I’m not really sure why I dreaded this presentation so much (perhaps it had something to do with the fact that I just sat through four hours of entertaining panels knowing this one would be a snoozefest in comparison), but the Disney/Pixar panel just wasn’t up to par. They didn’t have a whole lot to show, and of the three films represented, there wasn’t a single one that interested me in the way projects from every other panel have this weekend.
“The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian” (guests: Andrew Adamson – via satellite)
This was a split panel, in a sense, because many of the film’s crewmembers appeared in person to discuss their work on the second installment, but director Andrew Adamson was unable to get away from the set long enough to pop in. He was, however, able to appear via satellite video (along with a two second delay, ugh) so that he could intro a never-before-seen trailer for the new film and show off the Boy That Would Be Caspian, Ben Barnes (who’ll also appear in the fantasy film “Stardust” this August). Though he didn’t stay for very long, Adamson was the only interesting thing about the presentation.
The rest of the panel knew so little about the production as a whole (they’re experts in one field and one field only), that I felt a bit shortchanged. They showed off some pre-viz animation, finished creature effects and armor that was created especially for the film, and also fielded questions from the audience, but once Adamson and Barnes went to bed (no, seriously), the panel pretty much died right along with them. Nevertheless, while the first movie was a huge success, the second installment promises to be even bigger. Just think about how much better “The Two Towers” was than “The Fellowship of the Ring,” and you’ll get a good idea of what direction the film is going. Here’s a hint: It rhymes with “lots of schmaction.”
“National Treasure 2: The Book of Secrets” (guests: none)
Nicolas Cage was scheduled to appear on Sunday along with his son to pimp their new comic book, but he obviously wasn’t too concerned with stopping by to present the world premiere trailer of “National Treasure 2.” Hmm… could it be because it sucks? I won’t pass judgment too early, but I will say one thing. Helen Mirren as Benjamin Gates’ mother/father’s new girlfriend? Seriously? This is what she signs up for after winning every award imaginable? The plot itself sounds a bit farfetched – his great granddad is framed as the puppet master behind the assassination of Abraham Lincoln – but this is just ridiculous.
“WALL*E” (guests: Andrew Stanton)
What if humans evacuated Earth but forgot to turn off the last robot? This is the story of “WALL*E,” a movie about a trash-compactor robot who continues to perform his one function even after everyone has left. Of course, WALL*E is eventually picked up by a spaceship where other (more advanced) robots roam, and it’s there that he falls in love. Now, from the footage that Andrew Stanton showed to the Comic-Con crowd, I have to say that Pixar is taking a HUGE risk with their latest film. Sure, the five-minute clipped that was shown was charming as hell, but will mainstream America be able to sit through a two-hour long film with almost no dialogue? Perhaps, but only because we don’t know all the details just yet. What we do know is that the robots can only say their own name (as well make a few reactionary noises), the humans have turned into lazy slobs (a la “Idiocracy”), and that there is a live-action element that plays into the film. Of course, Stanton wouldn’t get into specifics, and that’s the only reason why I haven’t completely condoned this movie. Well, and it’s Pixar.
Groening started the panel off in grand fashion by introducing a never-before-seen deleted scene from the aforementioned “Simpsons” movie. The clip in question features Homer as he treks back to Springfield by way of a sausage truck. After letting Homer off at his stop, the driver (voiced by Hank Azaria) heads back to check on his sausages (and singing “checking my sausages”) only to discover that they’re all gone.
Zack Snyder: (continuing his conversation from the previous roundtable) One of the things that I think is important about “Watchmen” is that it have resonances of cinematic pop culture, as well as superhero culture, because I believe there’s a relationship between Rorschach and Travis Bickle in “”Taxi Driver.” I believe that there’s a relationship between the war room in “Doctor Strangelove” and NORAD. There are cinematic relationships in the graphic novel, and I really think that the movie, this movie, “Watchmen,” is able to comment on both things in a way that other movies can’t, because it really does observe pop culture all the time while it’s telling the story. And I think that part of the influence on the characters themselves is the culture that they’re in. And for that part it’s something hugely fun to explore and, just from a visual standpoint, is hugely fun to say ‘Well, what does that mean?.’ Like, when you’re in the war room, how do you make it “Doctor Strangelove,” without making it “Doctor Strangelove”?
Though many were there to see Smith do his thing for all 90 minutes, the writer/director had a little surprise for those in attendance: the pilot episode of The CW’s “Reaper.” The show, which is a mix between “Ghost Rider” and “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” (and possibly “Ghostbusters,” but I can’t make that assessment based on one episode), is the perfect replacement for those still mourning the cancellation of “Buffy,” “Angel” and other fantasy-based programs. For more on the show, be sure to check out our very own 
I have to admit, I wasn’t that excited about this movie going into the panel, but after watching some early footage and getting the scoop on the cast, this has quickly become one of my most anticipated films of 2008. Of course, “Iron Man” and “The Dark Knight” are a demanding #1 and #2, but if Steve Carell has yet become the A-list star everyone seems to believe he is, “Get Smart” is definitely the film that will push him to the top. Carell describes the film as a comedic “Bourne Identity,” and while several people in the audience laughed at such premise, I think he hit the nail on the head. The film looks to be grounded very much in reality, and while Agent 86 does depend on a few gadgets throughout the course of the story, they’re all based around very practical concepts.
Not a lot to discuss here. Nicole Kidman was supposed to appear in person (I don’t believe that a single bit), but instead sent in a short video as an intro to an exclusive trailer of “The Invasion.” Considering that the director of the film also failed to make an appearance (and he was supposed to, until about a week ago), I think it”s safe to say that neither party is especially interested in promoting a film that’s already receiving terrible publicity. No one wants to see another remake of “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” – especially one plagued with so many production horror stories.
Here’s another film that took me completely by surprise. A Hollywood remake of Takashi Miike’s “Chakushin ari,” the movie follows a group of people who receive phone calls from their former selves, only to discover the exact date, time and details of their death. Sure, the movie sounds a whole lot like “The Ring” and, well, every other Japanese horror flick imported to the States over the past decade, but there’s something about the adaptation of Miike’s style (which is evident in the exclusive trailer we saw) that shows definite promise in offering something very unique and creepy.
Remember those Lionsgate panels that I complained about so much yesterday? Yeah, well, the WB sneak peek of “Whiteout” ranks right up there as one of the worst movie-related panels at this year’s Comic-Con. Because Kate Beckinsale was MIA for a majority of the panel (she was stuck in traffic behind a freight truck), the audience was forced to listen to producer Joel Silver, director Dominic Sena and creator Greg Rucka field an endless supply of questions (somewhere in the range of 50, actually) about the big screen adaptation of the Eisner-winning graphic novel.
The trailer was shown – twice – and by the time Beckinsale arrived on stage, the audience had already lost interest in discussing the film any further. Beckinsale herself was considerably loopy during the end of the Q&A session, and between fielding countless superhero questions (from “Underworld” to “Wonder Woman” to “Catwoman”), Beckinsale told a few amusing anecdotes from the set.
Who watches the Watchmen? That’s an interesting question, but I think it’s safe to say that the members of the press (myself excluded) have invested more than just a general interest in the production of this movie. Director Zack Snyder was hoping to keep all those casting rumors a secret until Comic-Con when he would reveal his full cast list, but unfortunately, that wasn’t so. Even the last-minute casting of Jeffrey Dean Morgan was leaked online two days before Snyder took the stage, and though the director should be a little more pissed about it then he seemed, I was happy to discover that he still had plenty to talk about. Snyder shared his thoughts on early production of the film (including how he got involved) and then introduced two members of the cast to join him on stage: Jackie Earl Haley, who will be playing one of the film’s main protagonists, Rorschach, and Malin Ackerman, who will be playing the new Silk Spectre.
Along with confirming that Sally Jupiter would be keeping the poodle bob haircut, Snyder also mentioned his plans for Dr. Manhattan. During his early years, the character of Manhattan will be played by Billy Crudup as a normal human being, but when he becomes the blue-skinned superhero, the character will be done completely in CGI. It’s a risky decision on Snyder’s part, but it’s probably also the right one. We’ve seen plenty of actors don the blue paint in the past, and so it probably makes sense that a CGI Manhattan would not only look different, but also incur a certain sense of superiority over the other actors. Later in the panel, Snyder also discussed his plans to include the “Black Freighter” pirate subplot in the film, as well as why he cast slightly older actors for all of the major roles.
