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Galaxy Quest is the latest special-effects laden comedy in theaters today (when I say today, I mean December 28, 1999). And for those of you who are worried (or hoping), this movie is not Spaceballs. And I, for one, thank the director for that.
Galaxy Quest, starring Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, and Alan Rickman, is a story with humor elements that pokes fun of a certain Gene Roddenbery creation that most sci-fi and comic geeks (like myself) are quite familiar with. Yes, Galaxy Quest is a Star Trek spoof that gives a gentle ribbing to fans, characters, and actors alike. This is not Trekkies, however - Galaxy Quest casually leans against the sci-fi franchise most of us grew up with, rather than using the show as a crutch. And, unlike a Mel Brooks spoof, does not get so wrapped up in comedy that we forget to enjoy the characters or the plot. Galaxy Quest was a carefully crafted comedy that (as Sidra puts it) has actors portraying actors that play astronauts. Were I only so good with words I might have said the same thing myself.
GQ (Galaxy Quest, not the magazine) is a movie about actors who, after portraying space-faring characters on the Galaxy Quest TV show, can't seem to find any other line of work outside of portraying those characters. So there they are, convention after convention, at grand openings, wherever they can find work, as their characters. Jason Nesbith, who plays Commander Taggart (Tim Allen) seems the only one who doesn't mind this, however. His character is the most loved, after all, and this only strokes his oversized ego. The actors livelihoods depend on the characters they portray, no matter how much they hate it. However, Nesbith believes he may have found a great opportunity as Taggart when a group of costumed fans approach him. Unbeknownst to him, these fans are actually aliens who consider the show Galaxy Quest to be historical documents.
It gets a little predictable from here on in...
The rest of the main cast (and an extra who 'died' in episode 81) get pulled into a madcap adventure through space, having to repair the engine's power source, and stop the evil overlord/badguy, who seems to be able to survive just about everything thrown at him. I won't be spoiling too much when I say that in the end, the bad guy dies, the good aliens are saved, and the cast forms a bond of friendship - oh, and Nesbith looses the oversized ego.
Predictable? Sure, but what Star Trek episode isn't? It doesn't make the film any less enjoyable. Rather, fans of the Roddenbury franchise will happily see the plot a mile ahead and revel in it. The characters are well rounded, the acting is better than the original Star Trek cast on a good day (with the exception of DeForest Kelley), and the special effects are pretty darn nifty, too.
All in all, Galaxy Quest is not a bad flick at all. I probably won't see it again in theaters, nor will I buy it on video... but I'll most likely rent it a couple times. Were I to give it a grade, I'd say that Galaxy Quest warrants an 8.5/10.
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