9) Galaxy Quest (1999)

(4 's out of 5)

"Whoever wrote this episode should die." 

Director
Dean Parisot

Cast
Tim Allen - Jason Nesmith
Sigourney Weaver - Gwen DeMarco
Alan Rickman - Alexander Dane
Tony Shalhoub - Fred Kwan
Daryl Mitchell - Tommy Webber
Sam Rockwell - Guy Fleegman
Enrico Colantoni - Mathesar
Robin Sachs - Roth'h'ar Sarris

Missi Pyle - Laliari
Rainn Wilson - Lahnk
Justin Long as Brandon


In the world of sci-fi comedies, "Galaxy Quest" is among the top of the list along with classics like "Spaceballs," "Back to the Future," "Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure," "Guardians of the Galaxy vols. 1 and 2," and "Men in Black." 

It's tongue-in-cheek humor mixes well with the satire thrown at "Star Trek" and fans of Star Trek, commonly known as "Trekkies." I'm completely on board with it. Not that I have anything against Star Trek or Trekkies. 

I've enjoyed a lot of the Trek movies and used to watch "Star Trek: The Next Generation" fairly regularly when it aired on television. I just love satire much more. And this movie hits the spot!

It surrounds a fictional 1980s TV show called "Galaxy Quest." The actors from the show have been reduced to making convention and small promotional appearances like the opening of a new grocery store. 

During these appearances, they're thrown dorky unimportant questions about show details from obsessed fans and asked to repeat old catchphrases again and again. 
Jason Nesmith (Tim Allen), who was the star of the show, Commander Peter Quincy Taggart, loves the attention. His former co-stars, Gwen DeMarco (Sigourney Weaver), Fred Kwan (Tony Shalhoub), and Tommy Webber (Daryl Mitchell) simply put up with it for an easy paycheck. His other co-star, Alexander Dane (Alan Rickman) doesn't enjoy it anymore. He goes through the motions of unenthusiastically signing picture after picture, and even more unenthusiastically repeating the same catchphrases over and over again. 

During a convention appearance, a group of aliens called Thermians show up and ask Jason if he'd be willing to help them and their people. 

Jason thinks they're just fans of show in cosplay inquiring about another promotional appearance, which he nonchalantly agrees to. 

The Thermians stop by his house the next morning, only to find Jason hung over. He doesn't realize that they're really aliens from another planet, and they want him and the rest of the Galaxy Quest crew to help them defeat Roth'h'ar Sarris (Robin Sachs), an alien general leading an army of reptilian humanoids hellbent on destroying the Thermians.

Tim Allen, Alan Rickman and Sigourney Weaver in "Galaxy Quest."

The Thermians beam Jason abord their ship, which is designed to look exactly like the starship NSEA Protector - the ship from "Galaxy Quest."

While onboard, Jason thinks it's all a set and puts on another performance as Commander Taggart facing off agains Sarris. 

Sarris demands the Thermians hand over the "Omega 13", a secret super weapon with unknown capabilities referenced in the show's finale. 

Jason does whatever Taggart would do, and temporarily saves the Thermians from Sarris's attack. 

When the Thermians thank Jason and transport him back to earth by shooting him through space, he realizes that wasn't a promotion he experienced. 

He's shocked at the reality that the Thermians are actually aliens, that he was just on-board an actual spaceship made up to look exactly like the set of "Galaxy Quest." What's worse is that he just pissed off a deadly group of aliens who are going to for sure kill the Thermians. What's even more insane is that the Thermians think the "Galaxy Quest" episodes from Earth are actually historical documents in Earth's space exploration. 

So, they've modelled their own space efforts to mimic these "documents." Fiction is not something they're familiar with. 

Jason tries to convince the rest of his former co-stars to help these aliens. Of course, they think he's insane until the Thermians show back up asking Jason for more help. 

The entire cast are taken aboard their ship to fight against Sarris and his troops. 

What's really impressive is how well the entire cast works together. The chemistry is clearly present. I am almost convinced that they all actually worked together on a science fiction TV show before the movie. 

It's Alan Rickman as Alexander Dane, who played Dr. Lazarus along with Tony Shalhoub as Fred Kwan, who played Tech Sergeant Chen, that steal the show for me. Their comedic timing and performance had me laughing the most. 

The humor works because the logic of the television series is outlandish. The actors and audience know that brains need to be left at the door when watching "Galaxy Quest." But they're forced to go along with the Thermians and take it seriously and use it that way. 

For instance, in one scene when Sarris and his buddies seize the Thermian ship, Jason and Gwen run through the ship trying to figure out a way to conquer them and save the Thermians as Sarris's troops are chasing them. 

They reach a part of the ship where giant metal chompers are in their way. 

"What is this thing? I mean, it serves no useful purpose for there to be a bunch of chompy, crushy things in the middle of a hallway. No, I mean we shouldn't have to do this, it makes no logical sense, why is it here," Gwen says.
"'Cause it's on the television show," Jason replies. 

"Well forget it! I'm not doing it! This episode was badly written!" 

Like the supernatural comedy "Ghostbusters," what makes "Galaxy Quest" hilarious is premise that no one knows what they're doing in this outrageous plot even though they all (technically) did this for a living. They just act like they know what they're doing. And they still manage to come out as the heroes. 

I find the plot greatly enjoyable and original. The way it plays out is great. The comedy is gold and fits perfectly within the story. It's subtle and not obnoxious.

The cast is as perfect as it gets. The stellar cast playing characters with only one thing in common, and all with different personalities, blend impressively well with each other. The movie is a gem among sci-fi comedies.