Review: ‘Fanboys’

One of the coolest dudes I met at Sundance got a chance to see ‘Fanboys’ this past week and I asked him to write up a review for it, so here it is. Hopefully he will be joining us for more stuff soon:

Douglas Chaplin

It all started off as a mild mannered Thursday night voyage to the Victoria Theater in San Francisco’s Misson District. My co-pilot and I felt the disturbance with our first steps off the BART transport that deployed us on to 16th street. From half a block away we spotted them; a patrol of imperial storm troopers doing pr work with R2-D2 and a sweaty Leia look-alike. We knew then more than ever that our entire SF Independent Film Festival experience hinged on the success of the highly elusive and anticipated FANBOYS.

Upon first glance, FANBOYS seemed pigeon holed as yet another attempt to warm movie maker hands by the successes of American Pie/SuperBad type coming of age stories. All the ingredients for this movie recipe were there: A collection of cooky lopsided characters embarking on a quest to complete a collective goal despite the unrelenting obstacles that several celebrity cameos provide along the way.

FANBOYS opens as any other Star Wars film, with the yellow scroll into the infinite abyss of the night sky. We reconvene with old high school friends Eric, Linus, Hutch, and Windows, four years after the inevitable last ‘episode’ together. With the Chambawama late 90’s anthem of youth and drinking embedded in a Halloween house party, the boys get excited and let weathered car salesman Eric in on the idea that they are still planning the Episode I heist.

In terms of performances, everyone brings it as an easily accessible group of fanboys, and with a stellar performance from Kristen Bell as the lovable geek/nerd Zoe, there isn’t to much to hate. Sam Huntington, Chris Marquette, and Jay Baruchel are a solid clan that click and play off of each other well. Hutch, played by new comer Dan Fogler delivers what could only be described as the perfect tribute to past Jack Black performances and antics. Seth Rogen is the highlight of the film pulling in a Peter Sellers type performance by playing both of the films villains, a leader of the ‘Treekies’ and a Pimp of the prostitutes.

Throw in cameos and obstacles with William Shatner, Carrie Fischer, Billy Dee Williams, Kevin Smith and Jay, Craig Robinson from The Office, Will Forte, and Danny McBride as the leader of the Skywalker compound – geeks everywhere will have there cravings satisfied.

The backgrounds of many shots are sprinkled with great late 90’s references – I could clearly see some of the 1999 Star Wars packaging and Episode I toys I collected as a kid. The crew playing N64 and tracking the countdown to Episode I’s release on a huge Palm Pilot was classic; I still do wish there were more references to the 90s ala The Wackness.

In terms of being a fanboy I could liter this review with spoilers, but that would let any fanboy know the complications of the plot. I will let you in on my favorite spoiler though: they have kept Linus’ cancer story line in and I think it plays well.

In the end I had a great time with FANBOYS and it far exceeded my expectations. It’s great to see films in which characters understand the magnitude of a mission but just have to go for it because there really is no other way. The film at its core is a journey into a group of fanboys own Death Star trench run; breaking into Skywalker Ranch is in these characters eyes just as important as Luke’s mission final mission at the end of Episode IV.

After the film the cast and crew went on stage to field questions. Chris Marquette had a hilarious story about kissing with tongue Carrie Fischer. Kyle Newman and the other producers seemed generally enthusiastic about finally seeing the film released. Most of the cast either seemed tired or looked very nervous to be in a 2/3rds filled autitorium. Finally, I asked director Kyle Newman and the three cast members that were present (Sam Huntington, Chris Marquette, and Dan Fogler) and a couple producers what they inevitably thought about Episode I. The majority seemed to agree that it sucked and they did not love it, and that FANBOYS is a timeless classic for it was in the good old days before we knew the film would blow.

There were lame rumors online that Geroge Lucas was supposed to show up; but he was a no show.

Overall 4 out of 5