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Created Oct 20, 2014 08:40PM PST • Edited Jun 09, 2024 07:49AM PST

1. Quality

2. Summary

   Great 4.0

   J. J. Abrams famously called Galaxy Quest “one of the best Star Trek movies ever made.” That from the man who so successfully rebooted the Star Trek franchise. His endorsement oversimplifies this brilliantly entertaining movie however, as it’s more parody of the Trekkie pop culture phenomenon than homage to Star Trek-style science fiction, though it is that also. So it’s one of the best Star Trek movies, and beyond!

   First, some context: Galaxy Quest presents as a Star Trek-like faux TV show, complete with soaring music, preening Captain, brainiac First Officer and sexy Communications Officer. Tim Allen plays the William Shatner-like leading man, Alan Rickman the tortured actor with the Spock-like role, and Sigourney Weaver the bodacious blonde thrown in for sex appeal. Long since consigned to reruns, the cast reconvenes at Trekkie-like conventions much to the adoration of their batty fans.

   David Howard’s screenplay would have been a satisfying success had its ambitions gone no farther, as the intersection of fanboys and self-loathing TV stars makes for a delicious sendup of contemporary pop-culture delusions. But it didn’t stop there. It went where no mere Star Trek homage had gone before.

   It turns into a real SciFi intergalactic adventure, adding layers of irony and winsomeness along the way. No wonder Trekkies and pop culture critics alike revere it. Given that the trends it spoofs have only deepened, Galaxy Quest never gets old. Captain Jason Nesmith says it best: “Never give up. Never surrender.”

4. Acting

   Great 4.0

   Galaxy Quest came along during Tim Allen’s reign as Buzz Lightyear, making his performance as a self-infatuated intergalactic swashbuckler all the more delicious. He’s aping William Shatner / Captain Kirk, of course, one of the few SciFi stars bigger than Buzz Lightyear. Allen’s ability to go over the top in masculine exuberance is unparalleled. Notably, he’s the only crew-member not stricken with self-loathing.

   Sigourney Weaver plays the actress who plays the Communications officer, prized for her ability to repeat utterances from the computer and for her ample cleavage, not necessarily in that order. Sexy Sigourney went blonde and unzipped, enthusiastically throwing herself into being a self-knowing sex symbol, with her trademark intellect ever in evidence.

   Alan Rickman disappoints to this American ear, though I admit that the refined Brit has never been my cup of tea. He plays the Spock-like character, though he’s stuck with prosthetic appliances that look downright Ferengi, the poor bloke.

   Tony Shalhoub intriguingly plays the engineer as a phlegmatic character, in counterpoint to the N.C.C. Enterprise’s Mr. Scott.

   Daryl Mitchell plays a former child actor, now a poorly adjusted adult. Clever addition to the parody, this.

   Sam Rockwell hangs on as a former extra who’s initially happy to make the scene and then wants to bail out. Rockwell’s always a treat.

   Aliens

   Enrico Colantoni brilliantly plays the alien leader Mathesar. Even that character name – Mathesar – is brilliant. Colantoni plays him not unlike a chirpy SNL alien, which is just right for the story.

   Missi Pyle and Patrick Breen are in his Thermian crew, with Pyle proving a very sexy Thermian indeed.

   Robin Sachs is inside a large lizard-like costume as the big villain.

   Trekkie

   Justin Long – in his first ever role – plays an eager and capable Galaxy Quest über-fan. Long wouldn’t appear on screen again for another two years.

5. Male Stars Great 4.0

6. Female Stars Great 4.0

7. Female Costars Great 4.0

8. Male Costars Perfect 5.0

10. Film

    Great 4.0

    Dean Parisot brilliantly directs this cleverly wacky story by David Howard & Robert Gordon. Parisot previously collaborated with Steven Wright, which explains a few things.

11. Direction Great 4.0

12. Play Great 4.0

    Great Script

    • “Oh that’s not right! No…” LOL
    • “Ducts? Why is it always ducts?” a clear homage to Brazil.

13. Music Really Great 4.5

14. Visuals Great 4.0

    Where’d those great visuals come from?

    • Half a dozen puppeteers
    • Ten stuntmen
    • Blue screen unit
    • Lots of model makers and animators
    • Stan Winston aliens.
    • Alien landscape shot in Utah
15. Content

16. Edge

    Risqué 2.2

    Alien sex is about as edgy as this mildly risqué movie gets. That and a vicious alien monster.

17. Sex Titillating 2.2

18. Violence Fierce 2.5

19. Rudeness Salty 2.0

21. Reality

    Fantasy 4.1

    SciFi fantasy aside, was Galaxy Quest inspired by William Shatner’s legendary appearance on Saturday Night Live? That was when he cheekily asked a Star Trek convention audience why they didn’t ‘get a life?’

22. Circumstantial Surreal 2.4

23. Biological Fantasy 5.0

24. Physical Fantasy 5.0