Comic-Con 2007: It's a Wrap

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Here are a few of our personal highlights, low points and some of the projects we saw at Comic-Con that we look forward to catching in the future.

Look! Up in the sky!

Plenty of actors have been Superman through the years, but Adam Baldwin is the first one to do a death scene. "It's pretty intense," Baldwin said by phone today from the set of the television show "Chuck."

He couldn't make it to Comic-Con for the world premiere Thursday night of "Superman: Doomsday," the first in DC's new line of direct-to-DVD movies. The animated movie adapts the "Death of Superman" story that remains the best-selling single issue in comics history.

"For the character, the main thing I tried to do was be consistent and not overact or try take him too far in any direction. To me Superman is 'Truth, justice and the American way.' I'm from the Midwest. I think that's why they picked me."

People who watched Baldwin in the recording studio said he is an especially, uh, animated guy.

"For the fight scenes and action you have to move around to get that to sound authentic, but you have to try to be constrained so you don't knock things down. And the director kept telling me not to 'pop your Ps.' Words with Ps can send a vibration through the microphone that doesn't sound good."

Baldwin didn't grow up as a comics kid ("I was too busy playing hockey"), but his pal Joss Whedon tuned him up. Baldwin (who is not a Baldwin brother, in case you were wondering) said the best thing about playing Superman was doing it in a cartoon. "That way you don't have to wear the tights."

--Geoff Boucher

Look who's laughing now at Owen Wilson

Comic-Con long ago outgrew its name. But now the convention is sliding even past sci-fi, fantasy and horror.

Take the premiere today of the trailer for "Drillbit Taylor," a comedy starring Owen Wilson as a homeless man who pretends to be a former Navy SEAL and sells his services as a bodyguard to schoolkids. The trailer drew a big laugh with one crude line of advice the bum gives his young charges: "Not all of the martial arts are Asian. There's also Mexican judo, like when you say: 'Judo know who you're messing with, Holmes.' "

-- Geoff Boucher

Wait, is that ... ? Could it be ... It is! Spock!

The big surprise of the day?

Leonard Nimoy strolled out on-stage to thunderous applause during the Paramount Pictures panel on the new "Star Trek" film. The film, to be directed and produced by J.J. Abrams, follows the iconic crew members of the USS Enterprise during their early years in Starfleet. Abrams (who admitted to the crowd that he grew up more of a " 'Star Wars' kid than a 'Star Trek' kid") introduced the "young" Spock for the film: Zachary Quinto of "Heroes." The crowd clearly approved.

Then Abrams playfully told the audience he had another casting revelation: "We have more than one Spock." Then he brought out Nimoy (whom the filmmaker repeatedly referred to with a deferential "Mr. Nimoy").

Apparently the film will have a framing device with the older Spock. Nimoy told the crowd the movie has a "fantastic" script and a "great director." He added: "People keep asking me why I'm doing this movie. The answer is, well, it was logical."

Photo: Sheigh Crabtree  LAT

--Geoff Boucher

'Shoot 'Em Up': Lots of violence; no moral high ground

"I’ve never been in anything that’s got this much crazy movie violence in it.”

That’s Clive Owen speaking recently about his new role in “Shoot ’Em Up,” which might be the Oscar nominee’s most audacious role yet, about a deadly ex-commando of few words who takes it upon himself to protect a newborn being pursued by a mysterious army of gunmen. We caught up with Owen in advance of his appearance Friday at Comic-Con.

Q: In the opening scene, you’re delivering a baby while blasting a gun over her leg, over her shoulder, killing guys while you say “push” . . . . What was that like to film?

A: I remember when I first read the script. That’s how it kicks in right from the beginning. I got pitched “Shoot ’Em Up” and honestly thought it isn’t going to be for me. . . . I called up my agent and said, ‘If this guy [writer-director Michael Davis] can pull this off, it’ll be amazing.’ It delivers that kind of thrill, of crazy shootouts.

Q: You said it unashamedly. Some movies take the moral high ground about why they’re showing violence. Not “Shoot ’Em Up.” Here’s this nihilistic guy;, here are some situations he gets into. The bodies start piling up.

A: That honesty was hugely appealing. And also the wit about it. It’s got its tongue firmly in its cheek. It’s got humor all the way through — it’s wild and crazy. Another thing that was attractive: I thought it was fresh. I hadn’t seen anything quite like this.

Q: There are several scenes bound to get people talking. Namely, your sex scene with Monica Bellucci as a lactating prostitute — that’s got to be a movie first — during which you manage to also shoot at least a dozen people dressed in combat armor to death. How logistically complicated was that to shoot?