Fanboys

• A fanatical group of Star Wars devotees travel across the country on a mission to steal a print of Star Wars: Episode I -- The Phantom Menace from Skywalker Ranch and become the first fans to see the film in a rowdy, sci-fi-flavored road comedy starring Sam Huntington, Chris Marquette, Dan Fogler, Jay Baruchel, and Kristen Bell. Carrie Fisher, William Shatner, and Ray Park turn up for cameos in th

Get ready for the comedy adventure that’s “smart, funny, and tailor-made for the inner-Jedi in all of us” (Pete Hammond, Hollywood.com). In 1998, four childhood buddies with a shared love of all things Star Wars reunite for one final, hilarious odyssey. Their insane plan: a cross-country road trip to storm George Lucas’ Skywalker Ranch and steal a copy of Episode I before it’s released. With the police, a crew of angry Trekkies, and a crazy pimp hot on their trail, what could possibly go w! rong? Featuring Dan Fogler (Balls of Fury), Jay Baruchel (Tropic Thunder), and Kristen Bell (Forgetting Sarah Marshall), plus a slew of hysterical surprise cameos, “the Force IS strong with this one!” (Brian Gallagher, MovieWeb)

Stills from Fanboys (Click for larger image)

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Low on inspiration and laughs, Fanboys is a movie that should have been made years ago. Christopher Marquette plays Eric, a would-be heir to a used-car dealership and former loser who rejects his high-school buddies' continuing preoccupation with childish things, including George Lucas' Star Wars saga. When his lifelong friend, Linus (Sam Huntington), is diagnosed in 1999 with a terminal illness, however, Eric joins geeky Windows (Jay Baruchel), wildman Hutch (Dan Fogler) and comely Zoe (Kirsten Bell) on a cross-country trip to steal a print of Star Wars: Phantom Menace from Lucas' Skywalker Ranch for Eric to have a look. Along the way, of course, sundry ! disasters and complications await, everything from getting caught in a gay biker bar to a confrontation with a Vegas pimp (Seth Rogen, genuinely funny). The misadventures at Skywalker include a few good moments, especially when the guards look like characters Lucas might have considered for either of the two trilogies. The best comic material concerns hostilities between Star Wars fanatics and Star Trek Trekkers, including a scene set in the Ohio hometown of James Tiberius Kirk. A few good cameos include William Shatner, Carrie Fisher, and Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes. --Tom Keogh