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 typically used when referring to fans of Star Wars and Star Trek, although some use Trekkies (or Trekkers) instead — the Trekkies series of documentaries explains that in more detail. Set in 1998, this movie focuses on the cult obsession for Star Wars that existed prior to the release of the three Star Wars prequels, and has quite a lot of material to work with.
You can’t really grasp the essence of fanboy-ism until you see it firsthand, and this movie addresses that subject firsthand in the first few minutes of the movie. Darth Vader walks into a Hallowe’en party flanked by a pair of stormtroopers, grabs a beer, then sits down to open his laptop for an online date. THAT is the essence of the fanboy who doesn’t care what people think, and unerringly follows his obsession.
Darth turns out to be Jay Baruchel’s character, who is referred to only as Windows, and his cohorts are Linus (Chris Marquette) and Hutch (Dan Fogler, Balls of Fury). When they run into Eric, an old acquaintance who has given up his fanboy past, tempers flare and Eric finds out that Linus is dying from cancer.
The Quest
Very appropriately, Linus’s sickness rekindles his old friendship with Eric, and a quest is born: to watch Star Wars: Episode 1 at the ranch of George Lucas before its release in theaters. What follows is a classic trip by four-halfwits filled 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 Demise Star
While I was biased in favor this film and caught plenty of the nuances that might go over some people’s heads, Ginny also enjoyed this movie — though I believe a few of her laughter was at my reactions after I saved falling off the couch.
This film is gentle-hearted, means nicely, and underlines some necessary factors, whether or not you are a Star Wars fan, Star Trek fan, or not a fan of the Stars in any respect: observe your desires, discover your Dying Star, and by no means surrender on a friend.
This post is written by Phillip Evans 1. Learn more about fandango promotional code.