Search

Comic Book: The Movie

2004, Movie, PG-13, 107 mins

Comic Book: The Movie: Review

starstarstarstar
Actor Mark Hamill was the guiding force behind this self-indulgent mockumentary, which uses a fictitious movie version of a comic book to pillory Hollywood values. Studio executives Anita Levine (Lori Alan) and Taylor Donahue (Roger Rose) get more than they bargained for when, during pre-production on their latest blockbuster, "Code Name: Courage," they hire fanzine editor Donald Swan (Mark Hamill) to shoot a behind-the-scenes documentary. They expect to buy some cachet and to use his footage to promote the eventual dvd release, but comic-book historian Swan is an expert on the original WWII-era comic "Commander Courage," which dealt with an anti-Nazi crusader, and is passionately devoted to the vision of creator Jackson Tobias Whitney. Swan can accept that the screenplay has been updated to contemporary times, and that the new villains are international terrorists, but times but takes exception to changing the hero's sidekick from a male teenager to a nubile Lolita. Levine and Donahue intend to try out their new, improved concept at the San Diego Comicon, but Swan throws a monkey wrench into their plan by hiring an actor to make appearances in a 1940's-style Commander Courage costume. He also tracks down Whitney's only living relative, Leo Matuzik (Billy West), who could not only side with Swan against the filmmakers but could also sue for a share of the profits. The Hollywood hucksters hope to win over the fan boys to their hyped-up Commander Courage, but Swan, whose finger is on the pop-culture pulse may exert more influence than they ever imagined. Although Hamill's digs at mega-movie production has its satiric heart in the right place, his directing instincts are weak and it's hard not to wish that someone more experienced has stepped in and forced him to trim and sharpen some of the talking-heads footage. leave a comment --Robert Pardi
Advertisement

Advertisement

Related Websites

You might be also interested in the following websites:

Most Popular TV Shows

  1. Dancing with the Stars
  2. The Game
  3. NCIS
  4. American Idol
  5. Wife Swap
more popular tv shows

Most Popular Celebrities

  1. Carrie Prejean
  2. Jennifer Lopez
  3. Susan Boyle
  4. Sammy Sosa
  5. Donald Trump
more popular celebrities

Most Popular Movies

  1. A Christmas Carol
  2. This Is It
  3. Men Who Stare At Goats
  4. The Fourth Kind
  5. Paranormal Activity
more popular movies

Top Videos

  1. Dancing With The Stars
  2. Saturday Night Live
  3. V
  4. Desperate Housewives
  5. NCIS
more top videos