Review of Free Enterprise (1998) by Joe B — 30 Sep 2006

Hi, boys and girls, and welcome to another edition of "Clerks Lite." In this cult favorite, two aspiring filmmakers and sci-fi fanatics find their friendship stretched to the breaking point when one of them falls in love with the sexy comic book-loving Claire.

To make matters worse, the only celebrity who wants to collaborate on a movie project with them is William Shatner (playing himself), who dreams of making a film version of Julius Caesar... starring himself in all the roles.

Although the pop culture references are inspired (and occasionally brilliant, revealing some real love for Star Trek, Speed Racer, Logan's Run, Planet of the Apes, Star Wars, and lots more), the film's two-hour running time cannot justify its relative dearth of inspiration.

This could have been the funniest 20-minute short of all time... but at two hours, the movie is downright lethargic, and cannot survive the unfortunate infusion of melodrama in the second half. Flawed, but worth seeing once if you're a proud sci-fi geek.