Netflix’s large new launch for the weekend is Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, an anime revival of the favored graphic novel collection 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 provide one thing much like the comedian whereas additionally being a different experience unto itself. But it surely was most likely straightforward 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 all the forged of the cult basic 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 absolutely spoiling issues, it’s her obligation this time round to confront her Evil Exes, who themselves get deeper inside lives which are largely outdoors of Ramona’s orbit. It’s a gutsy transfer that (a minimum of for me) managed to largely work, and naturally gotten no small quantity of dialogue flared up on-line. However on the similar time, it’s not totally surprising, given the media panorama we’re at the moment in.
Revivals and reboots of outdated properties have solely gotten increasingly more meta in recent times. The Star Wars sequel trilogy was (usually) about what it meant to be a Star Wars fan, for instance, and the identical might be stated of the newer Scream films. Each Final Fantasy VII’s remake trilogy and the lately launched Mortal Kombat 1 (which isn’t a remake of the unique sport, however a universe-wide reboot) pose the identical query, however geared in direction of the characters inside these particular person franchises: what occurs after they understand they’re gamers in another person’s sport, and the way does realizing what their lives was once colour their future? Not all of those makes an attempt to get meta hit, and a few might actually do to dial these questions again (or simply not do all of it), however you possibly can purpose that if one thing’s getting revived after being away for numerous years, it’ll even be trying inward.
For this weekend’s Open Channel, tell us how this storytelling method works for you. Is it unearned and overdone, what revivals and remakes do you suppose have accomplished it properly (or horribly)? Inform us within the feedback beneath.
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