DVD Pick: Fanboys

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far...well actually ours.

BY COLIN ENQUIST

I was told that fanboys would be the only people that enjoy this film which has a premise that is very simple, a group of friends who happen to be Star Wars geeks decide to drive across the country to break into Skywalker Ranch to steal a viewing of the rough cut of Episode I before it is released upon the world. Kyle Newman (The Hollow) directs the cast of Sam Huntington (Superman Returns), Chris Marquette (Alpha Dog), Dan Fogler (Balls of Fury), Jay Baruchel (Knocked Up), and Kristen Bell (Forgetting Sarah Marshall).

Early on in the film, gay bars, mistaken hookers and meeting internet girlfriends that turn out to be not who they say they are, many clichés made this look like a run of the mill comedy cranked out every 6 months by studios. After you get past the first 40 minutes though it starts to kick into lightspeed (sorry, I could not resist). Big laughs come but I found more small laughs caused by items only fanboys will pick up on which always made me have a smile on my face.

Originally this film was to be released in 2007 and but do too many minor problems it was delayed until 2009. Harvey Weinstein wanted the subplot of Chris Marquette’s character having cancer cut completely from the film and was going to insert raunchier, vulgar humour. A cut was made without it but after “fanboys” rallied on the internet to keep the cancer subplot in. The Weinstein Company caved and gave director Kyle Newman 2 days to re-edit the film. I applaud Newman who never wanted to cut it out of the film, I even wonder what the film would have been like if Newman was given more time to edit the film as he saw fit which maybe would have made the cancer ploy take more meaning instead of a way to progress the story.

This film is laced with actors who appeared in at least one of the Star Wars movies including Ray Park, Billy Dee Williams and most notably Carrie Fisher. Other cameos were from Star Wars fanboy Kevin Smith and his usual partner in crime, Jason Mewes. Sticking with space related cameos; William Shatner plays a pivotal role in the film by getting the gang into Skywalker Ranch. Seth Rogen also joins the cast for a few scenes as different characters, one as a Trekkie and the other as a pimp who loves Star Wars.

This film plays off the Star Wars mythology and you must have some knowledge of that to enjoy this movie. You probably will not have much fun with this film if you don’t consider yourself a Star Wars fan. I was pleasantly surprised when the film finished at how emotionally invested in the film I was. The movie may not have been great but the ending is near-perfect. Friendship themes and wit carry this film to the finale with grandeur that merit’s a viewing. So I guess this makes me a fanboy.

3 out of 5