Comic Book: The Movie (2004)

Excellent, Without a doubt!!

Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.

I don't know why people don't like it...but if you are a comic geek, like me, you will love this film. Trust me. It all deals with Hollywood wanting to adapt a revamp of a golden age comic character, Commander Courage. When Mark Hamill's character gets involved he tries to get them to go for the golden age character but runs into some obstacles...so anyway, I like it, thought it was great...plus it relates to me because of my hatred for what Hollywood does (sometimes) to comic characters and remaking classic films and turning them into crap. I suggest it to comic lovers...some non comic geeks might find it too boring.

The movie was rather odd, but it did have its moments. It works better if one really knows comics, vintage collectibles, the movie industry, and the actors involved (especially the ones known for voiceovers for popular shows). For those heavily into science fiction and comics, it was fun to pick out the people making cameos, including the "Men Behind the Mask." Mark Hamill's approach showed respect and reverence for the fan base, as well as poking a healthy dose of fun at the movie industry. The DVD has a lot of extra information including some of the panels these talented actors chaired. The movie was made for the fans, but unlike some movies of this ilk, they showed respect instead of making it a geeks on parade feature.

COMIC BOOK: THE MOVIE could have been so much more. It could have uncovered why people love comics to the point of worship, or why so many individuals feel the need to "collect." It could have pushed us into the deep end of the nostalgia pool. It could have been both a loving and cynical look at the world of comic books fandom. And most important of all, it could have been extremely funny.Well, it at least tried to be funny. But it fails miserably in that regard.Let me say, first and foremost, that this is no WAITING FOR GUFFMAN. It tries to be a mockumentary, but it looks like it's filmed on video and appearslike anyone could have done it. (Not that I'm knocking that completely; I like edgy films, I like films that could have been filmed in somebody's basement; my problem here is, the film is otherwise extremely slick. The poor filming quality with the slick editing just doesn't cut it for me. Though, I should state that the fake covers of the COMMANDER COURAGE comic book were extraordinarily well crafted.) I also have a problem with much of the acting. In the Christopher Guest mocks, you always get an idea that these are human beings. Crazed. Outlandish. Sometimes off the wall (i.e. Fred Willard in A MIGHTY WIND). But human nonetheless. Not so here. The people portraying the studio execs are very poor; they are like second-rate community theatre players in search of a laugh line. Some of their mannerisms are way over the top for the stage, let alone a "movie."I thought Mark Hamill had moments that worked as an actor; his passion and mania for COMMANDER COURAGE (his fave superhero) are sometimes touching. His rants about his love of this superhero are at times amusing. But again, where is the human being? I saw a stock character--the comic book fanatic--as opposed to a PERSON who happens to be a comic book fanatic. I enjoy Hamill in other films; but I guess when directing himself, he's not able to guide himself into a plausible character.My favorite actor was the gregarious cameraman, mainly because his impersonations were spot on and he alone provided some of the movie's only laughs. Kevin Smith is fine, as are the other celebrity guests. But they aren't in the film long enough to sustain it. It's Hamill's baby, and he's not charismatic enough or strong enough in this particular performance to carry it. At times you think you might catch a glimpse of a comic-loving Corky St. Clair, or someone like Corky, but that never occurs. Hamill's Donald Swann is annoying to many of the people onscreen, and soon enough, he becomes annoying to the audience watching the film. Not a good sign.The film also felt especially long. SHOAH lasts many hours and I was never bored; this film is only 107 minutes and it felt like an eternity.I guess if you are a comic book fan, you will find some enjoyment in the behind the scenes look at the San Diego Comic Con, where much of this takes place. But if you're not, good luck. Using the comic book grading scale for condition, I give COMIC BOOK: THE MOVIE a very generous rating of FAIR.

Well, not really..........BUT it sounded like a good grabber line.Actually, it seems as if their creator gave this a "thumbs up", since he allowed them to use that vignette of him. I really didn't realize how much he'd look like "Bob".Although I was taken aback at how much Luke Skywalker has aged, I did enjoy seeing him still standing up for old-fashioned values. I do enjoy the X-Men, and the Titans, I still have a very warm spot in my memory for Captain Marvel, Aquaman, and The Flash. And I still prefer Robin to Nightshade.As far as the quality of the movie - it did drag quite a bit in places (Day 1 seemed to take up half the length of the movie) and they skimmed over Leo's realization that the old "hildhood friends" were fake...I'd like to have seen mor of Sid and Johnathan.