Fanboys 2009

Ben Mankiewicz, At the Movies: A lot of promise here, no execution. Read more

Neil Genzlinger, New York Times: The plot device of young men who refuse to mature has never felt more exhausted, maybe because these actors or ones who look like them have already done this shtick in other movies. Read more

Ted Fry, Seattle Times: While it may score some points as an extended in-joke, the mix of juvenile comedy and insider asides is arcane, snobby and just not very funny. Read more

Keith Phipps, AV Club: It's hard to imagine any sort of alchemy transforming the script's parade of Star Wars references and tired nostalgic '90s signifiers into gold, or -- this many years after Jar Jar Binks -- make their passion seem anything but sadly misplaced. Read more

Ty Burr, Boston Globe: Genial and potty-mouthed and dumb and sweet -- a rudely engaging road comedy with more inside Star Wars baseball than a convention hall full of Imperial Grand Moffs. Read more

Sam Adams, Los Angeles Times: It's not nearly nerdy enough. Read more

Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: Much as Robert Zemeckis toyed with Beatlemania in I Wanna Hold Your Hand a generation ago, the wobbly new comedy Fanboys, set in 1998, salutes Yoda worship and the fine line between ardor and breaking and entering. Read more

Louis B. Parks, Houston Chronicle: Even geeks enjoy poking fun at geeks. And they really know how. Read more

Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor: Fanboys doesn't delve into the mania of fandom, it exploits it. Read more

Tom Long, Detroit News: Fanboys is pretty much for fanboys. Read more

Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly: Real-life fanboys know that the release of this mildly cute, mildly drooly, majorly too late spoof/homage has been delayed for more than two years. Read more

Amy Nicholson, I.E. Weekly: Lucas' presence looms in the flick's uneasy balance between rapt devotion and sly foreshadowing of the franchise fans' bitter days to come. Read more

Rafer Guzman, Newsday: A rote comedy that tries to pay tribute to this much-maligned subculture, but instead resorts to lazy stereotypes and comedy conventions. Read more

Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger: Unfortunately, the filmmakers forget that the most important part of an in-joke is the joke. Read more

Bob Mondello, NPR: You'd think the weakest link in Fanboys would be that it's all in-jokes, but they're actually not so 'in' that a casual fan won't get them. Read more

Lou Lumenick, New York Post: At this point, Lucas is in no position to be picky about his remaining fans. Read more

Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel: A few laughs here and there and a couple of moments of emotionally stunted sweetness add up to a Fanboys that only a fanboy would love. Read more

Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer: For its amusing premise, Fanboys is scarily flat. Read more

James Berardinelli, ReelViews: While Fanboys has moments of success, it is mostly a middling road picture that doesn't do a lot more than any average, forgettable entry into the tired genre. Read more

Richard Roeper, Richard Roeper.com: This is not the film you're looking for. Read more

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: Fanboys is an amiable but disjointed movie that identifies too closely with its heroes. Poking a little more fun at them would have been a great idea. Read more

Reyhan Harmanci, San Francisco Chronicle: Uninspired and only faintly funny. Read more

Minneapolis Star Tribune: Read more

Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune: Any film that turns R2-D2 into a lusty anatomical nickname can't be all bad. Read more

Rick Groen, Globe and Mail: Turns out there is something more annoying than an infatuated bunch of Star Wars nerds. Turns out a movie about an infatuated bunch of Star Wars nerds can really set your teeth on edge. Read more

Greg Quill, Toronto Star: Buoyed by infectious high spirits and self-deprecating humour, the film works in strange and perhaps unintentional ways, thanks largely to the sustained energy of the lead actors, and writers Ernest Cline and Adam F. Goldberg. Read more

Joshua Rothkopf, Time Out: Read more

Claudia Puig, USA Today: Though it does feature a few inspired comic moments, there is a surplus of tired, overused gags. Read more

Peter Debruge, Variety: Above all else, Fanboys remains an enthusiastic attempt to pay tribute to the film that sparked countless fans' love for the movies. Read more

Robert Wilonsky, Village Voice: You're better off watching The Star Wars Holiday Special on YouTube. At least Bea Arthur sings. Read more