I remember it very well, when this movie was released, even though it wasn’t really a box-office success, it still become a cult-classic so I was really eager to watch the damned thing. However, even though it was a decent watch and definitely one of the very few watchable movies starring Tim Allen, I can’t say I was really blown away by the whole thing though. I don’t know, back then, I haven’t watched any Star Trek movie at the time so I guess I missed most of the jokes about the original Star Trek crew. Since then, I have seen every single one of Star Trek installments though so maybe I would enjoy it more if I would give it a 2nd chance. Even so, I thought that the jokes were mildly amusing but never really hilarious. On top of that, even though the cast was pretty neat (Sigourney Weaver, Alan Rickman, Tony Shalhoub, Sam Rockwell, Justin Long), I still had a hard time to take Tim Allen seriously as the guy remains one of the most underwhelming actors I have ever seen. To conclude, even though it didn’t really win me over, it was still a decent comedy and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you are into Star Trek.
Galaxy Quest Reviews
One of the better Tim Allen movies
Posted : 9 years, 2 months ago on 18 February 2015 10:02'Galaxy Quest' is one of the better Tim Allen movies. The film sees actors from a space TV show as they get kidnapped by an alien race and have to play their roles for real! They spend most of the film alongside a brilliant visual style in space!
The visual style is great, as is Alan Rickman's hairstyle and the cast are pretty good in their roles. This film certainly can't beat 'Toy Story' but is actually better than 'The Santa Clause'. Worth watching!
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Review of Galaxy Quest
Posted : 9 years, 8 months ago on 1 September 2014 01:45The film revolves around a troupe of actors who formerly appeared on a popular sci-fi TV show entitled Galaxy Quest. The program was cancelled 18 years ago, and the actors are out of work. However, through a massive mis-communication, the troupe is transported to space into the middle of a war with a species of aliens called Thermians fighting against the sinister Sarris.
The first half of the film contains all the best material in terms of laughs and ideas. The first several scenes are about the crew of Galaxy Quest coping with the fan conventions and type-casting, all of which is original and funny. I would have been happy to see an entire film revolving around this subject. The cast has great chemistry with each other, making the first 20 minutes of the film supremely enjoyable.
After the crew get sent to space, they must all cope with their situation. This provides successful comedy as well, even if it feels a little less fresh. The comedy highlights come courtesy of the Thermian alien species which are hilarious in their movement, bizarre speech patterns, and facial expressions. These aliens provide the biggest laughs and most entertaining moments of the film.
Regrettably, the second half of the film fails to live up to the first. It's not as funny, not as entertaining, and it's absurdly messy. The novelty of the plot and thinly written characters has worn off considerably by now, but the script hasn't realized it yet. What results is a predictable and plodding second half. What's even more upsetting is how tonally off the charts it is.
The comedy in the second half of the film has to unevenly co-exist with surprisingly heavy plot points. I was reminded of 2013's The Lone Ranger, the film that combined wacky Depp antics with the massacre of hundreds of Indians, with unpleasant results. In this film, several torture scenes are "balanced" with wacky spoof humor - the sum of which is disastrous.
What's more, the ending is an absolute mess. Without spoiling anything, it's hard to be specific, but I'll just say that the fight against Sarris is dragged on in a completely unnecessary fashion. With all of that said, the second half is not completely devoid of entertainment. There are still some good gags (and even a couple decent laughs), but it pales in comparison to what came before.
The cast does a remarkable job of taking one-dimensional characters and fleshing them out enough to withstand the 100 minute run-time. Tim Allen (who even looks like a retired TV star) is a likable lead, and he has good chemistry with Sigourney Weaver. Tony Shalhoub is a bit underused, but he's funny when onscreen. Alan Rickman is a highlight among the primary cast, and Sam Rockwell and Daryl Mitchell are great too.
Of course, the actors portraying the Thermians steal the show, perfectly balancing camp and wackiness in a delightful ensemble performance. Enrico Colantoni portrays the leading Thermian.
David Newman's score perfectly parodies the Star Trek/Star Wars material with an appropriately adventurous score. It's a pure parody score, but I imagine it would still function well outside of the film.
The second half lags a bit, and the writing isn't always sharp, but the film is saved by a strong cast and a number of big laughs early on. This is a Star Trek parody that anyone can watch and enjoy (though I suspect Trekkies will enjoy it more). Yes, Galaxy Quest is a mess, but it's certainly an entertaining one.
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Sci-fi....Comedy!
Posted : 11 years, 11 months ago on 19 May 2012 01:52And I finally figured out why: it's unique. It's a sci-fi...comedy! That's right, in a genre entranced by drama, often quite overblown drama, this one is *funny*. And in a genre full of people quite taken with the genre, this movie makes fun of itself...and, in a way, the audience! And in a little subculture of reality, a little world unto itself, quite taken with the institution of the franchise, and, in a way, almost born to nurture franchises...this movie is, yeah, very light and flip about franchises and their tropes.
And, yeah, like I said, it's basically an average movie in a lot of ways...but it is, though this sound odd, a unique average movie. And maybe that's what sci-fi should aspire to, in a way....the characters, the plot, and so on, are quite serviceable and sturdy, in a way, without being shockingly innovative, but the concept of the movie itself was a bit of an innovation, at least for this genre...
Know what I mean?
And: again, I don't know if the cast was really better or worse than the casts in a dozen or a million other real-world, general, sort of comedies and genres, I mean, *dramas*, but...one choice was interesting. Tony Shalhoub, ("Monk"), plays a supporting role--he's definitely not a lead, but, if you think about it...it is an interesting choice.
And, basically, I think, yeah, it's just a solid, competent movie that maybe you don't need to be a fanboy to watch and like...and, yeah, *not* live your life around.
So: when you're deep in the claws of despair, wondering if sci-fi (as good a name as any, though I don't like to write it out, since I've never seen the "science" in it) will ever claw it's way out of the pits of self-defeating nonsense it compulsively throws itself into: take heart!
"Never give up...never surrender!"
After all, the guys on the Starship Galaxy Quest, or whatever, were just as clueless as you, but, somehow, they managed to pull their ass out of the fire.
Yeah, they really did a decent job of it.
(8/10)
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Galaxy Quest review
Posted : 12 years, 3 months ago on 4 January 2012 04:31A hilarious spoof of the Star Trek franchise resurgence and stood it on its head! Hell, I think even Gene Roddenberry was laughing in his grave!
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A perfect lazy afternoon movie!
Posted : 12 years, 5 months ago on 14 November 2011 08:20
Quality cinematic spoofing and satire is an increasingly rare commodity, with moronic films like Disaster Movie and Meet the Spartans insulting and degrading a formerly cherished art form. Thank goodness, then, for films like 1999's Galaxy Quest that remind us how satisfying a genuinely well-written spoof can be. Scripted by Robert Gordon and first-timer David Howard, Galaxy Quest is simultaneously a parody and an affectionate tribute to popular science-fiction franchises, most notably the Star Trek universe and its real-world fans. With pitch-perfect casting, razor-sharp writing, spot-on characters and assured filmmaking in every respect, the resulting film is a hilarious blast of sci-fi fun. It's a perfect lazy afternoon movie.
The story explores a simple "what if" premise: what if a race of otherworldly aliens mistook episodes of a fictional sci-fi series for authentic historical documents and built their civilisation around the show? Furthermore, what if the aliens truly believed that the show's cast were actual space explorers and travelled to Earth seeking their help? In the context of this film, Galaxy Quest is a long-cancelled cult television show whose washed-up stars are now middle-aged with no career prospects beyond appearances at fan conventions. The only actor who genuinely enjoys the attention is William Shatner-esque Jason Nesmith (Tim Allen), who played the high-ranking Commander Taggert on the show. Meanwhile, fellow cast members Gwen (Sigourney Weaver), Fred (Tony Shalhoub), Alexander (Alan Rickman) and Tommy (Daryl Mitchell) resent Jason and the dire state of their careers. Following a particularly heated convention, a group of desperate aliens known as the Thermians approach Nesmith, pleading for his assistance to defeat the genocidal Sarris (Robin Sachs). Before long, Nesmith and his fellow cast members, accompanied by convention handler and one-time cast member Guy (Sam Rockwell), are sucked into a genuine space adventure, not unlike something from their former TV program.
Opening with a segment from the fictitious Galaxy Quest show that features knowingly goofy hairstyles, corny dialogue, retro sets and a general air of silliness, it is immediately apparent that the movie's satirical sights are set on Gene Roddenberry's Star Trek universe, as it gleefully sends up the various clichés and tendencies of the old TV show. Additionally, the screenplay playfully pokes fun at washed-up TV stars without malice or cruelty. In the story, the Galaxy Quest cast cannot find any worthwhile paying gigs apart from signing autographs, which happened to a few of the original Star Trek cast members, and aspects of Nesmith's character are even based on William Shatner. But what's so special about the film is that it ridicules the protagonists while also creating relatable, sympathetic characters that are easy to care about. As the narrative progresses, the ostensibly shallow characters develop into interesting, three-dimensional people, which most surface-level parodies fail to do. Another enjoyable quirk of Galaxy Quest is that the show's fans are known as "Questians," which is an obvious nod to "Trekkies."
Galaxy Quest is a "have-your-cake-and-eat-it-too movie", as it parodies a genre while also representing a strong addition to said genre - think Scream, Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead. Therefore, on top of being a hilarious spoof, Galaxy Quest is also an incredibly entertaining sci-fi action-adventure with first-rate special effects, exciting battles, and even remarkably unforced moments of pathos. In other words, it is a proper story with real stakes. Director Dean Parisot admirably acquits himself with the material, showing a superb grasp of comedic timing while also handling the action sequences and the dramatic moments with the confidence of a seasoned veteran. The pacing is exceptionally strong throughout the 100-minute running time, and even when the laughs are not as frequent, the film always remains fun. Additionally, technical contributions are practically flawless across the board, with vibrant, eye-catching cinematography by Jerzy Zieliński, while David Newman's wonderfully cheesy and flavoursome original score perfectly replicates the tone and feel of old Star Trek music. With a generous but not overwhelming $45 million budget, the special effects by Industrial Light and Magic are fantastic, with the picture incorporating excellent miniature work and convincing computer-generated imagery, while Stan Winston's prosthetics and makeup artistry make this sci-fi universe seem entirely real. The writing, however, is the film's key strength - the hilariously quotable dialogue is endless, and the movie features some of the wittiest group banter ever seen in an ensemble movie.
The impeccable cast is another highlight, with not a single weak spot in the ensemble. The actors fully commit to their roles, playing the characters straight and never seeming in on the joke. Tim Allen is extremely funny here, while the always-reliable Alan Rickman steals the show with a hilarious performance as an embittered actor who outright resents the Galaxy Quest show and believes he has squandered his acting potential. Rickman excels at dry humour, and the script serves him well here, with several side-splitting one-liners. Sigourney Weaver is equally strong, playing the show's thankless sex symbol with pitch-perfect comedic conviction. Meanwhile, Tony Shalhoub delivers an uproariously deadpan performance as the trademark techie, and Enrico Colantoni is funny and likeable as the Thermian leader, Mathesar. Then there's the brilliant Sam Rockwell, who constantly steals the spotlight playing a one-time Galaxy Quest extra who epitomises the traits of a "Red Shirt" crewmember from the original Star Trek series and is in constant fear of death. Also keep a look out for Justin Long, who makes his film debut here as a teen fanboy/geek who is so wrapped up in the old series that he cannot distinguish between reality and fiction.
A rare action adventure with style and substance, Galaxy Quest gets everything right. It's a testament to the team behind Galaxy Quest that being a sworn-in follower of geekdom is not required to appreciate and have fun with the film. The humour cleverly blends surface-level goofiness with sly satirical jabs at the Star Trek universe, engendering its own unique identity and universe. With this in mind, it is frankly astonishing that the film has not developed a massive cult following. Sure, it has its fans and was the subject of a Fandom documentary, but it remains incredibly underrated and under-appreciated. It's consistently laugh-out-loud funny, and the fact that it is a PG-rated film fit for family consumption makes it even more commendable.
9.0/10
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Made by sci-fi fans, for sci-fi fans
Posted : 16 years, 10 months ago on 8 June 2007 06:440 comments, Reply to this entry