I don't intend my summary to tick off Star Trek fans, but the documentary TREKKIES really irritated me because the film makers seemed to have a distinct agenda. That's because the film seems to start with the preconception that the Trek fans are great and that most other people just don't understand them--while ignoring the fact that for a tiny minority, the sci-fi series is really a destructive obsession. Although I've seen every Trek show and movie (making me a true fan as well as a geek), I've met a few people who would rather miss their own wedding or give up a decade of their lives to see the next film! Unless you are one of these people, you've got to admit this sort of devotion is unhealthy.
However, with A GALAXY FAR, FAR AWAY, the film seemed a little more balanced--showing a wider spectrum of fans. Most were NOT the casual fans but were people who stayed in lines for weeks for EPISODE 1 or those who lined up at Toys R Us to get the first Star Wars toys. But, there were also a few who frankly had lost all perspective--such as the people that have made these movies their religion. Interestingly, while the film does show some of the fans who are WAAAYY off the deep end, the film is also sure to point out near the end that these people in general are basically harmless and that this is all, in a way, quite normal. So the film doesn't attack or make fun of the rabid fans but also doesn't ignore the severe cost to a select few who need to "get a life".
While this film wasn't the most exhaustive or interesting documentary I've seen, nor does it come close, it is a pleasant little film with a rather objective point of view.
By the way, try a Google search on the phrase "waiting for star wars" by a guy named "Uncle Tom" and you'll find a very funny little flash animation that should make you laugh.
