FEEL GOOD FILM FOR THIS VIRUS WEEK.
I would love to sit next to William Shatner and watch Galaxy Quest.
The crew of the NSEA Protector toured the universe on television for four seasons, from 1979 to 1982. Twenty years later, the five stars of the sci-fi series remain in costume, making appearances at science fiction conventions. Thousands of faithful fans attend the conventions, but some have too much confidence in the popular space team.
The Thermians, a race of aliens from the Klatu Nebula, have mistaken the television re-runs for historical documents. The Thermians come to Earth to recruit those they believe to be the ship’s original crew to lead them in a war against the ruthless Sarris. The leader of the Thermians, Mathesar (Enrico Colantoni), needs help to defeat Roth’h’ar Sarris of Fatu-Krey (Robin Sachs).
Suddenly, Jason Nesmith/Commander Peter Quincy Taggart (Tim Allen), Gwen DeMarco/Lt. Tawny Madison (Sigourney Weaver), Alexander Dane/Dr. Lazarus (Alan Rickman), Fred Kwan/Tech Sergeant Chen (Tony Shalhoub), Guy Fleegman (Sam Rockwell) and Tommy Webber/Laredo (Daryl Mitchell) are on a true Galaxy Quest.
Director Dean Parisot moves a delightful screenplay by David Howard and Robert Gordon in a joyful comical spoof of the Star Trek series, his characters reach us as spoofers, actors and space heros.
We are treated to a delightful space journey in which the actors are forced to carry out their TV assignments in the “real world.” They fight green meanies, rock aliens, the lizard Sarris, and their own animosity toward Nesmith (Allen) when he receives all the credit and glory, both in the show and at conventions. We know Fleegman (Rockwell) who was a cast member in one episode, and has no name other than crewman, is pegged for death, so does Fleegman. Tommy Webber (Mitchell) was the child pilot in the TV series now as an adult he must quickly learn how to fly a real NSEA Protector in space. Dane (Rickman) enhanced with a plastic bone structure from his ears to the back of his head is a sullen and unhappy actor who has been frozen into his very visible part from the early eighties. Sigourney Weaver is along for her looks and she appears to be about twenty five and gorgeous. Allen has the look, emotional balance and hand movements of a star ship captain down perfectly; he is wonderful in this part.
The animation and special effects are flawless, the use of kids who know every inch of the Protector ship to save the crew is terrific and the climax back on Earth deserves applause.
Galaxy Quest is the most delightful escape at the movies this Christmas.