Fanboys

Don't get me wrong - I love Star Trek; but when it comes to the crunch, even the adventures of Kirk, Spock and Scotty can't eclipse the true king of science fiction fantasy - Star Wars.

The Star Wars saga is a seminal slice of my generation's culture. Everybody has heard about the adventures of Han, Luke and the villainous Darth Vader. It's part of our upbringing (and I don't think there's a single guy I know who doesn't make 'light-saber' noises and swoosh their flashlight around on a foggy night.)

Star Wars is just the pinnacle of fantastical entertainment - and the oh-so 'worthy' adventures of the Starship Enterprise seem somewhat drab by comparison.

But much to my surprise, apparently not everybody feels the same way I do (well, I once had a girlfriend who was a true-blue Trekkie and claimed to hate Star Wars, but I figured she was just an exception.)

There are actually loyal Trekkers out there who pledge allegiance only to the Church of Trek - they consider the Skywalker saga to be nothing short of heresy!

It's this conflict between 'Wars' and 'Trek' fans that linchpins together hysterical new comedy 'Fanboys', just released on DVD.

Set in the 'dark ages' of 1998, 'Fanboys' follows the adventures of four die-hard Star Wars fans as they plot a cross-country caper to break into George Lucas' Skywalker Ranch and steal a copy of the eagerly awaited 'Episode 1.'

Highway flashing - an essential ingredient of any road trip movie

Their epic journey takes them into the no-man's land of Riverside, Iowa (future birthplace of Captain Kirk) where they cross paths with a team of tyrannical Trekkies - and that's how the chase begins.

'Fanboys' is simply sublime. It's one of those movies that has you laughing so hard, you worry about rupturing something. From beginning to end, it's a roller coaster ride filled with over-the-top antics, slapstick comedy, acerbic wit and more Star Wars fan-service than you can shake a snowspeeder at.

The highlight has to be Dan Fogler, in the only role he's ever been good in. He plays 'Hutch,' an overweight, one-testicled Han Solo-wannabe who considers his Star Wars-sloganed van to be the Earthly equivalent of the Millennium Falcon. It's this chariot which takes the team across America - even though it's just as prone to malfunction as Han Solo's fictional starship.

Not since the A-Team have we seen a van quite so cool...

There are a whole host of sci-fi cameos - from Captain Kirk himself, William Shatner, to Star Wars alumni Billy Dee Williams and Carrie Fisher. You'll also spot other familiar faces, like 'Jay and Silent Bob' stars Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith, plus redheaded comedy legend Seth Rogan.

But this is a movie that's about more than clever cameos. It's a sympathetic, reverential but consistently funny film - and one of the rare American comedies that manages to insert some dramatic tension (a motivational plot about a character dying of cancer) without turning cheesy.

Although 'Fanboys' is clearly marketed to Star Wars fans, you don't need to be much of a fan to enjoy it. The comedy itself is fairly broad and some of the misadventures that befall our heroes - such as becoming impromptu strippers at an all-gay biker bar - would make even a serial Star Trekker smirk.

Does George Lucas' garbage room have Deathstar-style crushing walls? Find out!

It's not highbrow. It's not great art. It certainly doesn't hold a candle to the great works of cinema it pays homage to - but 'Fanboys' still exceeds expectations and delivers a treat of a movie. Grab the popcorn and get watching!