The alumni cast of a space opera television series have to play their roles as the real thing when an alien race needs their help. However, they also have to defend both Earth and the alien race from a reptilian warlord.
I never saw “Galaxy Quest” on its initial release back in 1999 but caught parts of it on TV over the years. It wasn’t until Paramount sent me a 20th Anniversary Limited Edition Steelbook that I finally got to see it in its entirety and I wonder why I never watched it before. The central cast, Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Alan Rickman, Sam Rockwell, and Tony Shalhoub, were all perfect as aging actors whose old sci-fi TV show, “Galaxy Quest,” has been off the air for years and spend most of their spare time attending comic conventions and greeting fans. When they are initially contacted by a doomed alien civilization in the hopes they will battle their enemy as they once did on their TV show, they all think they are just overzealous fans but quickly realize they are legitimate when they are beamed into outer space.
Once the realization sets in that they are actually in space in a ship that the aliens, who call themselves Thermians, recreated exactly from their TV show, they must make a decision: stay and help the Thermian people from becoming extinct or go back to earth and pretend it was all a bad dream. Naturally, they all decide to stay and take on the Thermians’ enemy, the maniacal General Sarris, in a battle that could wipe out not just the Thermians and themselves but the entire galaxy.
“Galaxy Quest” is undoubtedly a homage to “Star Trek” and it does a commendable job in never stepping on Trek’s shoes in a demeaning or mean-spirited manner, instead, its satirical approach actually makes you pine for the original “Star Trek” television show which ran from 1966 to 1969. The film’s plot is actually pretty ingenious, former TV stars are whisked into outer space when a distant alien race misinterprets their old show as historical documentaries from the earth and assume the actors are the characters they portrayed on the show. To assist them in the battle against General Sarris, they recreate the show’s spaceship, NSEA Protector, for real. The actors must then step into the roles of their TV characters and take on General Sarris and as a result, they learn to depend on each other in a way they never had before.
Tim Allen said in interviews at the time that he didn’t actually base his character, Jason Nesmith by way of Commander Peter Quincy Taggart, his “Galaxy Quest” TV show alter-ego, on William Shatner’s Captain James T. Kirk, but rather Yul Brynner. While the “Galaxy Quest” TV show is evocative of the original “Star Trek” TV show, and the acting in both is melodramatic and pretentious, the similarities carry on throughout the movie. When Nesmith gets stranded on an alien planet, he ends up fighting a rock monster, remindful of episode 25 of the original “Star Trek” show called “The Devil in the Dark,” where Kirk, Spock, and McCoy come across a creature made out of molten rock and as any “Star Trek” fan knows, Captain Kirk often took off his shirt in various episodes, just like Nesmith does while fighting the rock monster. Once our heroes realize the severity of their situation, with a little pep talk from Nesmith, they take control of their responsibilities and band together to protect the Thermians.
The film is lighthearted and whimsical and thankfully, never takes itself too seriously. After saving the Thermians and returning to earth, the cast gets a second chance at “Galaxy Quest” as the show is revived and put back on the air. The camaraderie between the central characters is undeniable and although Alec Baldwin and Kevin Kline were initially offered the role of Jason Nesmith, it’s hard to see anybody else playing the role other than Tim Allen. Justin Long and Rainn Wilson made their feature film debuts here and watching Sigourney Weaver sending up the character of Ellen Ripley was pure joy. Check out this new 20th Anniversary Steelbook Edition as there is a ton of extras including:
• Galactopedia—On-screen information about characters, ships, aliens and more
• Historical Documents: The Story of Galaxy Quest—Cast and filmmakers discuss how the film came together
• Never Give Up, Never Surrender: The Intrepid Crew of the NSEA Protector—Celebrates the incredibly talented cast
• By Grabthar’s Hammer, What Amazing Effects—Explores the effects by ILM and Stan Winston
• Alien School—Creating the Thermian Race—Actor Enrico Colantoni’s process of developing the voice and manner of an alien race
• Actors in Space—Delves into the psyche of the cast
• Sigourney Weaver Raps—Needs no further explanation
• Deleted Scenes
• Theatrical Trailer
Now available in a 20th Anniversary Limited Edition Blu-ray Steelbook
