Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan’s Hope

Unquestionably Morgan Spurlock’s most entertaining effort since his debut, 2004’s Super Size Me, Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan’s Hope essentially details the ins and outs of the annual comic convention that unfolds in San Diego every summer – with a specific emphasis on how the con impacts four different attendees (including Holly, a talented cosplayer, and Eric, a struggling comic-book artist). Spurlock, who actually doesn’t provide narration for the first time in his career, does a fantastic job of immediately drawing the viewer into the briskly-paced proceedings, as it’s impossible not to sympathize with and root for the film’s immensely likeable subjects. And though it initially does seem as though the entire movie is going to unfold from their respective perspectives, Spurlock devotes much of the movie’s midsection to an overview of the convention’s goals and history – which he primarily accomplishes through engaging interviews with folks like Kevin Smith, Eli Roth, and Joss Whedon. (The latter offers one of the film’s funniest lines, as he remarks of the con’s attendees: “These are the people that buy the toy, then they buy another one so they don’t have to open it.”) Spurlock also offers up a number of entertaining digressions, including a toy collector’s efforts at snagging a rare action figure and an attendee’s nervous preparations for proposing to his girlfriend during Smith’s panel. (This crowd-pleasing section undoubtedly stands as a highlight.) And although the film might be a little on the long side (which is a very minor complaint, admittedly), Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan’s Hope is primarily an engrossing, consistently entertaining documentary that takes the viewer deep into an alien world that certainly does, from the outside, seem quite appealing and warm.

***1/2 out of ****