Galaxy Quest
Space. The final frontier. Boldly going where no man has gone before….
Yeah, yeah, we all know the monologue but we also know the imagery that is sparked from it. Futuristic voyagers gliding through the dark, surrounded by opulent starlight and planet excellence. Dangerous otherworldly beings with cruel or innovative intentions that threaten humanities existence. A cold, cool, and intellectual sidekick. An attractive, gurning, and unflappable captain. The hammy cheesy lines that are spouted verbatim from the fans collated in a comic con hall. Illogical, entertaining originality in all its glory as well as an emotional heartbeat and themes of philosophy and wonder.
Of course, we’re talking about science fiction. Through the good, the bad, and the awful, the genre has accumulated a history of whopping great films and wondrous television shows to the joy of millions of fans world-wide. And it hasn’t been so lovingly spoofed than the glorious cult classic Galaxy Quest.
The ability to satire yet wholesomely admire a genre is so nuanced in the film that it has becomes a legend in its own right. Starring Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Alan Rickman, and Sam Rockwell, the film revolves around a group of actors who once starred in the titular TV series. With its cancellation, many couldn’t find work after and spend their lives being swarmed by fans and signing autographs at conventions. However, when a gentle and naive alien race, the Thermians, comes down and confuses their television exploits for the real thing and kidnaps them to stop Gen. Roth’h’ar Sarris from destroying their home planet. Out of their depth, the actors must save themselves and possibly the Thermians too…
As mentioned before, Galaxy Quest works because it balances humour alongside the emotion really well. A lot of the comedy is well tuned; richly delving into the depths of science fiction and its fan phenomenon to pull out some glorious commentary on the culture. From Weaver’s Gwen DeMarco blonde bimbo character Tawny to the overacting of lead Allen’s Jason Neswith, all the jokes can be placed into different science fiction movies and ring out as drama. Commenting on the illogical elements of science fiction to the spoofing of special effects and even the desperation of actors after their show ends, it all rings true which makes it devilishly funny.
But what works, ultimately, about Galaxy Quest is that, whilst it does poke fun and these plot holes and garish imperfections with our favourite shows, it also lauds them too. In this enriching film, the dynamics of the writing carve a passionate swan song to what makes science fiction of the best components of cinema. Filled with characters you truly care about, the Thermians being these child-like aliens that you cannot possible dislike, there is this vein of capturing the essence of sci-fi and all its rambunctious components too.
With some amazing acting, raucous action, and not to mention some of the most heart-breaking scenes in comedy, Galaxy Quest is ultimately about enjoying the fun and the bad, the good and the visceral. In a world where our science fiction has taken several steps towards the dark side, it’s a wondrous display of what makes the genre brilliant, unique, and entertaining for the whole family. Appeasing Star Trek actors and a whole sweep of science fiction fans, this is an incredible, poignant, and hilarious film that has spanned over the years into our hearts.