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FANBOYS Replenishes Capone's Geek Lifeblood from the Front Lines of the STAR WARS/STAR TREK Wars!!!

Hey everyone. Capone in Chicago here.

This is the little movie that could and did. As much as FANBOYS is a playful poke at the STAR WARS mythology and iconography, I found it worked far better as a love letter to youngsters who experienced the original trilogy in our most formative years, and never gave up hope that a return by George Lucas to his beloved franchise would result in something great. For those of you who remember exactly how a remarkable sense of disbelief swept over you the minute that Lucasfilm logo sparkled across the screen before THE PHANTOM MENACE, this movie is all about you. Regardless of what you felt of that film or the two after it, that time when all things seemed possible again is at the core of FANBOYS.

A little background and full disclosure. I saw FANBOYS for the first and, so far, only time at Comic-Con last July, at a screening that was said to be the world premiere of the final cut of the movie. As far as I know, the version that opens in limited release this weekend is the same version. The cancer storyline is there... barely. I think cancer is mentioned twice in the whole movie and hardly dealt with anywhere else in the film. A few of the celebrity cameos that were added more recently in this now years-in-the-making work are in there as well, but for the most part, this is the film that director Kyle Newman made along with his co-writers Adam Goldberg, and Ernest Cline. Since I saw the film, I've met Kyle (he was my next-seat neighbor at Butt Numb-a-Thon this year) and have told him repeatedly how much I dig the film and how much it made me laugh. Above all things, the movie is funny. They throw a lot of verbal jabs, physical humor, inside geek jokes and great cameos at the audience, and most of it hits. I was particularly bowled over by the penetrating look at the turf war between STAR WARS and "Star Trek" fans. No nerds are spared.

Chris Marquette's character Linus is the one with cancer in 1998, and all his friends want to do is make the long journey across the country to break into the Skywalker Ranch and sneak a peak at THE PHANTOM MENACE Along for the ride are Sam Huntington as Eric, Linus' one-time best friend, who is pulled back into the fray for this journey even though old wounds haven't completely healed. Dan Fogler and Jay Baruchel are also on board as Hutch and Windows. And Kristen Bell's Zoe is just so cute you want to put her in your pocket... and never let her go.

The gang goes on their own personal odyssey of geekdom, during which bonds are reformed and hilarity ensues with alarming regularity. Some of the cameos are inspired, but I don't think any of them made me laugh harder than, well, let's just say that one actor plays multiple parts so effectively, I almost didn't recognize him. Perhaps the most incredible cameo is all of the licensed STAR WARS paraphernalia. It's pretty clear that Lucasfilm cleared a great deal of what is seen and heard in this movie, and you have to give them credit for having a sense of humor about it all. It's almost impossible for me to imagine anyone who give a shit about STAR WARS at any point in their lives not finding this movie laugh-out-loud funny and moving. Put aside all thoughts of what came before, all of the studio mishandling and interference, all of the reshoots and delays. All that matters is this version of this movie. I happen to think you are going to love FANBOYS to death.

-- Capone
capone@aintitcoolmail.com



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First
by Jersquall
Feb 6th, 2009
03:20:09 PM
I am a fanboy!!
by Jersquall
Feb 6th, 2009
03:21:00 PM
being first today is pointless
by ArcadianDS
Feb 6th, 2009
03:22:44 PM
Jersquall
by nukethefridge
Feb 6th, 2009
03:22:50 PM
LOL " a loveletter.." this movie is NOT.
by ArcadianDS
Feb 6th, 2009
03:24:07 PM
nukethefridge
by Jersquall
Feb 6th, 2009
03:25:33 PM
I'll have to wait for it DVD
by jarjarmessiah
Feb 6th, 2009
03:27:17 PM
Huh. I'm Genuinely Interested Now.
by DKT
Feb 6th, 2009
03:35:17 PM
Can Anybody Even Afford to Pay To See It At This Point ?
by MattHooper
Feb 6th, 2009
03:37:47 PM
MattHooper
by HapaPapa72
Feb 6th, 2009
03:50:04 PM
This movie is an affront to everything this site is for.
by Rubiks Doob
Feb 6th, 2009
04:19:44 PM
ATTN: Concerning Fanboys
by DigitalDong
Feb 6th, 2009
04:20:05 PM
What Happened To 5-25-77, The Film Fanboys Ripped Off???
by Media Messiah
Feb 6th, 2009
04:20:15 PM
Actually
by technotranceporter
Feb 6th, 2009
04:23:19 PM
Seiously though
by technotranceporter
Feb 6th, 2009
04:30:04 PM
Media Messiah - ripoff of 5-25-77?
by DarthCorleone
Feb 6th, 2009
04:37:04 PM
So where is 5-25-77 DarthCorleone?
by DKT
Feb 6th, 2009
04:59:51 PM
Worst movie ever?
by Jodet
Feb 6th, 2009
05:10:11 PM
DarthCorleone: It's A Rip-Off And We All Know It!!!
by Media Messiah
Feb 6th, 2009
05:17:22 PM
probably going to suck
by palooka_boy
Feb 6th, 2009
05:45:11 PM
Fanboys and "staked out" territory for comedy.
by Sithtastic
Feb 6th, 2009
05:50:43 PM
All right
by technotranceporter
Feb 6th, 2009
06:18:49 PM
real SW fans wouldnt attempt a break in at the ranch
by JimmyJoe RedSky
Feb 6th, 2009
06:22:56 PM
Too much self-hate in this community...
by JumpinJehosaphat
Feb 6th, 2009
06:39:15 PM
It's it just another deprived teen comedy?
by Power_Girl
Feb 6th, 2009
06:53:14 PM
isn't it just another deprived teen comedy?
by Power_Girl
Feb 6th, 2009
06:54:37 PM
I was so deluded by Lucas...
by Charlie_Allnut
Feb 6th, 2009
07:27:59 PM
5-25-77
by HEADGEEK
Feb 6th, 2009
07:39:19 PM
To The Head Geek: Fanboys vs. 5-25-77
by Media Messiah
Feb 6th, 2009
08:13:41 PM
Media Messiah Translation
by Geekgasm
Feb 6th, 2009
08:19:17 PM
Make Trek not Wars!
by landosystem
Feb 6th, 2009
08:31:48 PM
Thanks Pilgram
by Media Messiah
Feb 6th, 2009
08:42:48 PM
5-22-77 vs. Fanboys
by Continentalop
Feb 6th, 2009
09:15:45 PM
Damn grammar errors
by Continentalop
Feb 6th, 2009
09:18:10 PM
You know . . .
by SkidMarkedUndies
Feb 6th, 2009
11:02:43 PM
Media Messiah
by GilesT
Feb 7th, 2009
01:34:15 AM
I'd like to have Kristen Bell put her hand
by Dingbatty
Feb 7th, 2009
01:45:07 AM
GilesT: You Are Just A Mental Mind Slave
by Media Messiah
Feb 7th, 2009
02:14:50 AM
Skid...
by vadakinX
Feb 7th, 2009
04:51:26 AM
Vidakin X
by Continentalop
Feb 7th, 2009
05:23:43 AM
The Geeks Shall Inherit The Earth
by vadakinX
Feb 7th, 2009
08:49:12 AM
I'm Sorry, But This Movie Looks Really Terrible
by LaserPants
Feb 7th, 2009
10:09:32 AM
The number of people who will actually see this movie this weeke
by Mockingbird Girl
Feb 7th, 2009
10:34:14 AM
The DVD will be out in May
by VonThunderballs
Feb 7th, 2009
12:55:24 PM
saw this movie last night and it sucked
by NickKicksAssTomorrow
Feb 7th, 2009
02:13:16 PM
Why have they only released crap clips for this flick?
by alienindisguise
Feb 7th, 2009
02:15:59 PM
vidakinX
by Continentalop
Feb 7th, 2009
03:12:35 PM
vadakinX...
by EverythingEverywhereStinks
Feb 7th, 2009
04:31:19 PM
Media whatever...
by MapMan
Feb 7th, 2009
04:42:01 PM
MapMan: I Stand By My Comments
by Media Messiah
Feb 7th, 2009
05:19:54 PM
Regarding Abrams Trek
by vadakinX
Feb 7th, 2009
05:26:09 PM
MM
by MapMan
Feb 7th, 2009
09:36:02 PM
MapMan
by Media Messiah
Feb 7th, 2009
10:21:20 PM
NEW RULE: Star Wars OWNS Trek in every way!
by Bill Maher
Feb 8th, 2009
01:31:40 PM
Sick of these non-movies.
by wintocha67
Feb 8th, 2009
02:43:33 PM
I've never seen anything "Star Trek"
by fastcars
Feb 9th, 2009
03:40:07 AM
should have been given a wide release
by The Amazing G
Feb 14th, 2009
03:23:57 AM

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