Fanboys

Dir: Kyle Newman - feature film directorial debut
Cast: Jay Baruchel, Kristen Bell, Dan Fogler, Chris Marquette, Sam Huntington
USA, 2009

Seen: April 6, 2009

Reason to see: I'm a Star Wars fan, so of course I had to see this.

Holy meta-craziness Han. The only thing more epic than the plot of Fanboys (friends get together on a quest to see Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace before it release) is the journey of film itself to get to the theatres. A journey that started before Episode III was released (see more at 10 Movies to See Before You Die) and now here in Toronto just 2 months before it will come out on DVD.

Did this make the film any less enjoyable to watch? Hell no. It only gives another layer of metaness to a film that is about the fandom of another film, and then within the film refers to even more films. So, it's a complete 360 - but the kind where you spin, spin, spin and then fall down giggling. And giggle you will my dear friends if you have even an ounce of the force in you. It revels in the world of the fandom of Star Wars, and it also treks on the world of geekdom and film fanaticism as a whole.

So of course, I loved it.

It would have been awesome to see this in a festival-like setting, but it was still hilarious when it hit the right beats, which was often. It has tons of cameos and in jokes, and every once in a while I could tell there was a reference I missed from the laughter in the audience. But other times I was that one bursting with laughter. I could have done without some of the crude humour, but overall it was worth wading through those moments to get to the gems. It has tons of charm, humour and goofiness yet doesn't feel saccharine. A real treat.

Shannon's Overall View:
I enjoyed it much more than I was expecting
I'll buy it
I'd recommend as a must see for Star Wars fans & film fiends

15 minutes of preshow including 2 commercial and 5 previews: 2012, 17 Again, earth, Funny People and Terminator Salvation

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© Shannon Ridler, 2009