Review of Fanboys (2009) by Jay K — 21 May 2015

Star Wars and Star Trek fans will find the force in Fanboys, but general movie-goers may not see the funny.

In the world of film geekdom it all comes down to one simple question, Star Wars or Star Trek? Personally, I'm a jedi kind of guy over those Starfleet folk. And as a "fanboy" myself, there's a ton to take away from this picture. It's the American Pie of Star Wars. Crude jokes, sci-fi references and stellar cameos ride the course of the movie, as four Star Wars geeks try to penetrate George Lucas' Skywalker Ranch. The year is 1998 and six months before Episode 1: The Phantom Menace is released; our four fanatics want to see a rough cut of the movie before anyone else.

Fanboys is filled with the junk film buffs love: Mass quantities of inside jokes and hilarious cameos by cult heroes like Kevin Smith, Billy Dee Williams, Carrie Fisher and of course, William Shatner. But for those who waited in line for the midnight screening of The Phantom Menace (guilty), you'll be surprised to find something more poignant. You may find yourself laughing at just how silly it was to setup shop 24 hours before hand to grab tickets to a movie that is now hailed as the death of the franchise. And Fanboys is definitely something to share with that guy you hung out with in high school arguing over the forbidden love of Luke & Leia. And for the record, they didn't know they were brother and sister!

I just moved into a new place with two ladies. Neither of them know anything about "Han shooting first" or the replacement of Sebastian Shaw in the re-mastered final "Jedi" scene. So while watching Fanboys, I remember how growing up sometimes means leaving behind things you love. My former roommate (Mark) and I would debate for hours how Yoda should've been able to take the Emperor in Revenge of the Sith. Or how Harrison Ford really was the best part of Star Wars and how Luke was a tool - well, until Jabba's palace. And it sucks that we have to move away from the good times in our lives, no matter how dorky, because they made us who we are. And yes, it matters to us.

Mark and I are no longer roommates and I'm going to miss those times, but just like the movie will attest to, moving forward doesn't necessary have to mean you give up on your own "Death Star" (Luke's superlative moment in history). Mark's out doing that now and I'm here writing for you, piecing these moments together.

Fanboys may not be the best movie, and it doesn't score as well as Road Trip, American Pie or even Tomcats but what you do take away from this corny romp will probably be something like I did. A film with really good intentions, and a fantastic message: Growing up doesn't mean you have to give up who you used to be.