Review of Fanboys (2009) by Jim M — 01 Jun 2011

A group of friends travels cross country to steal a rough cut of The Phantom Menace so their cancer afflected buddy can see it.

Once upon a time I was eager to see this, I shouldn't have bothered. Starring Sam Huntington, Dan Fogler, Jay Baruchel, Christopher Marquette and Kristen Bell. Bell deserves better to be in this crap and Fogler, who was hilarious in Balls of Fury is simply annoying here. Baruchel and Huntington could be replace by anybody (all Huntugton brings is a reminder that he was in Detroit Rock City, a far better movie with a similer premise). Marquette on occasion stands out as the cancer afflicted friend (who's only afflicted as required by the plot). The comedy falls flat mostly and is good for only a few smiles and one or 2 chuckles relying too much on cameos and shit no one cares about (though Kevin Smith's cameo was amusing). The biggest flaw is that the 3 of the 5 main characters are the worst possable sterotypes. Huntington's character catches shit because for the past 3 years his been working as a Used Car Salesman for his father who's ready to turn the company over to him. 3 years out of high school and allready running your own company sounds like the dudes got his head on right, so why's he taking shit from Fogler who's content to live in a garage, sell comic books and call Star Trek fans losers (the irony is lost on him). At least someone should call him on this shit. Bell's character is more grounded she likes the same thing as the boys (Star Wars) but doesn't obsess (actually why does she hang around with them? She apparently has a thing for Baruchel's character but why is never mentioned, seems all she gets for the most part is sexually harassed by Fogler). So obsessed are the others that in Las Vegas they prefer to simply watch TV (StarGate SG-1) in their hotel room. Roadtrip movies should be about life changing experiences (especially ones taken on behalf of cancer stricken friends), but no one seems to change much. If the filmakers had cut out Baruchel and Foglers characters, given Bell a larger role and focused on Bell, Huntington and Marquette well playing this as a drama rather then a (attempted) comedy something good might have emerged as it is whats here isn't worth your time.

Note to Hollywood. Minimum wage existence, well not a living hell, is not ideal, stop portraying it as such. Enough with the celebration of the slacker allready, how about given the working stiff some love.