Netflix’s large new launch for the weekend is Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, an anime revival of the favored graphic novel sequence by Bryan Lee O’Malley. It’s a little bit of a bizarre bag; pre-release, O’Malley and BenDavid Grabinski repeatedly stated the present would supply one thing much like the comedian whereas additionally being a different experience unto itself. But it surely was in all probability simple to overlook that, given how a lot of the present appeared prefer it was simply re-adapting the preliminary premise and functioning as a reunion for your complete solid of the cult traditional 2010 movie.
Because it seems, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off is extra totally different than its predecessor materials, within the sense that it’s extra of a Ramona Flowers story than it’s the title character. With out totally spoiling issues, it’s her obligation this time round to confront her Evil Exes, who themselves get deeper inside lives which are largely exterior of Ramona’s orbit. It’s a gutsy transfer that (no less than for me) managed to largely work, and naturally gotten no small quantity of debate flared up on-line. However on the similar time, it’s not completely sudden, given the media panorama we’re at present in.
Revivals and reboots of outdated properties have solely gotten an increasing number of meta lately. The Star Wars sequel trilogy was (usually) about what it meant to be a Star Wars fan, for instance, and the identical may be stated of the more moderen Scream motion pictures. Each Final Fantasy VII’s remake trilogy and the just lately launched Mortal Kombat 1 (which isn’t a remake of the unique recreation, however a universe-wide reboot) pose the identical query, however geared in the direction of the characters inside these particular person franchises: what occurs after they understand they’re gamers in another person’s recreation, and the way does realizing what their lives was once shade their future? Not all of those makes an attempt to get meta hit, and a few might truthfully do to dial these questions again (or simply not do all of it), however you may cause that if one thing’s getting revived after being away for a lot of years, it’ll even be wanting inward.
For this weekend’s Open Channel, tell us how this storytelling strategy works for you. Is it unearned and overdone, what revivals and remakes do you suppose have carried out it effectively (or horribly)? Inform us within the feedback beneath.
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