I can’t remember how old I was the first time I watched Galaxy Quest, but the memory sticks out all the same. My dad introduced it to me, no doubt because he thought my Harry Potter-obsessed self would get a kick out of seeing Severus Snape in a prosthetic alien headpiece. He was right, and to this day it remains one of my favorite movies.
For good reason, too, since Dean Parisot’s sci-fi comedy is still a delight, even 25 years after its debut. By following the brilliant premise of a television cast forced into an adventure straight out of their own show, Galaxy Quest becomes a love letter to fandom and the importance of stories, and one that has its own cast of memorable characters. In a way, it’s only become more relevant since it first rolled out in December 1999, and it’s no surprise some count it as one of the best Star Trek movies.
Galaxy Quest Makes The Most Out Of A Great Premise
It’s At Its Funniest When It Leans Into The Absurdity Of The Setup
The in-universe show Galaxy Quest is essentially Star Trek, and writers David Howard and Robert Gordan poke fun at its most familiar tropes, from the extraneous crewman who always dies to the roguish captain somehow losing his shirt in battle. When the movie begins, the series has been off the air for several years. The cast attends conventions in costume in lieu of other jobs. They each respond to this differently, but no one enjoys it more than Jason Nesmith (Tim Allen), who played the Kirk-esque Captain Peter Quincy Taggart and whose inflated ego only grows with each fan interaction.
The best and funniest moments come from the actors fumbling their way through actions their characters would have excelled at.
At one such convention, Jason is approached by real aliens, known as Thermians, seeking the aid of the heroic crew found on Galaxy Quest, which they view as “historical documents.” What first seems like more praise from starry-eyed fans turns out to be a real plea for help, and it isn’t long before the whole cast is up in space and forced into the very roles they once played. There’s an inherent sense of humor in the premise, and Galaxy Quest makes the most of it.
The best and funniest moments come from the actors fumbling their way through actions their characters would have excelled at. Tommy Webber (Daryl Mitchell), whose character Laredo skillfully piloted the spaceship, nearly crashes the first time he sits in the driver’s seat. Fred Kwan (Tony Shalhoub, whose character seems poised for commentary about whitewashing that never comes to fruition), normally the ship’s brilliant tech sergeant, cowers at the thought of using a key piece of tech. Galaxy Quest revels in these moments and executes them brilliantly, both thanks to the sharp writing and the pitch-perfect comedic timing of the cast.
Galaxy Quest’s Cast Is Perfect
Everyone’s Role Is Spot-On
Parisot assembled a fantastic group of actors, many of whom step into archetypes that skew closely towards real life or characters they previously inhabited. For example, Sigourney Weaver gets the chance to play a sci-fi hero who is vastly different from Alien‘s Ripley, but is nevertheless pretty beloved. Allen brings some of Buzz Lightyear’s commanding voice into Jason’s performance as Captain Taggart, though his usual comedic sensibilities are never forgotten.
I’ve long thought the true MVP of the Galaxy Quest cast is Sam Rockwell as Guy, a forgotten background actor who leaps at the chance to be part of the show, only to later remember he has a tendency to play the crew members who die. The eventual Oscar winner has some of the best line deliveries (“Is there air?! You don’t know!”) and proves to be far more memorable than Guy’s own onscreen persona.
I would also be remiss if I didn’t give special mention to Alan Rickman; he’ll always be best remembered for his villainous, darker characters, but as bitter Shakespearean actor Alexander Dane, he lets his dry humor loose to brilliant effect.
The Most Powerful Part Of Galaxy Quest
…Has Only Gotten More Timely
Thanks to the rise of online fan culture, Galaxy Quest has only become more timely. Before, the idea of a passionate fan base prone to dressing up and writing fanfiction would be exclusively tied to so-called nerd stories like, well, Galaxy Quest. Now, though, everything from Game of Thrones to 9-1-1 can spark a thriving online fandom, and that’s why it’s still so refreshing to watch this movie 25 years on.
Galaxy Quest‘s brand of fandom is perhaps just a touch outdated — I doubt Taggart and Tawny Madison would be the main ship when Taggart and Doctor Lazarus are right there — but it remains a beautiful ode to the importance of stories.
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No scene displays this better than the moment when Rickman’s Alexander utters his most memorable (and most hated) Galaxy Quest line for the sake of soothing Quelleck (Patrick Breen), the Thermian who idolized his character. A character like Alexander, who openly looked ill at the thought of uttering the line previously, seeing the impact his character had takes the movie from a silly comedy to a heartfelt examination of storytelling.
At a time when the real world is getting scarier by the day, stories can be our escape, and our reminder that unity and joy can be stronger than apathy. At the start of the movie, the Galaxy Quest cast is estranged due to their varying feelings about the show, but by the end, they’ve seen the strength in storytelling, in their characters, and in sticking together. That’s a message that will always be relevant, and it’s one of the reasons I’m grateful Galaxy Quest exists.
10/10
An homage to classic science fiction and its fandom, Galaxy Quest follows a group of actors from a fictional cult classic sci-fi series who are unwittingly embroiled in a real space conflict when aliens who believe the series is real abduct them and ask for their help defeating a tyrant threatening their people. Starring Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Alan Rickman, Tony Shalhoub, Daryl Mitchell, and Sam Rockwell, the film features many references and parodies of classic sci-fi films and shows, mainly Star Trek.
- Galaxy Quest is an important story about the importance storytelling
- The balance of silly humor and heartfelt moments make it a classic
- Its plethora of memorable characters, played by an excellent cast, are iconic
- Galaxy Quest has only gotten better with time – it still feels relevant