GALAXY QUEST
Galaxy Quest not only pokes fun at Star Trek
and all its foam-rubber-wearing aliens, its bad acting, contrived
plot elements and flimsy set pieces, it also gives a healthy jab
to those legions of rabid Trekkie fans who jam into huge arenas
dressed in authentic costumes and uttering Vulcan salutations,
hoping to catch a glimpse of one of their idols from the show.
In fact, that's how the story begins. Actor Jason Nesmith (Tim
Allen), who plays Commander Peter Quincy Taggart on the once-popular
(now canceled) Galaxy Quest TV show, and his band of fellow
actors are busy signing autographs at such a convention. While
Jason is flattered by the fans' admiration, his supporting cast
is not so thrilled, mainly because this seems to be the only work
they can get since the show's been canceled. When a strange little
man dressed as an alien named Mathesar (Enrico Colantoni) asks
Jason for his counsel in dealing with an alien foe, he assumes
the man is simply role-playing and wants him and his crew to appear
at another gig.
What Jason and his fellow actors don't know is that Mathesar
is a real alien, he's in real trouble (with a green,
slimy character named Saris and his legion of henchmen), and he's
got a real spaceship on which he expects to transport Cmdr.
Taggart and his crew to deep space to deal with the problem. The
members of Mathesar's race, the Thurmians, have replicated to
the last detail the ship seen on Galaxy Quest, the NSEA
Protector, based on the "historical documentation"
taken from the show itself. It seems they intercepted the signal
and mistook the show for the real-life adventures of an advanced
spacefaring vessel. Soon Jason and his fellow actors find themselves
on the ship, careening through space, and being expected to save
the galaxy. For real.
What makes this such a hysterical outing are the various characterizations
of the "crew," which are obviously based in no small
part on the actors from Trek. Allen's portrayal of Taggart,
the swaggering, cocksure captain, is, of course, reminiscent of
William Shatner's Kirk. Heading the supporting cast is Gwen DeMarco
(Sigourney Weaver, in a hilarious departure from her Ripley character
in the Alien series), who plays Lt. Tawny Madison. Tawny's
role on the ship is ostensibly to communicate with the computer
(which seems unnecessary since the computer speaks clearly and
understands everything said to it without an interpreter), but
more importantly, she's there to toss her blonde mane and show
off her considerable cleavage. Alan Rickman is hysterical as classically
trained actor Alexander Dane, who is saddled with the role of
alien crew member Dr. Lazarus, forced to wear rubber headgear
and utter the same insipid line on every show: "By Grabthar's
hammer, you will be avenged!" Rickman's Dane is perpetually
resentful at his lot in life, playing second banana to Jason,
who gets all the credit and all the accolades. Also on the crew
is Fred Kwan (Tony Shalhoub) as Tech Sargeant Chen, Tommy Webber
(Daryl Mitchell) as young Lt. Laredo, and Guy Fleegman (Sam Rockwell),
as the "Guy Who Gets Killed." On the show, that is.
Though some parts of Galaxy Quest get a little too real for a lighthearted comedy, it is mostly a riot. ****½