The Reel Review
Stars of a 1970s sci-fi show now living off of reruns and appearances at sci-fi conventions find themselves tasked with saving the galaxy, after aliens mistaking their fictional TV series for a documentary of “historical documents” beam them aboard their spacecraft. Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver and Alan Rickman star in this 1999 sci-fi/parody.
Galaxy Quest is both wonderfully stupid and subversively clever, holding up surprisingly well more than two and a half decades after its premiere. Weaver and Rickman are standouts as the TV show cast members turned unlikely saviors of the galaxy, with a hilarious Enrico Colantoni (Just Shoot Me) as the alien leader with a memorable albeit very unusual cadence. Allen channels Star Trek’s William Shatner as the overconfident and annoying leader of the group with Sam Rockwell getting a slew of funny one-liners as the “expendable” crew member.
With spot-on casting, impeccable comic timing and a sharply written screenplay, the twisty parody even sticks the landing with an emotional, heartfelt finish. Galaxy Quest is a love letter to sci-fi series fans as well as an ode to teamwork and the power of good storytelling.
REEL FACTS
• The scene where Tim Allen is in a men’s restroom overhearing fans complain that the cast of the series are nobodies and all the co-stars can’t stand him mirrors an actual real life encounter where Star Trek‘s William Shatner discovered those very things during a 1996 convention.
• The casting director was so taken with Enrico Colantoni’s audition as the leader of the aliens that his unusual cadence and mannerisms became the basis for the others.
• Tony Shalhoub’s character was written and acted with the idea that he was high the entire time, explaining why he was unfazed by the events occurring around him and was constantly eating snacks.
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