Review of Galaxy Quest (1999) by Colginator — 06 Aug 2015

We're all familiar with the mass fandom of sci-fi shows like Star Trek. Even if you've never seen it, you've undoubtedly seen the cult fandom of the show who embrace the source material almost like a life style with some going as far as to learn an entire language based around the show. It's the knowledge of this fandom that makes Galaxy Quest so enjoyable. It combines its parody of typical sci-fi clichés, with a deconstruction of the fandoms that such shows have inspired.

The film starts off at a convention for a TV show that's very similar to a show like Star Trek. Just like any comic con the place is packed with people dressed up as typical Sci-Fi characters and flocking for the chance to meet their favourite characters from the show. This includes Alexander Dane (Alan Rickman) a Shakespearean style actor, who's fed up with being known as the Spock type alien from the show and wants to take on more serious roles. Gwen DeMarco (Sigourney Weaver) who played the blonde airhead character who had no real role on the show other than to look pretty. And the only actor to thrive in the fandom, Jason Nesmith (Tim Allen) the ex lead of the show who gets all the attention at the cons and approaches his popularity with a typically cocky attitude.

Whilst at the convention they encounter a group of oddballs who turn out to be an alien race called the Thermians, a species of squid like creatures who use a special device that gives them a human form. They received broadcasts of the show in space but have mistaken the episodes as "historical documents" and believe that these actors really are the characters that they were on the show and worship them as heroes. Thus they recruit the actors to defend them in a battle against a terrifying reptilian species.

There are many jokes in the films where it's important to have some familiarity with sci-fi shows like Star Trek. For example one of the best running gags in the film involves Rockwell's character fearing for his life on every dangerous mission he goes on since nobody knows his name and fears that he's an expendable character. And there's even more gags that only a person with serious familiarity with the show would be able to get.

But what makes this film so great is that you could enjoy this film even if you had no familiarity with any of the things that they were referencing. It's characters are still fun, memorable and exist in their own right. Plus the costumes and effects are so great that it's even led to a small fandom somewhat similar to the likes of which the film was paying homage to that can be enjoyed by both fans of the genre and newcomers to it.