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FANBOYSMovie Reviews
Comedy road movie about a group of friends who are avid Star Wars fans, travelling west to see the Holy Grail of all sci-fi movies, 'Star Wars: Episode I'. Cast:Sam Huntington, Kristen Bell, Jay Baruchel, Christopher MarquetteDirector:Kyle NewmanRelease Date:February 6, 2009DVD Release:May 19, 2009From:The Weinstein CompanyRating:PG-13Length:1 hr 30 min
Fanboys played in key cities to weak reviews. • Elizabeth Weitzman wrote in the New York Daily News, "The idea is fun... But the direction is limp, the actors unfocused and the jokes uneven. You know you're in trouble when you trot out William Shatner for your biggest laughs." • And Bob Strauss wrote in the Orange County Register, "The force is not with 'Fanboys.' Jokes are there – they just aren't funny." More Reviews Below...
Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "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."(See all of Lisa Schwarzbaum's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 108 words, 02/06/09
Christy Lemire, Associated Press: POOR(cg) "At the end of their journey, Eric wonders aloud about 'Phantom Menace,' 'What if the movie sucks?' Here's a hint: It does. And it's not the only one."(See all of Christy Lemire's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 551 words, 02/05/09
Claudia Puig, USA Today: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Though it does feature a few inspired comic moments, there is a surplus of tired, overused gags.... an uneven and largely predictable adventure, but it has its moments."(See all of Claudia Puig's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 406 words, 02/06/09
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (12 Reviews)
Neil Genzlinger, New York Times: MODERATE "...weighed down by tired conventions and a general sense of having missed its moment.... these actors or ones who look like them have already done this shtick..."(See all of Neil Genzlinger's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 310 words, 02/06/09
Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News: WEAK(cg) "The idea is fun... But the direction is limp, the actors unfocused and the jokes uneven. You know you're in trouble when you trot out William Shatner for your biggest laughs."(See all of Elizabeth Weitzman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 127 words, 02/06/09
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: WEAK(cg) "...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."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 724 words, 02/05/09
Sam Adams, Los Angeles Times: WEAK "...doesn't have a fan's obsessive attention to detail, or the giddy geekiness that can make Tarantino's movies both thrilling and trying. It's not nearly nerdy enough."(See all of Sam Adams's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 284 words, 02/06/09
Lou Lumenick, New York Post: MODERATE(cg) "...a lame comic tribute to the dwindling band of 'Star Wars' aficionados.... lazily recycles jokes from the likes of 'Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back'..."(See all of Lou Lumenick's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 364 words, 02/06/09
Rafer Guzman, New York Newsday: WEAK(cg) "...resorts to lazy stereotypes and comedy conventions. Says one geek to another at a costume party: 'I hope that's just your blaster poking me.' "(See all of Rafer Guzman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 237 words, 02/06/09
Rick Groen, Toronto Globe & Mail: MODERATE(cg) "...a slacker comedy short on laughs but long on the only love interest that matters: a holy passion for the Lord and Creator that is George Lucas."(See all of Rick Groen's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 696 words, 04/03/09
Robert Wilonsky, Village Voice/LA Weekly: POOR "The jokes, such as they are, consist of little more than Star Wars lines recited out of context... You're better off watching 'The Star Wars Holiday Special' on YouTube."(See all of Robert Wilonsky's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 615 words, 02/04/09
Bob Strauss, Orange County Register: MODERATE(cg) "The force is not with 'Fanboys.' Jokes are there - they just aren't funny.... there's probably enough here to satisfy some who've been screaming for it to come out."(See all of Bob Strauss's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 358 words, 02/06/09
John DeFore, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...views its Force-fed protagonists through a knowing, fondly mocking lens.... These 'Fanboys' are intent on entertaining, whether you're laughing at or with them."(See all of John DeFore's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 503 words, 03/06/09
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer: MODERATE(cg) "...even with jokes about Jedi mind tricks and a heated debate over the relationship between Luke and Leia (did they or didn't they?), the laughs are few and far between."(See all of Steven Rea's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 263 words, 02/06/09
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "It won't win any awards for brilliance, but I laughed a little, guffawed at a couple of uproarious moments and generally enjoyed the film."(See all of Colin Covert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 452 words, 02/27/09
Ted Fry, Seattle Times: WEAK(cg) "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."(See all of Ted Fry's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 454 words, 02/06/09
Mike Russell, Portland Oregonian: MODERATE(cg) "The cast has chemistry but the final film just isn't very funny -- it's a string of weak ersatz Kevin Smith horny geek gags and cameos, flatly shot."(See all of Mike Russell's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 222 words, 03/20/09
Joe Williams, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...mixes road-movie crudeness and a hint of sweetness... there's something disarmingly goofy about dudes cooing over a Darth Vader costume..."(See all of Joe Williams's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 307 words, 03/13/09
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel: WEAK(cg) "...an affectionate homage to 'Star Wars'... it has heart, it finishes well, and it'll probably play better on home video than in a theater..."(See all of Roger Moore's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 569 words, 02/20/09
Michael Sragow, Baltimore Sun: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...ambles along on a decent sprinkling of chuckles. The tide of in-jokes are funny whether you get them or not... the real humor lies in how they reflect a fraternal code."(See all of Michael Sragow's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 733 words, 02/27/09
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (6 Reviews)
Robert Wilonsky, Village Voice/LA Weekly: POOR "The jokes, such as they are, consist of little more than Star Wars lines recited out of context... You're better off watching 'The Star Wars Holiday Special' on YouTube."(See all of Robert Wilonsky's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 615 words, 02/04/09
Gary Susman, Boston Phoenix: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "As endearingly grungy and careworn as the Mos Eisley cantina in the original, pre-digitized, puppets-and-all 1977 print of 'Star Wars.' "(See all of Gary Susman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 183 words, 02/19/09
Tricia Olszewski, Washington City Paper: WEAK "Jay Baruchel, Kristin Bell, and Dan Fogler round out the supernerds, and while most of the crew are innocuously bland, Fogler is as unappealing and unfunny as ever."(See all of Tricia Olszewski's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 359 words, 02/19/09
HIGHBROW PRESS (3 Reviews)
Bob Mondello, NPR All Things Considered: FAIR "Director Kyle Newman and his screenwriters started with a 'Harold and Kumar'-style road trip full of raunchy chatter, then made the details equal-opportunity nerdy."(See all of Bob Mondello's reviews...)(Listen to the full review...) 234 seconds, 02/05/09
Neil Genzlinger, New York Times: MODERATE "...weighed down by tired conventions and a general sense of having missed its moment.... these actors or ones who look like them have already done this shtick..."(See all of Neil Genzlinger's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 310 words, 02/06/09
Sam Adams, Los Angeles Times: WEAK "...doesn't have a fan's obsessive attention to detail, or the giddy geekiness that can make Tarantino's movies both thrilling and trying. It's not nearly nerdy enough."(See all of Sam Adams's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 284 words, 02/06/09
MOVIE INDUSTRY (3 Reviews)
Kirk Honeycutt, Hollywood Reporter: POOR "...a movie that might even alienate fanboys.... Director Kyle Newman and his writers view such worship as inane bordering on mental instability. Some tribute."(See all of Kirk Honeycutt's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 536 words, 02/06/09
Sam Adams, Los Angeles Times: WEAK "...doesn't have a fan's obsessive attention to detail, or the giddy geekiness that can make Tarantino's movies both thrilling and trying. It's not nearly nerdy enough."(See all of Sam Adams's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 284 words, 02/06/09
Neil Genzlinger, New York Times: MODERATE "...weighed down by tired conventions and a general sense of having missed its moment.... these actors or ones who look like them have already done this shtick..."(See all of Neil Genzlinger's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 310 words, 02/06/09
16.8 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Fanboys's reviews are separated by an average 16.8 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
Fanboys (37 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:Fanboys's reviews cover 68.3% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 14,695 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 397 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Reviews Broke 4 Days After Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Fanboys's reviews on average broke 4 days after opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is Fanboys's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
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