and the action was EXTREMELY there. A few illustrations were even there.
Wright did his best to include as much of the books into the film, instead of skipping over smaller details the way other book-films do. It was refreshing to see this but it hurt the movie. The film felt rushed and the characters lacked arc. I give Wright props for not trying to turn SP into another comic book sequel ruining genre but if the film was split in two the characters would feel real the way they did in the books.
Ultimately the film is a fun summer action comedy. If you're a fan of the books you won't hate it but you won't love it. And if you're a fan of Edgar Wright you'll probably call it your least favorite Wright.