Fanboys

FANBOYS (2008) - July 12, 2009
Hmmm. This movie takes what seems to be a foolproof premise (four friends, one of them dying of cancer, take a road trip to Skywalker Ranch so they can see Episode I before their friend dies) and pretty much squanders it with a healthy dose of lame humour and a low-rent vibe, mostly thanks to Kyle Newman's flat, styleless direction. I think I might have chuckled twice, but for the most part the jokes all fall flat, despite what must be the record for the most Star Wars references crammed into one film (which mostly just made me want to watch the trilogy again). The film doesn't fare much better in the dramatic moments, which are hackneyed and generally sitcom-level. The movie isn't all-out awful (it's basically entertaining) but as it turns out I guess there's a reason it took so long to come out. **