Honey, they changed the ending!
So I first saw Scott Pilgrim vs. the World during a preview screening in March, and again when it officially premiered last night. For the most part, all the performances, jokes and delightful editing and effects hold up well. HOWEVER-the fact that the ending had been changed has unexpectedly soured the whole thing for me a bit. Spoilers behind the cut.
Now, I've only read through the first two volumes of the series so far, and when I saw the preview screening in March, Bryan Lee O'Malley hadn't finished Volume Six yet. From what I've heard, the current film ending more or less matches the one in the books. During interviews earlier this year, Wright said he made the film based on O'Malley's notes for the as-yet-unwritten volumes (the last three, I think), although I think O'Malley also interviewed to say that he was also influenced by the film as it developed.
So now I'm confused as to what exactly happened with the original ending I saw. In my opinion, it worked a lot better, since I see Ramona and Scott's relationship a lot like Tom and Summer's from (500) Days of Summer. In both couples, the boy idealized the girl, and they weren't actually right for each other. It feels more right for Ramona, ever the independent free spirit, to ride off into the sunset alone, for Knives to mature into less of an obsessive fangirl and for Scott to get his head out of the clouds and realize the good thing he had in front of him all along.
Maybe it doesn't matter in the surreal fantasy world of Scott Pilgrim, but does anyone believe that Scott and Ramona would work out as a couple? Even though Scott and Knives's relationship was entirely chaste, I thought the film demonstrated that they were pretty much the epitome of a good team, from the foreshadowing at the arcade to their 2-player mode in the boss battle against Gideon in the climax. Scott and Ramona, on the other hand, felt like the film was intentionally trying to show us what happens when the idea(l) of romance is greater than the actual chemistry (although that could just be Michael Cera's patented awkward kissy moves).
Yep, the more I think about it, the more I think the new ending just rings way false. Was the ending changed in order to obtain the more conventionally expected ending of the guy getting the girl "as advertised"*? But for a movie/filmmaker that is pretty much all about ignoring the rules of convention, why would they feel the need to force a commercial resolution? And furthermore, why would the author of the graphic novel feel the need to do so?
*And can I add one more gripe? I don't know about you, but I thought Ellen Wong kicked ass (both literally and performance-wise in general) as Knives Chau. And yet she is a complete non-presence in the film's marketing. I understand that it's a big cast with a convoluted premise that doesn't allow for more than Scott+Dream Girl+Seven Evil Exes, but in the actual movie Knives is at least as significant a figure as Ramona.
Despite my major contention with the ending, it's still a great film, and in an ideal world it would outgross Eat, Pray, Love this weekend.
Also, Adult Swim is presenting an animated short of the Scott-Kim high school backstory from Volume Two, which was left out of the film:
À la Watchmen's "Tales of the Black Freighter," I would love to see the rest of the graphic novel that didn't make it into the movie in animated form, voiced by the film cast. (I would also watch Scott Pilgrim: The Animated Series. Just saying.) I would've preferred a less-deadpan Allison Pill here (not that Kim was ever sunshine and puppies, but there needs to be a contrast so we can understand how much Scott burned her and how he is at least partially responsible for the bitter misanthrope Kim is today), but Michael Cera needs to do more voiceover work. He's recognizable in the short, but being freed from his gawky physical appearance really helps to sell him as other characters, in my opinion.
Now, I've only read through the first two volumes of the series so far, and when I saw the preview screening in March, Bryan Lee O'Malley hadn't finished Volume Six yet. From what I've heard, the current film ending more or less matches the one in the books. During interviews earlier this year, Wright said he made the film based on O'Malley's notes for the as-yet-unwritten volumes (the last three, I think), although I think O'Malley also interviewed to say that he was also influenced by the film as it developed.
So now I'm confused as to what exactly happened with the original ending I saw. In my opinion, it worked a lot better, since I see Ramona and Scott's relationship a lot like Tom and Summer's from (500) Days of Summer. In both couples, the boy idealized the girl, and they weren't actually right for each other. It feels more right for Ramona, ever the independent free spirit, to ride off into the sunset alone, for Knives to mature into less of an obsessive fangirl and for Scott to get his head out of the clouds and realize the good thing he had in front of him all along.
Maybe it doesn't matter in the surreal fantasy world of Scott Pilgrim, but does anyone believe that Scott and Ramona would work out as a couple? Even though Scott and Knives's relationship was entirely chaste, I thought the film demonstrated that they were pretty much the epitome of a good team, from the foreshadowing at the arcade to their 2-player mode in the boss battle against Gideon in the climax. Scott and Ramona, on the other hand, felt like the film was intentionally trying to show us what happens when the idea(l) of romance is greater than the actual chemistry (although that could just be Michael Cera's patented awkward kissy moves).
Yep, the more I think about it, the more I think the new ending just rings way false. Was the ending changed in order to obtain the more conventionally expected ending of the guy getting the girl "as advertised"*? But for a movie/filmmaker that is pretty much all about ignoring the rules of convention, why would they feel the need to force a commercial resolution? And furthermore, why would the author of the graphic novel feel the need to do so?
*And can I add one more gripe? I don't know about you, but I thought Ellen Wong kicked ass (both literally and performance-wise in general) as Knives Chau. And yet she is a complete non-presence in the film's marketing. I understand that it's a big cast with a convoluted premise that doesn't allow for more than Scott+Dream Girl+Seven Evil Exes, but in the actual movie Knives is at least as significant a figure as Ramona.
Despite my major contention with the ending, it's still a great film, and in an ideal world it would outgross Eat, Pray, Love this weekend.
Also, Adult Swim is presenting an animated short of the Scott-Kim high school backstory from Volume Two, which was left out of the film:
À la Watchmen's "Tales of the Black Freighter," I would love to see the rest of the graphic novel that didn't make it into the movie in animated form, voiced by the film cast. (I would also watch Scott Pilgrim: The Animated Series. Just saying.) I would've preferred a less-deadpan Allison Pill here (not that Kim was ever sunshine and puppies, but there needs to be a contrast so we can understand how much Scott burned her and how he is at least partially responsible for the bitter misanthrope Kim is today), but Michael Cera needs to do more voiceover work. He's recognizable in the short, but being freed from his gawky physical appearance really helps to sell him as other characters, in my opinion.