THE FANATIC REVIEW
Starring: John Travolta and Devon Sawa
Directed By: Fred Durst
Rated: R
Runtime: 1 hour 28 minutes
Sometimes a movie piques my interest with a special set of words.“So bad it’s good”.Sometimes movies that are “so bad they’re good” are a total surprise and sometimes you can see them coming from a mile away.The Meg last summer.You can see that coming from a mile away.Replicas earlier this year with Keanu Reeves, total surprise.The Fanatic is the former.You can see this coming from a mile away.
Directed By Fred Durst.Frontman to rap-rock metal hybrid group from the early 2000s, Limp Bizkit.Starring John Travolta as a man who, while it’s never mentioned directly, clearly has a disability of some kind.It’s evident in the dialogue and the voice Travolta uses for the character.The character’s name is Moose, and he loves actors.He is an autograph hound and collector.After being dissed by his favorite action hero, played by former teen heartthrob, Devon Sawa; Moose kidnaps his favorite actor and tortures him.NEED I SAY MORE?!?!
Occasionally, the movies fail to live up to their hype.Pleased to announce, this is not one of those times.The Fanatic is as bad as it looks.It is a movie that does not follow the rules of society, the laws of physics, or even human decency.
Travolta walks through this movie playing Moose with a ridiculous bowl cut.No reason for him to have a disability, yet he does.Super insensitive.I don’t recall the last movie to feature a big name actor playing a man with a disability like this.Rain Man finds this movie offensive.
The action is ludicrous.We’ve seen movies before, so we know how this is going to play out, just get to it.Get to the kidnapping!That’s why we’re here.There’s no one to root for in this movie.Both lead actors are written to be terrible people.You don’t care for anyone or empathize with anyone.When the action finally hits, it’s so over the top violent, that it can’t be believed.
There’s no reason for Travolta to be doing this movie.I get why Devon Sawa signed on.I haven’t seen him in a movie in nearly 10 years.Sure. He’ll do the Fred Durst movie.But Travolta is a consistently working actor, why agree to play this character, why not suggest dropping the disability angle, why not pass John Travolta?And for those wondering, YES!, there is absolutely a scene where one of the characters talks about how great Limp Bizkit is.
The Fanatic is so bad it’s good.One of the worst movies of the year, but I could not take my eyes off it.It’s gripping in an “I cannot believe this is happening” type of way.Terribly written.Terribly derivative of better movies.Terribly insensitive to certain segments of people.It’s irresponsible in a number of ways.But I had to know.And now I do.
On a scale of “See It/Stream It/Skip It” – Skip It – If you’re like me and love movies that are so bad they’re good, give it a go.It delivers in that aspect.But for serious movie watchers, avoid at all costs.
If you liked The Fan, Swimfan, or Single White Female you might like The Fanatic
1 out of 5 stars for The Fanatic.