With a gentle touch, Morgan Spurlock brings us the tale of San Diego’s annual Comic Convention, a geek gathering that has gone supernova into a carnival of toys, costumes, and Hollywood stars hawking their latest sci-fi and fantasy projects. Viewers hoping for finger-pointing and nerd-mockery will be disappointed. Instead, Spurlock discovers subjects seeking to achieve their dreams. The film introduces us to Holly, a costumer and creature designer; Chuck, owner of a venerable comic book store; James, on the hunt for a Lord of the Rings engagement ring for his girlfriend; and Eric and Skip (a Columbia resident!), two aspiring illustrators hoping to break into the industry. Moving efficiently from story to story, weaving in moments with Comic-Con celebrities (including Stan “The Man” Lee) and still finding time to marvel at the sheer spectacle of it all, Spurlock has crafted a funny, heartwarming tale about strangers who, for a few days, can celebrate belonging to the same tribe. Even the Stormtroopers. (DW)