Gwen: "It was cute when I didn't know you."
-The male and female lead of "Galaxy Quest," as he boldly goes where no man has gone before...
"I think it's a chillingly realistic documentary. The details in it, I recognized every one of them. It is a powerful piece of documentary filmmaking."
-George Takei, better known as Sulu, from the original Star Trek
-George Takei, better known as Sulu, from the original Star Trek
"Bottom line: 'Galaxy Quest' is the best Star Trek movie since "The Wrath of Khan'."
-Chris Gore, FilmThreat.com
-Chris Gore, FilmThreat.com
"Six hilariously-scripted parts, but they run out of laugh material long before the movie ends, and "Galaxy Quest" must then limp to the closing credits supported by its actual plot, which is, by design, stupider than anything "Star Trek" ever devised."
-Rob Blackwelder, SPLICEDwire.com
-Rob Blackwelder, SPLICEDwire.com
"The movie doesn’t entirely sell the reality of its situation: it still seems rather easy for the actor-characters to rise to the occasion and succeed in real life just as they did on their show. But what works earns enough good will for us to overlook the minor flaws. And in a year that has poked much fun at science fiction fans (TREKKIES, FREE ENTERPRISE) is nice to see a film that acknowledges the eccentricity of fanatics but ultimately embraces them."
-Steve Biodrowski, Cinefantastique
-Steve Biodrowski, Cinefantastique
So goes the hype (and criticism) for "Galaxy Quest," the 1999 spoof of the Star Trek franchise and space adventures in general, starring Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Alan Rickman, Tony Shalhoub, and...those other two guys...as actors from the fictional TV show and Star Trek stand-in known as "Galaxy Quest," who soon find themselves caught in a real-life space adventure beyond their wildest imaginings.
Personally, I have a love-hate relationship with anything that falls under "sci-fi." Beyond this, I have a tendency toward the action-packed Star Wars over its cheaper and more intellectual counterpart in Star Trek. Further grounding my thoughts to Earth was one very, very rabid fan I met recently who, in the space of thirty minutes, managed to turn me off of "The Force Unleashed," as well as anything Star Wars-related. So when my good old movie buddy told me I absolutely had to see "Galaxy Quest," I had second thoughts about agreeing to watch it.
"Galaxy Quest" is one of those movies I remember slipping through the cracks when it came to theaters. I wasn't nearly as jaded toward sci-fi back then, but I still remember watching the commercials and thinking to myself, "Wow, that looks dumb. I mean, not quite as dumb as that Jar-Jar Binks character or that robot that has to speak in beeps and whistles, but still pretty dumb."
Nor is "Galaxy Quest" one of those movies that astounds audiences and breathes life back into its genre. It's not going to do for sci-fi what "The Dark Knight" did for superheroes, or what the Bourne series did for action movies and spy flicks; it's a movie with tongue planted firmly within cheek. It's a good, quality family film, not totally watered down for the kids but not too intimidating for your average viewer. More than anything, though, it's just plain fun.
Some flaws? You want flaws? You want me to discuss this movie's flaws? Well, I'll give you this much, as well as a quick plot breakdown: The movie's premise is that the characters are all actors, who are best known for their roles as the intrepid space travelers of TV's "Galaxy Quest." The initial conflict comes from none of these actors being able to escape those roles; Sigourney Weaver's character sees herself as little more than a sex symbol, while Alan Rickman's character, veteran of theatre that he is, is desperately seeking roles more serious than, say, Spock. In fact, their constant association with their TV roles proves their undoing once the real aliens show up...
Then we have Tim Allen's character, who is basically Kirk to a T. He plays the daring space captain on TV, and thus gets the most fans and the most time in the spotlight. Of course, he is then confronted with the fact that he's been doing Galaxy Quest conventions for almost two decades and that he's essentially a has-been, and his once unshakable character lashes out at some fans, spirals into a mid-life crisis, and binges like no man has drunk before, which, again, proves to be their undoing once the real aliens show up.
I guess my point is that his character arc was a bit too...cartoonish. I know, we're talking about a movie where this washed-up actor ends up being abducted by aliens and placed in charge of his own spaceship. However, the scene I'm talking about takes place before he--and the audience--have officially left planet Earth. It's just a little jarring to see someone go from such an unchecked ego to a drunken mess. (Granted, I know people tend to hit the bottle over far less, but still...)
How exactly does this guy not realize his acting career has basically stagnated until five minutes into the movie? How is it he loses his sense of conviction just from one guy saying, "Hey, how 'bout that last big role of yours...twenty years ago?" You would think he's been in showbiz long enough to realize, as they say, "haters gonna hate." (Of course, the 90's were a far more innocent time, back before movies in general had lost that cheesiness and "Haters Gonna Hate" had been...invented...)
Again, though, this is a minor flaw. For this movie, the sky is indeed the limit. The special effects, while noticeable compared to today's movies, still aren't bad for 1999, and for a movie as cheesy as this, you can afford to let them get away with it. The writing is pitch-perfect, the action is non-stop (except, of course, when their alien caretakers provide their "dinner"...), and the movie hits the "beats" you might find in a show like Star Trek. Special mention goes to Tony Shalhoub's character, Fred Kwan, who...is just awesome. There isn't a moment he's onscreen that he isn't being awesome. In fact, he's probably one of my favorite characters ever. Ever. Yeah, Rambo, eat your heart out.
So overall, is "Galaxy Quest" a good movie? Yes. Is it a great movie? No. No, I don't think anyone would call this movie a "great" movie. But I would definitely say it's worth checking out. By Grabthar's hammer...by the Sons of Warvan...this movie is worth checking out.
Note: The Brewsky is an enthusiastic contributor and movie reviewer who will not stop until all the weak and defenseless are protected from bad movies. As long as there is injustice, whenever a baby cries out, bored to tears, whenever a distress signal goes out, he will not rest. This fine writer, this fine blog. Never give up...and never surrender. Brewsky out.
Personally, I have a love-hate relationship with anything that falls under "sci-fi." Beyond this, I have a tendency toward the action-packed Star Wars over its cheaper and more intellectual counterpart in Star Trek. Further grounding my thoughts to Earth was one very, very rabid fan I met recently who, in the space of thirty minutes, managed to turn me off of "The Force Unleashed," as well as anything Star Wars-related. So when my good old movie buddy told me I absolutely had to see "Galaxy Quest," I had second thoughts about agreeing to watch it.
"Galaxy Quest" is one of those movies I remember slipping through the cracks when it came to theaters. I wasn't nearly as jaded toward sci-fi back then, but I still remember watching the commercials and thinking to myself, "Wow, that looks dumb. I mean, not quite as dumb as that Jar-Jar Binks character or that robot that has to speak in beeps and whistles, but still pretty dumb."
Nor is "Galaxy Quest" one of those movies that astounds audiences and breathes life back into its genre. It's not going to do for sci-fi what "The Dark Knight" did for superheroes, or what the Bourne series did for action movies and spy flicks; it's a movie with tongue planted firmly within cheek. It's a good, quality family film, not totally watered down for the kids but not too intimidating for your average viewer. More than anything, though, it's just plain fun.
Some flaws? You want flaws? You want me to discuss this movie's flaws? Well, I'll give you this much, as well as a quick plot breakdown: The movie's premise is that the characters are all actors, who are best known for their roles as the intrepid space travelers of TV's "Galaxy Quest." The initial conflict comes from none of these actors being able to escape those roles; Sigourney Weaver's character sees herself as little more than a sex symbol, while Alan Rickman's character, veteran of theatre that he is, is desperately seeking roles more serious than, say, Spock. In fact, their constant association with their TV roles proves their undoing once the real aliens show up...
Then we have Tim Allen's character, who is basically Kirk to a T. He plays the daring space captain on TV, and thus gets the most fans and the most time in the spotlight. Of course, he is then confronted with the fact that he's been doing Galaxy Quest conventions for almost two decades and that he's essentially a has-been, and his once unshakable character lashes out at some fans, spirals into a mid-life crisis, and binges like no man has drunk before, which, again, proves to be their undoing once the real aliens show up.
I guess my point is that his character arc was a bit too...cartoonish. I know, we're talking about a movie where this washed-up actor ends up being abducted by aliens and placed in charge of his own spaceship. However, the scene I'm talking about takes place before he--and the audience--have officially left planet Earth. It's just a little jarring to see someone go from such an unchecked ego to a drunken mess. (Granted, I know people tend to hit the bottle over far less, but still...)
How exactly does this guy not realize his acting career has basically stagnated until five minutes into the movie? How is it he loses his sense of conviction just from one guy saying, "Hey, how 'bout that last big role of yours...twenty years ago?" You would think he's been in showbiz long enough to realize, as they say, "haters gonna hate." (Of course, the 90's were a far more innocent time, back before movies in general had lost that cheesiness and "Haters Gonna Hate" had been...invented...)
Again, though, this is a minor flaw. For this movie, the sky is indeed the limit. The special effects, while noticeable compared to today's movies, still aren't bad for 1999, and for a movie as cheesy as this, you can afford to let them get away with it. The writing is pitch-perfect, the action is non-stop (except, of course, when their alien caretakers provide their "dinner"...), and the movie hits the "beats" you might find in a show like Star Trek. Special mention goes to Tony Shalhoub's character, Fred Kwan, who...is just awesome. There isn't a moment he's onscreen that he isn't being awesome. In fact, he's probably one of my favorite characters ever. Ever. Yeah, Rambo, eat your heart out.
So overall, is "Galaxy Quest" a good movie? Yes. Is it a great movie? No. No, I don't think anyone would call this movie a "great" movie. But I would definitely say it's worth checking out. By Grabthar's hammer...by the Sons of Warvan...this movie is worth checking out.
Note: The Brewsky is an enthusiastic contributor and movie reviewer who will not stop until all the weak and defenseless are protected from bad movies. As long as there is injustice, whenever a baby cries out, bored to tears, whenever a distress signal goes out, he will not rest. This fine writer, this fine blog. Never give up...and never surrender. Brewsky out.
I might have to see this one. I didn't catch it when it first came out, but I think I'll toss it into my Netflix queue. Thanks for the review!
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