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"The
Edge of the 'Galaxy'"
by Scott Mantz
"Galaxy Quest"
Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver
Directed by Dean Parisot
Those poor "Star
Trek" fans. Ever since the 60's, they've been the center of some
very unflattering jokes. Thanks to movies like "Trekkies", there's
no sign that this ridicule is going to let up anytime soon. That's
too bad. The fact is, no institution can lay claim to a more passionate,
enthusiastic, and intelligent group of fans (of which I proudly
belong). Trekkers, as they preferred to be called, took a little
TV show from the 60's and turned it into a national phenomenon of
religious proportions. The stories may be intelligent and inspiring,
but people still roll their eyes at the mere mention of the name.
As for the people
who gave the characters life, they became victim to the one thing
that actors fear the most--being typecast in their roles. Most of
them didn't work again for years and had to supplement their income
by signing autographs at sci-fi conventions. Fans constantly fantasize
about seeing their heroes up close and personal, but what if real
life aliens mistook these actors for the real thing? In the inspirational
and amusing "Galaxy Quest", that's exactly what happens. Though
the characters may be different, the story remains the same. The
result is a family movie that laughs at the sci-fi phenomenon as
much as it pays tribute to it.
Their show was
canceled in 1982, but that was just the beginning. Hungry for work,
the cast of "Galaxy Quest" is forced to sign autographs and answer
ridiculous questions at sci fi conventions just to make ends meet.
Already frustrated with the whole scene, the cast members also share
their resentment with the show's star, Jason Nesmith (Tim Allen).
Let's face it--he's the captain! Nesmith is approached by what appears
to be a group of rabid fans. They are in fact real-life aliens called
the Thermians, and they need his help in defeating the evil space
lord Sarris (Robin Sachs). When Nesmith is beamed aboard an actual
version of his TV series spaceship, the Protector, he convinces
his fellow actors to help him save the universe.
While "Galaxy
Quest" pokes fun at the show's fanatical following, it doesn't do
it in a demeaning way. People will be able to laugh, either because
they know someone just like this, or because they are like that
themselves. These fans may be able to find their way around the
Protector better than their own home, but they are sweet, kind,
and enormously intelligent people. They made the connection, not
because of the show's splashy special effects (which were pretty
bad), but because of the bond between the main characters and the
important sociological messages that they took on.
The movie's
biggest joke is the concept on which it's based, but it still makes
for a fun film. Of course, the more familiar you are with "Star
Trek", the back stage politics, and the convention scene, the more
you'll enjoy it. Episodes are referred to by numbers instead of
names. One running joke centers on the "red shirts", the crew members
who get killed instantly within the first five minutes of every
episode. References are made to the Captain's over-active libido
and his penchant for always losing his shirt.
It's obvious
that the cast members are having a good time. Tim Allen does a great
job nailing down Nesmith's oversized ego and charismatic stage presence.
Sigourney Weaver, no stranger to sci fi, seems to be having a blast.
She'll be damned if she's not going to do her one and only job,
which is talking to the computer, to the best of her abilities.
Alan Rickman utilizes his sarcastic demeanor by blending his frustration
at being typecast with his resentment over playing second fiddle
to the scene-stealing Allen.
In the mid-1970's,
a book of short stories came out called "Star Trek: The New Voyages".
In it, there was a story where actors William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy,
and DeForest Kelley were mistaken for Kirk, Spock, and McCoy and
beamed aboard the real Starship Enterprise. I always thought that
would make a great movie. Obviously, someone else felt the same
way, and "Galaxy Quest" ends up being the best "Star Trek" movie
that was never made. Beam me up, indeed!
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