Free Enterprise

When this movie was in theaters I thought I might watch it because I was a Star Trek Fan, but decided not to put much effort into it because it appeared to be about lonely geeks obsessed with Sci-Fi.

I was wrong.

Free Enterprise is a remarkably funny film featuring interesting, respectable characters who are professionals, AND love Star Trek.

This movie is for all those guys out there who have girlfriends, who don't dress as Mister Spock, or live in their parents' basement amid tons of old comic books, but are still Star Trek fans.

But fans aside, this is a really well crafted comedy. It's not for kids, but just about anyone else will be able to find something to like in it. It's a very atypical screwball comedy with a lot of intelligence within it.

Whether you're a Sci-Fi fan or a Sci-Fi detractor, it makes no difference. This is a smart, funny film with something to love. Give it a shot.

Robert Meyer Burnett's `Free Enterprise' is several movies all at once-unfortunately only one of them is interesting.

Film #1: The original and witty masterpiece. Two aspiring yet unsuccessful filmmakers run into William Shatner in a Hollywood bookstore. The two pop culture-obsesses slackers have both been Star Trek fanatics since birth and are appropriately awestruck by the realization of their dreams. They soon find out, however, that the real William Shatner is a pathetic, wacked-out loser who befriends the pair only because he thinks they can help him get backing for his latest film project, a 5-hour musical version of William Shakespeare's `Julius Caesar' in which he will play every role. And, in a very clever plot twist, it is not Captain Kirk who helps the two Trekkie nerds get their lives together, but the other way around. Everyone eventually finds love and fulfillment, and it all ends with William Shatner performing a kickass rap version of Marc Anthony's soliloquy.

Film #2: The painful movie. A tedious rip-off of `Swingers' in which two single guys and their friends experience the joys and anguish of dating, mating, growing up, and trying to hang onto their youth, yadda, yadda. ZZZZZZzzzzz. The twist is that in this version the hip CocktailVegasMoneyBabyHoneyDaddy culture has been replaced with the PopCultureComicBookMovieNerdStarWarsStarTrek fanboy culture. In fact, if not for this trading of Sinatra for Captain Kirk, the film would border on plagiarism.

Film #3: The Fantasy. In which guys who hang out in comic book stores also date myriad gorgeous Hollywood actress-models.

Unfortunately for those sucked in by the copy on the video and DVD packaging, the `Film #1' part of `Free Enterprise' only takes up about 10 or 12 total minutes of screen time.

Apparently, the people who marketed this film on video and dvd were the only ones involved in this project smart enough to know that the Shatner subplot, `film #1,' was the move that `Free Enterprise' really should be.

Obviously the majority of the film's storylines and amusing incidentals should have been relegated to subplots in support of `film #1'-ie, the relationship between the Nrrrds and William Shatner. An hour of Shatner, and maybe twenty minutes with the boys and their love problems, and we would have had a potentially fantastic movie.

And I don't want to sound like everything non-Shatner in the film is bad-it's not. It is amusing in spurts, and much better acted than most ultra-low budget flicks. Some of the dialogue is witty, with lots of funny pop culture references for thirty-sumpthin's. There is much goodness for those with a quick remote control finger. But I also have to say that a lot of the dialogue-and I mean a LOT-is dull, repetitious, and amateurishly unnecessary (I mean, really-after the scene in which the boys meet the real William Shatner only to find out he's a pathetic wacko, do we really need to hear this kind of dialogue in the following scene: `Hey, I get fired from my job, my girlfriend bails on me, I finally meet my childhood hero Captain Kirk, and he turns out to be a pathetic wacko! I can't believe my life!' This kind of sub-sitcom yak should have been left for the trailer.). Then again, the sight and sound of the William Shatner rapping Shakespeare while a crew of homies gits jiggy wit it behind him honestly is the height of brilliance. A lot can be forgiven for the filmmakers who made that happen.

So, someone in the biz needs to make Robert Meyer Burnett rich by purchasing the remake rights to `Free Enterprise' before William Shatner dies of old age. Maybe someone will even give Burnett the money to do it himself. But this time they need to go with `film # 1.'

"Free Enterprise" is so giddily goofy in its charm and appeal that you just can't help but love it. The plotline concerns the trials and tribulations of two friends, bonded together by science fiction and "Star Trek" inparticular, having a chance meeting with their idol; William Shatner. This chance meeting develops into a business relationship for one and a friendship for the other.

Eric McCormack (TV's Will and Grace) stars as Mark, the slightly older and far and away more mature of the two friends. He will be 30 in a couple days and is having panicked "Logan's Run" flashbacks in his head as he wonders what his life had been worth so far. Mr. McCormack plays this role so well, the "I'm better than you" attitude just drips off the screen.

Rafer Weigel is Robert, the other half of this friendship tandem. He is more "damn the torpedoes" and lives life by a thread. Losing girlfriend after girlfriend because a rare collectible action figure is more important than rent or utilities, his character is constantly falling in and out of love. Nice role here as well, played with almost maddening indifference. You get the impression that's the way this guy is in reality as well. All that means of course, is that he really sold the part.

William Shatner is himself, clearly poking holes in his "Star Trek" facade. Shatner reveals "himself" to be a heavy drinking, porn reading but sincere guy. He plans to do a musical production of "Julius Caesar" with himself playing all the parts. The ending sequence concerns this,and has to be seen to be truly appreciated.

Several faces from the past dot the background, Deborah Van Valkenburg ("The Warriors", "Too Close For Comfort"), Ellie Cornell ("Halloween 4" & 5). Nice to see Ellie is still acting. I liked her "Halloween" performances.

"Free Enterprise" shows that indie films have a life beyond "My Life As a Bar of Soap". That indie filmmakers have a wonderful sense of humor and direction, and that they can churn out "mass-pleasing" films.

4 out of 5

I really enjoyed this film. Even though I had never heard of any of the lead actors, except of course for William Shatner, I thought they did an incredible job of portraying their characters. Intellectual, devoted, neurotic, and erotic are just a few of the qualities they were asked to convey. And William Shatner is a revelation revealing that his hopes, dreams, and fears are closer to those of his committed fans than they could ever have imagined. Since I have seen most of the Star Trek episodes and movies and the other films alluded to by the characters, I was able to appreciate all the wonderful in-jokes. I highly recommend this hilarious film even if you are not a Star Trek fan, 9/10.

Yes,its true,fans of the "classic"Star Trek will like this more than others and to those others,I'm sorry for you. William Shatner is no one without the series,and is really the issue of the movie.Yes the story revolves around coming of age and getting on with their life of 2 fanboys,but the Shatner hook is that realization and fluition. The scene that does the most for me was a table discussion that raises to the almost super insperational speech that Kirk gives on why there is an Enterprise and they sail aboard her. A truly great reminder of why we fans got hooked on that series so many light years ago. Yes it was a parady,but not all paradys are jokes and if you are into the movie you'll see the context was every bit as compelling as the episode scene it paradies. I am a fan for sure and so to me it was grand and I'm thankful I found this flick