Free Enterprise (1998)

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1. 

   Siskoid

   Free Enterprise is in the same subgenre as Swingers, but replace swing dancing with Star Trek and other geeky fandoms. If it doesn't succeed as well, it's because the leads aren't as endearing as Jon Favreau or even Vince Vaughn. I like Eric McCormack, but his character is cold and obnoxious, while Rafer Weigel is a womanizing man-child who cracks wise but doesn't really emote. The worst of it is that they are both misogynistic, and would totally be -gaters in today's terms. The film seems to know this, as they do get called out on it eventually, but at the same time doesn't. There's really no reason for the gratuitous female nudity, and the romcom plot is steeped in nerdy wish fulfillment, requiring women to be sex objects and/or unicorns. I also felt like it could have been edited more tightly, that fraction of a second of dead air between jokes dragging the patter down. That said, there are a lot of amusing moments and lines, and unlike say The Big Bang Theory, geekdom isn't filtered through a mainstream filter. It is unapologetically geeky, and the references fly, some overt, some quite subtle, and across many fandoms. If you're into that kind of culture, you'll have fun with it, and with William Shatner playing a pathetic has-been version of himself, acting as a quasi-mentor and being a good sport about it all. Problematic and slightly dated by today's standards (geek culture has become more prevalent, with both genders, since), it's nevertheless a fun comedy about people obsessed with their fandoms. 4 years 8 months ago

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