Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan's Hope (2011)

What is the matter with the makers of this documentary? They included one token female voice among a huge number of of fan boys. All other females were either being proposed to by their geek boyfriend or seen in the background and referred to as "slave girls". That is incredibly offensive.The longer I watched, the more glaring the lack of females became. Though some of it was interesting, it was way too long for me, but once I started getting uncomfortable because of the overwhelming absence of women, I had to sit through the whole thing to see if all of it was really that bad. It was.I really have to wonder why women are invisible to the makers of this film. Is it sexual revulsion? Mental illness? There really is no excuse for this sort of thing.

Baseball caps and awful facial hair are very much in evidence in this affectionate look at the San Diego Comic-Con, directed by Morgan Spurlock (himself, of course, no stranger to the dreadful moustache). We meet the owner of Mile High Comics (who has a stock of 8million comics) hoping to sell the first issue of 1940's 'Red Raven Comics' for a cool $500,000; the young woman marshaling her troupe of costume parade participants (as part of which she has created a nifty moving face mask - we tried hard in the early 90s' UK Comic Art Convention, but this is a different league altogether!); there are a couple of wannabe artists - one promising, one whose ambition is perhaps bigger than his ability; and the young man planning to propose to his girlfriend during one of the panels - except she won't leave him alone long enough for him to collect the custom-designed ring he's commissioned. Many professionals are interviewed: Kevin Smith is especially funny ("At Comic-Con now are all these fourteen- and fifteen year-old girls dressed as vampire chicks who in five years' time are going to be so slutty and absolutely perfect...")Comics- and media fans are, of course, an easy target for lampooning, but this film treats everyone with respect and shows how important Comic-Con is for many people who appreciate the chance not to feel embarrassed about their hobby, and who love being able to talk to like-minded people who understand: "It's like having your own country" says one woman, and how right she is.

The transformation of San Diego's Comic-Con International is fascinating. What was once a small comic-book convention intended to connect comic creators with their fans has evolved into an annual celebration of geek culture that validates and rewards those who have dived deeper into the pop-culture pool than most.What Morgan Spurlock has done with "Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan's Hope" is essentially to re-validate Comic-Con, only with the big picture in mind. He and the film's many producers have crafted a love letter to this convention, one clearly born from their inner-geek's own longing to capture what the Con has become.As such, it's hard to say how much an "outsider" to geek culture would even care about what happens at Comic-Con and consequently this film. It does take a certain predisposition to care about the subjects of the movie, namely to accept their obsessions with comics/gaming/movies and in some cases their dreams and aspirations to make the leap from fandom to professionalism. Anyone who can relate even the slightest bit to that notion, however, will enjoy the film.The best choice Spurlock and co-writers Jeremy Chilnick and Joss Whedon (yes, that Joss Whedon) make for this documentary is to come at the Con from every possible angle. They have found a diverse group of subjects that as a whole manage to embody every type or person or personality who passionately seeks out Comic-Con each year.The chosen subjects consist of two aspiring comic book artists hoping to get valuable feedback and perhaps even a job offer from the major names in the business; a young woman hoping her costumes featuring Mass Effect video game characters will grab some attention; a long-time comic book collector and vendor contending with the shriveling devotion to comics at the convention created specifically for them; a young man who hopes to propose to his girlfriend whom he met at Comic-Con the year before.Some of these subjects aren't even likable people, but there's something that even someone who's only part geek will connect with in each of them. They are dreamers, and they all embrace the kid inside without any trepidation, and anyone who does that or yearns to do that more often will be caught up in these stories.Peppered into these narratives are testimonials from various celebrities or annual Comic-Con personalities. While they lend an authoritative voice to the documentary, their words and thoughts feel remarkably more hollow in comparison to the people whose stories are being told. Even if they are genuine, they feel like a forced means of guiding the documentary from chapter to chapter.And then there's the fact that it's not exactly poignant. The end note is that Comic-Con is a place where everyone can let their geek flag fly, a point that becomes evident minutes into the movie. The only challenging question that the documentary raises is whether Comic-Con has "sold out," yet that's not the emphasis of the film. Documentaries are supposed to push boundaries and ask tough questions, but "Comic-Con: Episode IV" was created similar to how a middle school student chooses a research topic — because the subject is something he loves, not because he has some provocative thesis he's dying to test.Setting aside those pre-teen motivations for making the film in the first place, "Comic-Con: Episode IV" is exceptionally well made for what it is — a celebration of geek culture and the dreamer's mentality.~Steven CThanks for reading! Visit moviemusereviews.com

The phenomenon of San Diego's Comic-con has grown to astronomic levels in both attendance and exhibition since it's inception in 1970. It has morphed into something much more than just a gathering of comic book nerds, packed into a hotel conference room. Comic-Con encompasses all things pop culture, be it comics, movies, games, or anything else people can geek out over. Famed director Morgan Spurlock decided to chronicle the 2010 con, and follow a select few to document their reasons for being there, and their experience.In addition to following around a genuine, and interesting cast of characters, Spurlock sprinkles in some interviews with some of the con's most prolific figures including Kevin Smith, Joss Whedon, Seth Rogan, and many more. Having these people give their thoughts and anecdotes about the con was a nice touch, and added some flavor to the film.The real meat of the documentary, however, is with the interesting group of central characters. We see two aspiring artists, a costume designer, a collector, a comic book dealer, and a young couple in love. All of the characters have different reasons for being there, and yet they all share the same passion for comics, movies, and games. The characters were varied enough to keep things interesting, and they were all very likable people. In addition to learning about who these people are, and their reasons for attending Comic-Con, we learn that there's much more to the con than to simply see famous people and buy memorabilia. People use Comic-con as an opportunity to showcase their talents, and hopefully further their careers.One of the other important topics discussed in this documentary is the concept of geek culture, the rise of geek coolness, and the commercialization of Comic-Con. As most of us know, many of the things that were considered nerdy when we were kids, are actually cool now, and as a result, many companies are cashing in. When Comic-Con began, it was just a small convention focusing on comics, however now, comics take a backseat to all the other stuff going on in the con. Nowadays, many of the people that attend, don't even know, or particularly care about comics. This is upsetting to comic book fans, especially since the industry has been suffering for years.Although Comic-Con Episode IV may not break new ground in the documentary genre, it does give people an inside look at one of the biggest pop culture events of the year. As stated in the film, everyone can find something to love about Comic-Con, and the same can be said about the film itself. It's a light and enjoyable film, that's certainly worth a watch, even if you aren't a die hard comic fan.Adam FilmPulse.Net