Film Review - COMIC-CON EPISODE IV: A FAN'S HOPE ★★★☆☆

The fanboy culture has long been a easy joke for those residing outside of the secret circle. As a card carrying member of the geek squad, I think it's safe to say we can thank The Big Bang Theory for kicking down the doors and conquering the fears of the masses with its comical, yet non-disparaging, view of the Comic-Con crowd. When the nerd-centric sitcom bests American Idol in head to head Thursday night showdowns, geeks truly have inherited the Earth.

Conan O'Brien's typical take in a nightly monologue is far less kind. The no-holds-barred skit featuring Triumph The Insult Comic Dog visiting the line of fans camped out in NYC to see Star Wars: Episode II - Attack Of The Clones pretty much says how raw it can get.

Enter Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan's Hope, the latest documentary from Morgan Spurlock. The title is a nod to the subtitle of the first Star Wars film, 1977's Episode IV: A New Hope. Spurlock, who does not appear on camera this time out, takes us along for the ride through the eyes of several devotees to the annual Super Bowl of all conventions, San Diego Comic-Con.

The easy angle would be to go after and mock the hardcore fans who take their hero worship to an all too grand level, and mirror a tone that recalls William Shatner's memorable 'Get A Life' Saturday Night Live sketch. But thankfully in this day and age, there has developed a mainstream acceptance of the geek's role in society, and a stale "been there done that" stigma has evolved for attacking the freak factor.

Spurlock instead focuses on fans whose personal passions in life lead them to 2010's Comic-Con to pursue their dreams. Whether it be Skip and Eric, who want to become comic book illustrators, Holly an aspiring costume and creature designer, James who wishes to propose to his unsuspecting girlfriend, or veteran comic book dealer Chuck who needs to score big sales in order to keep his iconic company Mile High Comics afloat.

Inter cut with interviews and commentary from Geek God fixtures like Stan Lee, Joss Whedon, Kevin Smith, Harry Knowles, and Eli Roth, the documentary succeeds in telling accessible heartwarming stories that non-nerds can easily embrace.

Amazingly enough, any given episode of The Big Bang Theory contains and requires a higher level of in-the-know geek references than this entire film has, which is refreshing to report regarding the State of The Union of the formerly sheltered genre.

Producers Joss Whedon and Stan Lee, both icons in the field, treat their core community with respect and offer some keen insight to fandom. Whedon, the prolific writer/producer/director responsible for, among other achievements, bringing Buffy The Vampire Slayer to TV and helming this summer's super hero team-up extravaganza The Avengers, is quick with wit and honesty regarding his views on the devotion of the attendees. Stan Lee, the Marvel Comics legend who created Spider-Man, Fantastic Four, The Hulk, and X-Men, is shown touring the Comic-Con floor and interacting with his adoring fans. Kevin Smith, the director of Clerks and another embraced ambassador for the cause, is always good for biting humor and bringing some profanity to the otherwise clean party.

Speaking of Smith, his Q&A session becomes a highlight of the film as we follow James Darling, who plans to propose to his unsuspecting girlfriend in front of Kevin and thousands of his fellow fans in attendance. And if you think this sweet plan would ever transpire without a few funny bumps in the road, that would be too much to ask of any relationship.

Between Holly Conrad, a costume and creature designer who wants to showcase her skills in costume design via staging a scene from the video game Mass Effect, and aspiring illustrators James Henson and Skip Harvey, whose separate pursuits of attaining jobs as professional comic book artists offer a different perspective to the convention, there is more than enough story to keep the attention of people who may not be initially drawn to a documentary like this.

At its core, Comic-Con Episode IV is a fun film with its heart in the right place, and has nothing but the best of intentions of bringing a better understanding of the culture to the masses. Its reverence for fandom and the respect the filmmakers show for their subjects endows it with a unique  'follow your dream' quality that anyone outside of this secret circle can relate to, whether you are a proud card carrying geek or an on the sidelines civilian. And you can add an extra half star to my rating if you are the former.

Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan's Hope opens in LA today and rolls out in select theaters thereafter. It will be available on Video On Demand tomorrow, April 6th.

REVIEW RATING: ★★★☆☆
Directed By: Morgan Spurlock
Starring: Holly Conrad, James Henson, Skip Harvey, James Darling, Se Young Kang, Chuck Rozanski
Studio: Wrekin Hill Entertainment, Neca Films & Warrior Poets
Rated: PG-13