AMERICAN JEDI
download it from JediNet

review written 2/22/2003

When I heard about this film I was upset, as me and my friends were working on a fan film about young Obi-Wan Kenobi in high school. But it turned out to be almost completely different from ours. How wonderful it is that we can have such diversity in the world of fan films!

This is an extended trailer for a non-existent cross-spoof of Star Wars and American Pie. Obi-Wan is sent to East Great Falls High by Yoda. His mission: get laid.

Our first shot of Obi-Wan at 0:12 is nicely lit—not always an easy thing to find in fan films. Obi-Wan is played by Aaron Michael Sherry, who seems to have only one acting skill, the confused face-scrunch. ("Seems", I said. More on this later.) All the acting is good or at least passable, with credible physical resemblances to the original characters from both films in many a case.

Yoda being a static puppet and thus unable to move his lips is cleverly handled throughout, by framing out his lips or covering them with an object. And he gets cool lighting at 1:00. Kudos to Nathan Oliver for this.

Wonderfully-chosen Britney Spears music kicks in. In fact, all the music in this film, from Smash Mouth's "All Star" (how can this NOT bring back the summer of TPM in your mind?) to Reel Big Fish's "Sell Out" (before The Formula, thank you very much) to the obligatory John Williams tracks to the heartbreaking Goo Goo Dolls piece "Baby's Black Balloon", is chosen with care, and creates a rhythm. Like the regular Star Wars movies, the music is a vital part of setting the mood and establishing the scene.

Obviously not all fan films can use Len's wonderful "Steal My Sunshine" or Sixpence's None The Richer's beautiful "Kiss Me". That is not the point. The point is that writer/director Adam Schwartz did not decide "We need a fun song here. Okay, let's use that." Just as the more standard fan film director should not say "We need scary music for the duel. Oh, how about 'Duel of the Fates'?"

American Jedi is not without a flaw or two. Sometimes the production audio is hard to make out under the music. And the dialogue starts falling out of sync with the lips at a ridiculous rate.

And the credits roll ends on a displeasing arrangement. Go to 9:02 and you'll see what I mean. How the hell did that happen? (And why was Geneva the font of choice?)

But when you see Obi-Wan suddenly drop his dorky quietness and dance to the upbeat "Hey Leonardo", you forget little flaws. This film works, and works big time.

I am impressed by this film (yes, film—Kodak Vision film). I am awed at what these people got together in terms of extras, locations, cinematography and the interesting special effect at 3:32.

I first saw this fan film about three years ago. Because of it I still associate the high-pitched tinkling section of "All Star" with sex. If that's not quality filmmaking, I don't know what is.