Galaxy Quest
3/4
Starring: Tim Allen, Alan Rickman, Sigourney Weaver, Enrico Contaloni, Sam Rockwell, Tony Shaloub
Rated PG for Some Action Violence, Mild Language and Sensuality
Long live geekdom! "Galaxy Quest" is an affectionate parody of "Star Trek" and its fans, and it does so without ever being mean. It addresses the show with a wink and a smile.
Eighteen years ago, the cult sci-fi show "Galaxy Quest" was adored by sci-fi geeks. But these days, the actors are only required to show up at sci-fi conventions and TV ads. Some of the cast love the spotlight, like James Nesmith (Allen), who played the captain and has an ego to match. Others, like classical actor Alexander Dane (Rickman) who played the much beloved Dr. Lazarus, would rather die than say their signature line. Soon, however, they're going to find themselves playing their parts for real when they are transported by troubled aliens who believe that the TV episodes are "historical documents."
"Galaxy Quest" never takes the easy way out. It would have been simpler to go for cheap laughs, but writers David Howard and Robert Gordon are very specific about what they target and how they go about it. For example, they flesh out the cast squabbling and make up histories for the characters. This results in a much funnier movie.
Like the writers, the cast works hard to create their characters, and they seem to be enjoying themselves immensely. Tim Allen is great as Nesmith, and isn't above looking like an idiot in the cheesy TV clips. Sigourney Weaver emphasizes her considerable sex appeal as Gwen DeMarco, whose only purpose on the show was to talk to the ship's computer and repeat what it said. Alan Rickman gets the biggest laughs as the increasingly irritated Dr. Lazarus. He has all the best lines and some of his reaction shots are priceless. Sam Rockwell plays an inventive character who is terrified he's going to be killed since he was offed early on in his guest spot on the show (this is the kind of specific humor that I was talking about). Robin Sachs overacts to great effect as the villain Sarris, devouring his cheesy lines with relish. Also worth mentioning is Patrick Breen, who plays Quellek, one of the aliens. His earnestness really touches the heart.
Dean Parisot doesn't have an impressive resume, but the man's work is solid. I'm sure he watched a lot of episodes of "Star Trek" to figure out what he was parodying, and he does so with affectionate glee. The special effects are cheesy when they need to be and top-notch at other times. He has a firm grasp of comic timing and gets us to care about the characters and the plot while we are laughing at it. A lot of movies try this, but few succeed.
I thoroughly enjoyed this movie, and I laughed quite a bit. That's more than can be said for most comedies these days.
Starring: Tim Allen, Alan Rickman, Sigourney Weaver, Enrico Contaloni, Sam Rockwell, Tony Shaloub
Rated PG for Some Action Violence, Mild Language and Sensuality
Long live geekdom! "Galaxy Quest" is an affectionate parody of "Star Trek" and its fans, and it does so without ever being mean. It addresses the show with a wink and a smile.
Eighteen years ago, the cult sci-fi show "Galaxy Quest" was adored by sci-fi geeks. But these days, the actors are only required to show up at sci-fi conventions and TV ads. Some of the cast love the spotlight, like James Nesmith (Allen), who played the captain and has an ego to match. Others, like classical actor Alexander Dane (Rickman) who played the much beloved Dr. Lazarus, would rather die than say their signature line. Soon, however, they're going to find themselves playing their parts for real when they are transported by troubled aliens who believe that the TV episodes are "historical documents."
"Galaxy Quest" never takes the easy way out. It would have been simpler to go for cheap laughs, but writers David Howard and Robert Gordon are very specific about what they target and how they go about it. For example, they flesh out the cast squabbling and make up histories for the characters. This results in a much funnier movie.
Like the writers, the cast works hard to create their characters, and they seem to be enjoying themselves immensely. Tim Allen is great as Nesmith, and isn't above looking like an idiot in the cheesy TV clips. Sigourney Weaver emphasizes her considerable sex appeal as Gwen DeMarco, whose only purpose on the show was to talk to the ship's computer and repeat what it said. Alan Rickman gets the biggest laughs as the increasingly irritated Dr. Lazarus. He has all the best lines and some of his reaction shots are priceless. Sam Rockwell plays an inventive character who is terrified he's going to be killed since he was offed early on in his guest spot on the show (this is the kind of specific humor that I was talking about). Robin Sachs overacts to great effect as the villain Sarris, devouring his cheesy lines with relish. Also worth mentioning is Patrick Breen, who plays Quellek, one of the aliens. His earnestness really touches the heart.
Dean Parisot doesn't have an impressive resume, but the man's work is solid. I'm sure he watched a lot of episodes of "Star Trek" to figure out what he was parodying, and he does so with affectionate glee. The special effects are cheesy when they need to be and top-notch at other times. He has a firm grasp of comic timing and gets us to care about the characters and the plot while we are laughing at it. A lot of movies try this, but few succeed.
I thoroughly enjoyed this movie, and I laughed quite a bit. That's more than can be said for most comedies these days.
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