There are times when you feel almost certain a film is going to be funny and entertaining, but it ends up being a mediocre experience, at best, that cost $10 or more. Such is the new buddy caper, “Fanboys.”
“Fanboys” is about a group of four childhood/“Star Wars” obsessed friends, Eric (Sam Huntington), Linus (Chris Marquette), Hutch (Dan Fogler), and Windows (Jay Baruchel). The story begins months prior to the release of “Episode I – The Phantom Menace,” years after their high school graduation, where Eric reunites with his three friends. After graduation, Eric moved on in life and has a job at his father’s car dealership. This caused a rift between the friends especially between Eric and Linus. Soon after this meeting, Eric finds out that Linus is actually dying of cancer. So Eric decides to implement a plan he’s had for years in the making; to take a cross-country road trip to Skywalker Ranch, break in and see the film before its release, so that Linus can see it. After a bit of reluctance, the guys and another “Star Wars” obsessed friend, Zoe (Kristen Bell), embark on the road trip of their lives.
From the concept alone the film seems to be a gem, but in actuality it is rocky from the start. One of the major problems with the film is the acting. Instead of their being distinct, real characters, the actors solely express their emotions by weak action and heavy-handed dialogue. One of the worst examples of this is the lead, Huntington, who was wildly miscast. From the beginning, his character is stale and lifeless, as if he was only using the dialogue to prop up his poor acting, which is an instant turnoff.
Rather than find originality, the characters are types instead of human beings and most of the comedic sources come from situational comedy (which means you just get a film with characters you can’t relate to unless you are an ardent “Star Wars” fan) and situations driving the narrative.
“Fanboys” has great intentions and is moderately successful in some funny situations, but it is a film with much wasted potential. Unless you are a big “Star Wars” fan, the film is not worth your time. Even if you are a fan, you may want to wait for a DVD release.
