RYAN PEARSON runs down the five coolest things at this year's celebration of pop culture in San Diego.
It was bigger than ever, perhaps geekier than ever.
Yet Comic-Con International didn't open with the sort of hugely anticipated fan favorite as "Snakes on a Plane" did last year.
Finding the hottest tickets took some searching -- no easy matter in a convention center this crowded. Winners eventually emerged, both on and off the show floor. Below are five cool things from the nation's largest celebration of pop culture (oh, and comics).
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BEOWULF IN 3-D
Robert Zemeckis, who made "The Polar Express," is doing the 3-D thing again -- this time with one of the oldest tales in the English language. Roy Winstone stars as the titular hero and Crispin Glover (!) is Grendel. After watching 20 minutes of movie footage, it's apparent this will have the same problem as "Express": nearly realistic animated characters with eyes and facial movements that make them look distant and creepy. Still, it's exhilarating to see such impressive use of technology in the action sequences.
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ANGELINA JOLIE IN 3-D
Did we mention Angelina Jolie is in "Beowulf" as Grendel's water nymph mother? The highlight of the footage was her scene meeting the hero in her watery lair. It's got to be worth the price of admission alone to see her nude character, sporting a tail and stiletto heels built into her feet, rubbing Beowulf's sword suggestively and whispering in an odd, alluring accent. The movie is due out Nov. 16.
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QUICK DRAW
It was a delight to see the Sergio Aragones perform the ultimate quick draw. The speedy cartoonist, known for his work in Mad magazine and on the absurd Groo the Wanderer series, showed off his visual wit in real time by drawing on a projector alongside colleagues Scott Shaw! (an organizer of the original Comic-Con) and Mike Kazaleh. This was Comic-Con at its most wide-eyed and fun.
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THE HALLS
More than last year, the Comic-Con halls were teeming with fascinating characters. Spartans from "300" were a popular costume for attendees, along with superheroes of all stripes and video game characters like Snake from "Metal Gear Solid." Even better was the random high-profile guest. While Hollywood types like Robert Downey Jr. and Josh Hartnett mingled only amongst themselves on an out-of-reach patio, comic geeks could get up close and personal with comic legend Stan Lee, who was escorted around the halls by a busy-looking entourage, "Spawn" creator Todd McFarlane, Freddy Krueger actor Robert Englund, and a cadre of dozens of young women dressed up like Milla Jovovich's character from the first "Resident Evil" movies.
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IRON MAN
The biggest audience reaction came for "Iron Man," which it turns out may have far more anxious fans than "Snakes on a Plane" did. Downey Jr., Terrence Howard and director Jon Favreau got a lot of love from a packed convention center hall after showing an extended trailer of the movie, due out next May. Downey brings a light-hearted touch to early scenes as Tony Stark, and the progression of increasingly sleek suits was impressive. The footage ended with Iron Man flying in front of two fighter jets. He looked like Superman, only much cooler.
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asap staff reporter Ryan Pearson wants to see "Iron Man" in 3-D.
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