Bryan Lee O’Malley’s Scott Pilgrim series is a delight. Although I read the first volume with a certain amount of skepticism, given the vaguely trendy haircut of the main character, which always turns me against any given human being/fictional character, the series cut right through that with its fascinating little universe and colourful cast of characters.
Scott Pilgrim is about a 23-year-old loser (I’m 22, but I unfortunately see the parallels) who has hit rock bottom in his personal life. Soon after realising this, however, Scott meets Ramona Flowers, seemingly the girl of his dreams. Unfortunately, to commit to her, Scott has to battle and defeat her seven evil exes (not ex-boyfriends), a task which grows to be increasingly difficult as the story goes on.
The reason you should read the books before watching the movie is all to do with its faithfulness to the source material. Based on the trailer, it’s quite obvious that Edgar Wright is looking to capture the cartoon-y, videogame-inspired look and tone of the books with real gusto.
You, as a filmgoer, would get much more out of the movie by reading the books now. Do it!
