I don’t get this movie. I don’t see where the comedy is supposed to come in. Is this a movie where it’s funny because it’s true? Then why am I not laughing and getting a queasy feeling in the pit of my stomach. This film would have potentially forced out a laugh had it been made 15 years ago, but as it stands now it is completely irrelevant. Fanboys walks the line of stupid and unwatchable and laughs as it dips its toes on both sides of the line and you no longer have to wonder just why exactly it took The Weinstein Co. over two years to release it.
Set in 1998, Fanboys is based on the idea that nerds are obsessive about their sci-fi characters with a primary focus on Star Wars and a smattering of Star Trek references. Their obsession is so funny you are expected to laugh for 90 minutes at just how stupid they are. If you are wondering why this is funny the simple answer seems to be “because.”
The film follows a group of Star Wars fans as they set out on a cross-country trip with the goal of breaking into the Lucas ranch so their friend, who’s dying of cancer, can see Star Wars: Episode I before he dies. The funniest part of the whole thing is when the film breaks from its comedic vibe and tries to get serious, I mean we are talking about cancer here. It can’t all be laugh out loud hilarity at how Dan Fogler’s van is equipped with a “light speed setting”. Oh, my belly aches at the hilarity and like Simple Jack my eyes rain at the sadness of it all.
Speaking of Fogler, what a disappointment this guy has proved to be after winning a Tony Award in 2005 and lining up several film roles immediately afterward only to see each film turn into box-office poison such as Balls of Fury and Good Luck Chuck. Fogler is joined by Sam Huntington, Chris Marquette and Jay Baruchel with Kristen Bell serving as the spank rag companion. On top of the leads this film actually has a modicum of talent involved, but at the same time wasted, as Seth Rogen has multiple roles, Danny McBride, Kevin Smith, Jason Mewes, Danny Trejo, Carrie Fisher, William Shatner and Billy Dee Williams all lend their faces to this trash. Sure, for the most part it’s a list of cult favorites and not A-list celebs, but the fact they got even these folks to agree to do it is shocking considering the source material, of which I would doubt most of them even read.
I can’t even imagine the audience this film was made for getting a laugh out of it because I couldn’t even muster a single “ha” throughout the duration as it begins with what is supposed to be a funny Star Wars-like opening title crawl anyone could have written to its melodramatic ending capping off the stupidity in between.
