Ok, time for a confession: I’m a nerd. This movie was essentially made for me, and I enjoyed it guilt-free.
What is a Fanboy?
Should you didn’t know, fanboys (and girls) are obsessed fans of one series or another, and the term is often used when referring to followers of Star Wars and Star Trek, though some use Trekkies (or Trekkers) as a substitute — the Trekkies sequence of documentaries explains that in additional detail. Set in 1998, this film focuses on the cult obsession for Star Wars that existed previous to the discharge of the three Star Wars prequels, and has a number of materials to work with.
You may’t actually grasp the essence of fanboy-ism till you see it firsthand, and this film addresses that difficulty firsthand within the first couple of minutes of the movie. Darth Vader walks right into a Hallowe’en occasion flanked by a pair of stormtroopers, grabs a beer, then sits all the way down to open his laptop computer for a web based date. THAT is the essence of the fanboy who would not care what folks suppose, and unerringly follows his obsession.
Darth seems to be Jay Baruchel’s character, who’s referred to solely as Home windows, and his cohorts are Linus (Chris Marquette) and Hutch (Dan Fogler, Balls of Fury). After they run into Eric, an outdated acquaintance who has given up his fanboy previous, tempers flare and Eric finds out that Linus is dying from cancer.
The Quest
Very appropriately, Linus’s illness rekindles his outdated friendship with Eric, and a quest is born: to look at Star Wars: Episode 1 on the ranch of George Lucas before its release in theaters. What follows is a classic trip by four-halfwits crammed with unsuccessful interaction with the opposite sex, random cameos by Star Wars actors, and a hilarious cameo from one properly-known Star Trek actor.
One point worth noting is the incredible appearance by Seth Rogen, who plays the leader of a Star Trek club and also a Las Vegas escort entrepreneur. The Star Wars / Star Trek fan interaction is always hilarious, as each set of fanboys insults the other’s obsession, inevitably leading to an old-fashioned brawl. I don’t think I’ll ever forget the look on Seth Rogen’s face as he yells “Disable their vehicle! DISABLE THEIR VEHICLE!” while the fanboys make their escape. Right. We all know I’m a nerd.
Find Your Death Star
While I was biased in favor this film and caught a lot of the nuances that would go over some people’s heads, Ginny also enjoyed this movie — although I think some of her laughter was at my reactions when I kept falling off the couch.
This movie is light-hearted, means well, and underlines some important points, whether you’re a Star Wars fan, Star Trek fan, or not a fan of the Stars at all: follow your dreams, find your Death Star, and never give up on a friend.
This post is written by Phillip Evans 1. Learn more about fandango promotional code.