Scott Pilgrim Takes Off (11.24.23)

 

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, with its poor box office performance and passionate fanbase, is the definition of a cult classic. Based on the graphic novels by Bryan Lee O'Malley, the 2010 film boasted novel visuals, a cute little plot, and the sharp wit and humor of writer/director Edgar Wright, but as many of the fans of the source material can tell you, as a straight adaptation it is only passable. Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, a Netflix reimagining thirteen years later, initially looked like it would tackle this complaint. It did not. Yet despite Takes Off being more of an unexpected “what if" reinterpretation of the comic and film, having lower energy, and less novelty, it still ultimately has the same spirit and quality as its counterparts.

The entire core cast of the 2010 film returns to voice their animated counterparts, an impressive feat when you consider how many of them have become superstars since then (Chris Evans, Brie Larson, Anna Kendrick, and Aubrey Plaza, to name a few). The energy and enthusiasm they bring to their roles is somewhat cancelled out by the questionable editing, however—there is often too long of a gap between when one character stops speaking and another begins, a relatively minor issue that amounts to a perceptively slower pace when it happens back to back to back. The energy of Takes Off feels odd because of this, especially when you compare it to the frantic nature of the 2010 film, and I sometimes watched the cartoon at 1.25 speed just to speed things up a bit. And while the animation in Takes Off looks exactly like a moving version of the original comic art there is no denying that the medium makes the new adaptation less novel than the 2010 film, which derived a lot of its charm from the marriage of live-action realism with cartoony violence and tropes. When it’s all a cartoon to begin with it’s just not as unique.

But I suppose these criticisms are only criticisms because I am comparing the new to the old. When taken on its own Scott Pilgrim Takes Off is a whole lot of fun, and it does have a lot of uniqueness and charm to it. The reworked plot and longer length allow for more focus on the characters themselves, although at 8 episodes at 25 minutes each it is still a pretty short watch, and the fight scenes are truly a blast to watch. It could have used some more of that Edgar Wright wit, admittedly (he also returned but only to produce this time around), but the humor still lands when it appears in its less concentrated form. I have not read the graphic novels but it feels very much like their souls are still intact in the new show, even if the plots are not. Fans of the film and fans of the comic could do much worse than that.

Scott Pilgrims Takes Off is now available in its entirety on Netflix. 

 

This review was first published in the Keizertimes on November 24^th, 2023. Visit at www.keizertimes.com.

The Marvels (11.17.23)

 

You know that nightmare where you have a homework assignment due in a few hours that you completely forgot about and that your entire grade depends upon? When I experience this dream it's always a relief to wake up in bed, remembering that I haven’t had a homework assignment in years. Maybe these experiences were just that influential. Or maybe I still have homework, just in a different way. Being a fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe has turned into a never-ending cavalcade of homework assignments in a lot of ways, a fact that is very apparent in the latest MCU entry The Marvels. This is a film that is particularly indecipherable if one has not been keeping up with a slew of other Marvel Studio projects, and even if you have watched everything the experience is a disappointing one thanks to The Marvels' thin and unclear plot, weak script, and complete lack of weight.

When the MCU's most boring and one-dimensional bad guy starts to do bad things, it is up to Carol Danvers, AKA Captain Marvel, to save the day. This time she is joined by two other characters whose lives become entangled because… they are all associated with each other in the comics, I suppose. Oh yes, there is something about magical bracelets and vaguely similar powers and portals, but it’s all very mushy and unclear. They go from point A to point B, stopping briefly at a planet with a bewilderingly insufferable gimmick, and just when you think things are ramping up the film ends, making one think that they must have missed a climax somewhere, because surely that last bit wasn’t meant to be it.

As a sequel to 2019’s Captain Marvel, The Marvels should ostensibly have a lot of focus on the titular character of the former film, yet Brie Larson's character feels very diminished here as she shares the spotlight with Teyonah Parris (who plays Monica Rambeau and was last seen in Disney+’s WandaVision) and Iman Vellani (who plays Kamala Khan, the main character of Disney+’s Ms. Marvel.) The shared narrative and poor script that props it up does a disservice to both Larson and Parris' characters, robbing the film of a believable emotional heart as well as character arcs that are all the more important given the flimsiness of the rest of the movie. Only Vellani, the clear standout, is fun to watch, giving The Marvels an enjoyable energy that the film frankly doesn’t deserve.

The action is actually pretty well choreographed, speaking of good things, and the body swapping plot leads to some fun set pieces and situations. And there are kittens who only sometimes look like completely fake CGI constructs! But overall The Marvels is nigh impossible to follow for newcomers and leaves the MCU faithful dumbfounded. It’s hard to imagine a less consequential plot set in this universe moving forward, and even the most diehard of fans might find it better to just wait for the film’s inevitable release on Disney+.

The Marvels is now playing in theaters. 

 

This review was first published in the Keizertimes on November 17^th, 2023. Visit at www.keizertimes.com.

Lessons in Chemistry (11.10.23)

 

Some shows you just know you shouldn't go into hungry, but other ones can catch you off guard. Lessons in Chemistry, a novel that a banner in the Tigard Barnes & Noble ensured me was the book of the year, does not sound like the kind of story hungry people should avoid, but after watching the first half of the Apple TV+ miniseries adaptation I would be lying if I said I haven’t been craving lasagna ever since. An empowering story of love, science, and food, Lessons in Chemistry is a satisfying dramatical treat that hits the spot despite its somewhat formulaic nature.

I am a big fan of the identification and discussion of popular tropes in our media, and if one were to make a list of all the ones that apply to Lessons in Chemistry they might never finish. Brie Larson plays a brilliant yet socially awkward chemist in an era where misogyny was much more visible than it is today and falls in love with an equally geeky scientist played by Lewis Pullman. Along the way she encounters sexism, racism, trauma, loss, and empowerment, all while using her scientific knowledge to not only stick it to the patriarchy but also create some wonderful looking dishes. If there was a recipe for creating engaging drama Lessons in Chemistry follows it pretty closely, but there is a saying in the troper world that not all tropes are bad, because tropes are, ultimately, just storytelling tools.

Because say what you will about its originality, but Lessons in Chemistry utilizes these tools perfectly. Larson is perfect in her roll (wait, no… I mean “role.” I told you I was hungry) and her chemistry (no pun intended) with Pullman elicits all the warmth and awws that you would expect in a story that is partially about two dorks finding love with each other. And while the sexism and fights against it can be a bit on the nose sometimes it still feels empowering thanks to the writing, performances, and timeless messages that the miniseries enjoys. The drama is intensely felt, the good times make you smile, and there is a very cute dog. Recipes are followed for a reason, you know?

I still don’t know if the book (which I have not read) warrants an entire miniseries and not just a feature-length film adaptation—I imagine that cutting down some of the portions of the miniseries might have made the whole thing seem a little truncated and rushed, yet eight episodes still seems a bit excessive—and there is one side plot with the neighbor of Pullman’s character that only occasionally feels relevant to the overall narrative, but these complaints are all pretty minor when viewed next to the miniseries’ successes. Lessons in Chemistry is heartwarming, heartbreaking, and makes me want to eat something that isn’t Taco Bell or hastily boiled hot dogs for dinner tonight. I guess there are still some surprises left for me in my life after all.

The first five episodes of Lessons in Chemistry are now available on Apple TV+. The remaining three episodes will release over the next three Fridays.

 

This review was first published in the Keizertimes on November 10^th, 2023. Visit at www.keizertimes.com/