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As Good As It Gets

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.

Not being an avid comic book reader, I found Ron Mann's insightful documentary to be revealing and informative. This film sheds light on how much of an impact comic books and their artist have in our culture, history, and society. From political satires, to old tales of classic superheroes, horror and action filled comics, Mann covers a base on all genres in the comic book world. The style in which Mann delivers this film has the viewer flying across the pages of some of the most cherished comic books. I thought it was a create and balancing introduction to those who have never even heard of some of the artists and comic books that are still well known to this day. Those new to comics and those who are proud junkies can enjoy this pleasant and informative documentary that will have the viewer turning the "page" to find out what happens next.

I've read comics before, but i'm not an avid comic book reader, and until this film I had no idea of the great history behind comic books. This film is tailored to educate and entertain everyone from the most avid comic book readers to the people that know nothing about comics. The film did a fantastic job at going through the history of comics and hitting on all of the aspects of comic books and comic book writers. I do, however, wish there was more about women's involvement in comics. Comic Book Confidential is filled with great interviews from both well-known and not-so-well-known writers, and is filled with great insight into the rich history of comic books.

Ron Mann's playful documentary works in two ways, first and foremost as an affectionate thumbnail history of comic books and the social attitudes that nurtured them, from the super patriotic fervor of the Second World War to the right-wing paranoia of McCarthyism to the counterculture underground of the '60s and beyond. Elsewhere it's an introduction to almost two-dozen comic artists (the tag cartoonist doesn't do them justice) still plying their trade, all of them misfits, rebels, radicals, and malcontents. Snappy graphics and sample art combine to make the film a colorful celebration of an enduring and popular form of self-expression, with one drawback: most of the highlighted artists could have inspired their own full length feature, and the film simply isn't long enough to examine them individually to the depth they each deserve. Also, parents please note: despite the subject matter this is certainly not a film for children.

This is a very interesting video, especially for people that are new to comics or just a general audience. My biggest reservation is that it didn't concentrate enough on the BIG companies and creators. I would have liked to seen more of Frank Miller's Dark Knight, and Art Spiegleman's Maus, and Robert Crumb, Will Eisner, and Stan Lee, instead of the whole list of people I've never heard of that work on underground comics. Heck, this video spends a disproportionate amount of time on undergrounds, and then hardly mentions the other big names.Still, there is very interesting stuff about Frederick Werthem and the CCA, and it's a serious video about comics. It gets a 5 out of 10 just for that.Maybe next time, we'll have a video for non-underground comics.