Fanboys

Review by Loc

To the uninitiated, the term fanboys generally refers to the comic/sci-fi culture. Often semi-derogatory, fanboys is used to describe your stereotypical “geek”: prime example being Comic Book Guy in The Simpsons. However, like many groups, fanboys have adopted the term to empower their own agendas, and calling someone a fanboy isn’t as bad as it was before. Yet make no mistake, if you’re a fanboy, that means you’re attending the San Diego Comic Con…for the fifth year in a row, you’re buying comics…and toys…and more comics. You sometimes dress up as comic characters or superheroes…even when it’s not Halloween. Yes, these are the burdens you’ll be assigned when referred to as a fanboy…and I too, will admit to being a fanboy. But not too often. So how’s a small-time flick centered around this pop-sub-culture? Quick hit: mildly endearing.

Fanboys could just as easily be named Star Wars Geeks, but maybe that was too confining. Centered around a group of young adults in Ohio, we see how some fanboys embrace their geekdom to extreme levels. There are three in the group, the weird looking kid from Tropic Thunder, the weird looking dude from Balls of Fury, and the wannabe movie producer in The Girl Next Door. Together, they’ve graduated high school and achieved nothing. However, when they show up at a Halloween party, they do show up in style, as Darth Vader and two Stormtroopers. Strangely enough, they’re not overly ostracized or made the butt of jokes, they’re simply some of the geekier folks there.

Then there’s the one who grew up, Jimmy Olsen from Superman Returns. Once close to the other three, he’s now a working man, a salesman at his dad’s car dealership, and one who shuns his past. He arrives at the party and awkwardness ensues.

Let’s cut to the chase, Jimmy Olsen claims to be proud that he’s outgrown his friends, even though it cost him his best friend for life, the Girl Next Door dude. Well, being a movie that requires conflict and purpose, Jimmy finds out that his friend is dying from cancer. That, coupled with the fact that this flick is set in 1999 right before the new Star Wars movies were first released, lead to a buddy-guys-out road trip. In an attempt to patch their friendship and spur everyone to better things, the group decides to carry out a plan they had from their youth: storm George Lucas’ Skywalker Ranch, now with the intent on seeing an early cut of what would become Star Wars: Episode 1.

So, we get to see some amusing stuff. Their vehicle of choice is the obligatory black van decorated like the Millennium Falcon. There are random hijinks, like the stop in Las Vegas, the showdown with Trekkers, and whatnot. There’s funny cameos from the likes of William Shatner, Billy Dee Williams, and Carrie Fisher. All in all, its pretty harmless fun, something like a vulgar road trip movie without the vulgarity.

Yet, to take it to the next level, Fanboys tries to introduce some points of earnest compassion. The entire cancer subplot plays the biggest role, but additional things like Kristin Bell playing the geeky tomboy who is more than that also inserts itself. Unfortunately, these attempts to add high-level value to the movie fall a little flat and remain a little underdeveloped. Granted, this isn’t a film striving to be an Oscar contender, but the attempts at weightiness are a little…light. Hehehe.

Overall, Fanboys is a fun flick. Just a brief history lesson, this was actually scheduled to be released in the fall of 2007. However, the budget was increased that allowed for reshoots, which pushed the release back to early 2008. Then all hell broke loose, directors were replaced, cancer subplots were removed, release dates were pushed to summer of 2008. Then directors were brought back, new cuts were made in 36 hours, and a screening finally happened at Comic Con 2008. The release was scheduled for November 2008, but that didn’t happen either. Eventually, it hit a small release in February of 2009, and died away to video. And I finally caught it last night, August of 2009, nearly two years after its intended release. It’s a shame because with proper backing, this film could have been a small success. And if anything, the style of this movie embraces the underdog attitude, something the film itself found as it struggled to be released. Out of 100 fanboys sitting in line for Star Wars, Fanboys manages to keep pace with 60 geeks in costume. Not a bad, small flick.