Every Comic-Con produces a number of success stories. Sometimes you can predict which films (and panels) will do better than others ahead of time, and sometimes the buzz will come as a surprise. Though 2010 was relatively tame in terms of any jaw-dropping surprises (or announcements), some folks showed up with their big guns, ready to wow us … and wow us they did. Here, in my opinion, are the top three (okay, four) winners of Comic-Con 2010.
With the biggest and most buzzed-about presence in San Diego this year, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World welcomed the geek masses with open arms, warm hugs and plenty of high fives. Aside from a fun panel (featuring what I think is one of the best ensemble casts of 2010) and a really fun off-site exhibition called "The Scott Pilgrim Experience", director Edgar Wright surprised the Con crowd by hosting three screenings of the film – one of which featured a pre-show performance from world famous DJs Automator and Kid Koala, and a post-show performance from the band Metric (both appear on the film’s soundtrack).Oh, and it doesn’t hurt that the film is fantastic in every conceivable way. Picture a coming-of-age story set inside the world of an old school video game, where bad guys explode into coins and the hero can gain an extra life in order to win the girl of his dreams. It pops with excitement and oozes a unique flavor that you’ve never tasted before and will never taste ever again. Definitely recommend seeing this one when it hits theaters on August 13th.
Not surprisingly, the big story heading into Comic-Con turned out to be one of the biggest stories after Comic-Con too. Marvel needed to show up big in order to squash fan skepticism over their three huge upcoming projects (Thor, Captain America: The First Avenger and The Avengers), and show up big they did. The casts of both Thor and Captain America were on hand for brief panels, including more footage from each than I think anyone expected (especially Captain America, which has been in production for only one week). And to cap off a long day (and an even longer Con), Marvel drove the crowd of thousands inside Hall H wild when they marched out the full cast for The Avengers, including newly casted folks like Mark Ruffalo (playing Bruce Banner/Hulk) and Jeremy Renner (playing Hawkeye). Good form Marvel – good form.
Competing against Scott Pilgrim vs. the World for the film with the most amount of cool-kid presence at Comic-Con this year, Tron: Legacy once again dazzled con-goers with some fantastical-looking 3D footage and an off-site arcade/club that produced what was probably the most sought-after entry ticket of the entire convention. Fans lucky enough to gain entrance into Flynn’s Arcade got to play a number of awesome old-school arcade games, as well as hang out in a futuristic, Tron-inspired club complete with Tron girls, Tron guys, a first look at the film’s sweet upcoming toyline and, um, Jeff Bridges nursing drinks in the corner.Honorable Mention: Sucker Punch
I don’t think the Comic-Con crowd knew what to think after watching the extended trailer for Zack Snyder’s Sucker Punch, due out March 25th, 2011. I believe I described it thusly on Twitter: "Tarantino meets Final Fantasy meets your most erotic fetish dream." The film, which follows a girl who uses fantasy situations to help her escape an insane asylum she was wrongfully committed to, is stacked with a young, hot all-female ensemble cast (Vanessa Hudgens, Jamie Chung, Emily Browning and Jena Malone), not to mention some amazing visual effects that feature the girls fighting monsters, dragons, robots … you name it. I’m still not sure what the hell was going on; all I knew was that I desperately wanted to see more.After reading all the Comic-Con coverage, which film are you most excited to see more of?
