Comic Book - The Movie
Who knew Luke Skywalker was such a geek? As the director-coproducer-star ofComic Book: The Movie,Star Warsveteran Mark Hamill embraces his inner nerd and pays affectionate tribute to those who are attracted (either casually or obsessively) to the fantastical realms of comic books. As "Don Swan," high school teacher, lifelong comic collector, and microbudget filmmaker, Hamill joins legions of fans at San Diego's epic-scale ComiCon International (the world's largest sci-fi/comic convention), on a mission to thwart a dubious Hollywood makeover of Captain Courage, his favorite "Golden Age" comic superhero. Hamill's experiment in "mockumentary" is unscripted, haphazard, not very funny, and a bit too "inside" for mass appeal, but its spontaneous spirit hides a worthy agenda that any fan can relate to: While exploring the lively atmosphere of ultimate fandom,Comic Book: The Movieinvestigates the schism between Hollywood and fandom that results, too often, in lackluster big-screen adventures for beloved comic-book characters. By recruiting a cast of prominent cartoon-voice talent (like himself), in addition to an all-star list of comic-artist cameos including Stan Lee, Matt Groening, and many others, Hamill has crafted a casual yet thoroughly researched portrait of one of America's most vibrant subcultures. The abundant bonus features are arguably better than the feature itself, most notably the extended interviews with Stan Lee, Hugh Hefner, Kevin Smith, and B-movie king Bruce Campbell, all of whom (like Hamill) have played influential roles in the fandom they celebrate.--Jeff Shannon