Any geek can proclaim “Live Long and Prosper.” An even lesser geek will  require you to “Use the force.” A truly hardened, experienced, and  involved geek however will tell you “Never give up, and never  surrender.” 

-doblu

If you love Star Trek, then you would love and appreciate Galaxy Quest. You see, there is a reason why this movie (which is NOT set in the Star Trek universe) is considered one of the best Star Trek movies.

It’s a comedy, ai, that is certain. But it appeals and has appeal to anyone of us who has fallen in love with the characters, the narrative and the tropes of the Star Trek universe.

Galaxy Quest is special. It really is. Galaxy Quest has everyone in the theater laughing. It cut across ages and backgrounds with a very simple premise…

…you are what you believe yourself to be.

Which is, after all, the exact same premise that the movie “Bronco Billy” was based upon.

'Galaxy  Quest' couldn't be better. It's not a mockumentary, it's not a Star Trek  parody. It's pure comedy based on the Star Trek legend with excellent actors and absolutely brilliant production.

The visuals are  magnificent. You would expect nothing but mediocre stuff for a space  comedy, but this is not the case with 'Galaxy Quest'. These are the best  effects for a space movie, since 'Starship Troopers'!

The story  is also very original and interesting. Not only jokes on thin air, but a  great story nonetheless. The triumphant ending is beautiful, it  elevates you! In fact, it would easily compete with the some of the best Star Trek stories of all time.                                   
              
- atzimo           

This movie is not only about the television series, but it is also about the fans.

Indeed, science fiction conventions can be a lot of fun, and a real hoot. If you ever have the chance to check one out, please do so.

At shows you will meet all kind of folk.

You will meet the seemingly useless get-a-lifers, the just-for-fun guys, and the not-so-rare I’m-only-in-it-for-the profit gang.

Never give up, never surrender!

You will meet actors who loved the whole shebang, actors who loathed it, and actors who didn’t have a clue what was going on.

Fandom is a very big place, with room for all sorts of people.

This film  was amazing.  I saw the trailers and swore I'd never watch it. A couple  of friends overruled this after watching it in the theaters, and I'm  glad they did.

Not only is this film an amusing spoof of Science  Fiction Fen-dom, it's a brilliant action-adventure/science-fiction film  in its own right.  The only other film I can think of that is a  righteous satirical look, yet a splendid example of the genre, is the  Fifth Element.

Galaxy Quest Has It All. Beautiful women in scanty  clothing.  Love interests.  Computers.  Space ships.  Ugly and evil  monsters.  Blasters. Arcane martial arts.  Dynamite catch phrases.  And  best of all, the very population that is satirized is the group that  Saves The Day.

The dialogue is brilliant - you'll find yourself  quoting from this film regularly.  The acting is marvelous.  Tim Allen  doing William Shatner doing a Heroic Spaceship Captain is worth the  rental all by itself, not to mention Alan Rickman's memorably dry  performance as the I-Am-Not-My-Strange-Looking-Alien character.

The  first thing I thought upon leaving the theater was that I had to see  this film again.  The first thing I thought upon seeing it again was  that I would have to own this movie.  Check it out - you won't be sorry.                                       
              
- tygirrl           

And Galaxy Quest got it right–the conventions, the costumes, the geeks, the groupies, even the mocking “mundanes” who attend cons looking for kicks. It took notice of all the science fiction cliches, acknowledged them, and then twisted them to its own comedic purposes.

Galaxy Quest captured not only the silliness of fandom, but the inspiration of it.

In the end, the demoralized and cynical actors found strength and meaning in the same characters which stereotyped them.

The geeks saved the day. The good guys won. The bad guys provided entertainment to masses of fans. Things blew up. And isn’t that what science fiction is all about?

This is what I would call a PERFECT film. 

As a long-time Star Trek fan I  have waited for a movie which had that total feelgood factor, not a spoof, but a humorous and heartfelt homage.  

A film which shows fans in a good light, in a way that, of course, we can laugh at ourselves, but in an unoffensive and entertaining manner. 

I never thought it would arrive, and so in GALAXY QUEST, I found one of the best films in cinema  history. 

Everything is spot on. The story is fantastic, and telling it  from the point of view of normal people was great.  Making them play  those stereotypes that we know and love was just the tip of the iceberg, and everyone played the parts superbly. 

The special effects speak for  themselves.  When the Protector leaves space dock...Wow.   When she goes  through the minefield...Wow!  When Tim Allen faces the biggest rock  monster since The Never Ending Story...Wow Wow WOW! 

The score is also  great, capturing the adventure of the old Star Trek shows, and the epic  scope of the story at hand. And then there's the way everything just comes together at the end into a sensational package of laughs, thrills, sometimes bitingly moving scenes, and a genuine feeling of warmth inside. 

Go and see this, buy the DVD, whatever.  Just see it. Never give  up, and never surrender! 

- selfy_nagus 

The entire cast was excellent, especially Tim Allen and Alan Rickman doing their best Shatner and Nimoy impersonations. Special credit must go to the four actors who played the naive aliens. Their wide-eyed innocence reminded me of the quality that drew me, and draws children of all ages into the world of science fiction.

This movie didn’t rely on vulgarities or overt violence. It didn’t need to resort to meanness or cruel jokes, either. While it poked fun at science fiction and its fans, it never resorted to the kind of mockery you see in other films.

A beautifully-crafted film, Galaxy Quest is a love letter to sf fans of  all sorts everywhere. The characters are perfectly drawn, the story is  well-written, and there's the right amount of goshwow to make the whole  thing work perfectly. And it's funny as hell in all the right spots.

Tim Allen is amazing. He's got his Shatneroid character down perfectly.  He's a vain, pompous clown who finds out what a laughingstock he's  become, and when he gets a chance to redeem himself, he pounces on it.

Sigourney  Weaver is a delight. Sexy without trying, her character Gwen DeMarco is  as far from Ripley as you can get. Alan Rickman is flawless as  Alexander Dane, massively talented Shakespearean actor who's been stuck in this Spockish role for years because he played it too well. Darryl Mitchell is great as Tommy "Laredo" Webber, and Sam Rockwell is  hilarious as Guy, the hack actor stuck in the middle of something that scares him silly.

The two actors who really stand out are Tony  Shalhoub and Enrico Colantoni. Tony plays Fred Kwan with understated  glee, while Colantoni plays Commander Mathesar with a smiling  earnestness that makes you firmly believe everything he's saying.

The  supporting cast is incredibly talented. Robin Sachs is perfect as  Sarris, Patrick Breen essays his role as Quellek beautifully, and Missy  Pyle amazes as Laliari.

But it's still Tim Allen's movie above all else, and he makes the most of it.

A  final note: this movie wouldn't have worked nearly as well if not for  the production design work of four of the greatest artistic talents in  science fiction: Simon Bisley, Brom, Wayne Barlowe and the lengendary  Berni Wrightson. Barlowe is an expert in xenobiology, and designed the  Thermian's native form. Wrightson's quite possibly the best horror  illustrator of all time, and Sarris and his minions are his work.

My  favorite moment in the film? the point where Alan Rickman gets his  first look at the NSEA Protector II for the first time... his look of  astonishment is a joy to behold.

Like The Last Starfighter, this is a popcorn movie with a message. See it with your kids. 

- Ludwig_Meyer 

Galaxy Quest is a solid, funny movie. Go see it. Take the kids. Go see it and see it twice.

Some Dialogues

 Brandon (Justin Long)
→ I just wanted to tell you that I thought a lot about what you said.

Jason Nesmith (Tim Allen)
→ It's okay, now listen--

Brandon
→  But I want you to know that I'm not a complete brain case, okay? I  understand completely that it's just a TV show. I know there's no  beryllium sphere...

Jason Nesmith
→ Hold it.

Brandon
→ ...no digital conveyor, no ship...

Jason Nesmith
→ Stop for a second, stop. It's all real.

Brandon
→ Oh my God, I knew it. I knew it! I knew it! 

 Gwen DeMarco (Sigourney Weaver)
→ What is this thing? There's no useful purpose for there to be a bunch of chompy, crushy things in the middle of a hallway!

Jason Nesmith (Tim Allen)
→ Gwen —

Gwen DeMarco
→ No! I mean, we shouldn't have to do this! It makes no logical sense! Why is it here'!

Jason Nesmith
→ Because it's on the television show.

Gwen DeMarco
→ Well, forget it! I'm not doing it! This episode was BADLY WRITTEN! 

[Witnessing Fred Kwan having sex with Laliari] Oh, that's not right! 

But wait! There’s a documentary…

“Never Give Up, Never Surrender,” the “Galaxy Quest” documentary, highlights the magic of the 1999 film.

The flick earned its “cult classic” status by putting sci-fi superfans in the role of the hero and perfectly balancing the subtleties of comedy and drama. 

“Never Surrender” features intimate interviews with almost the entire cast of the original film (excluding, of course and sadly, Alan Rickman, who died in 2016), including actors Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Justin Long and Sam Rockwell. The film also interviews writers, the film’s director and other behind-the-scenes people who made the film possible. “Never Surrender” even features cameos from sci-fi legends like “Star Trek” actor Wil Wheaton and “Lost” co-creator Damon Lindelof.

This documentary explains why, despite an initially disappointing turnout at the box office, “Quest” has become one of the most beloved sci-fi movies of all time. It was even dubbed “the best ‘Star Trek’ movie” by Wheaton in the documentary, despite being, well, not a “Star Trek” movie.

“Galaxy Quest” isn’t unique because it’s a sci-fi parody. Other films, like “Spaceballs,” spoofed “Star Wars” and other sci-fi classics, but there has always been something unique about “Quest.”

As the documentary explores, the film isn’t a campy or “cheesy” spoof movie; it isn’t strictly a comedy (though I believe anyone would be hard-pressed to watch it without cracking up at least once).

There are some movies that are better watched while you are not eating.  'Galaxy Quest' fits into this category as I made the mistake of watching  it while having dinner and I almost choked several times. This is one  of the funniest smart comedies I have seen. The film is brilliantly  executed and it brilliantly spoofs the science-fiction-spaceship genre.  But the film isn't mere silliness as it does have a soul and tells an  action adventure story of 5 has-been stars of a famous Star-Trek-type TV  show that got cancelled two decades ago. The screenplay is great and  the dialogues are witty fun. There is no crude humour or  over-the-top-out-of-context joke.

The special effects wonderfully  add to the spoofiness. The monsters and aliens are a 'treat' to watch.  An intelligent comedy isn't easy to make as the maker has to pay close  attention to line delivery, characterization, situation, comic timing  and direction. 'Galaxy Quests' fulfills all criteria from start to end.  Tim Allen as the pompous hero, Alan Rickman as the whiny has-been  'Shakespearean'-actor-forced-to-play-an-android, Tony Shalhoub as the  funny Fred, Sam Rockwell as the terrified-of-being-the-first-one-to-die  Guy, Enrico Colantoni as the gullible Mathezar and last but not least,  the incredibly sexy Sigourney Weaver as the tired-of-playing-dumb-blonde  Gwen (the total opposite of her famous Ripley character) play their  parts.

I'm glad that I bought this film on impulse yesterday as  most American spoofs I have seen, like the abysmal Scary Movies (puke)  or the silly Screams (yawn) and the ridiculous Naked Guns (okay this  last one was kind of funny) hardly have anything more to offer than  silliness. Actually I was given the choice between this and 'Naked Gun  33 and a Half' and i'm glad I made the right decision. 'Galaxy Quest'  definitely surpasses these films by several miles as I wouldn't even  mind calling it one of the best comedies. 

- Chrysanthepop 

The documentary is pretty good.

It’s a movie with real heart. While you might giggle as a panicked, rambling Rockwell says, “My character isn’t important enough for a last name, because I’m gonna die 5 minutes in,” while descending to an alien planet, you may soon have tears in your eyes as Quellek the Thermian dies in the arms of Alexander Dane, or Dr. Lazarus (Rickman).

"It's  this little movie. It's not a part of a franchise. It was just made by  pure heart alone by a lot of people, and because of that heart, I think,  it had a massive, lasting impact," 

-Roth Cornet, a producer on the  documentary.

And the documentary similarly has a few tender, teary-eyed moments. For example, with the mention of Rickman, who passed before a proposed “Galaxy Quest” series on Amazon could be realized, it is hard to not feel sentimental as the cast, one by one, describes what it was like to work with him and how badly they all miss him. “If you love Alan Rickman, that’s the moment for me, when we talk about Alan passing. I got choked up,” Cornet said

The documentary has a few surprising, heartbreaking and hilarious tidbits about Rickman you can look forward to. 

The team behind this documentary has considered it a passion project and has pushed to make it happen, Cornet said. “Something like this highlights [that] when people love something and they come together, it can really, really, really have a huge impact on their whole life, even just a little movie about a TV show. And we’re making a documentary about a movie about a TV show,” she added about the meta nature of the documentary, which dives into a movie about actors in a “Star Trek”-esque television show. 

Cornet added that the creators aimed for the documentary to be “an hour and 25 minutes of delight.” And in my humble opinion, it is just that. 

 By Blake French: 

As I walked out of the theater in which I  screened "Galaxy Quest," I thought how surprised I was to have enjoyed  what seemed as a cheesy family spoof. But the film turned to be an  action adventure with some really hilarious moments. I loved the film.  It has qualities of a successful science fiction drama, but also  contains a variety of comical characters that had the whole audience  overwhelmed in laughter. "Galaxy Quest" is right up there with "Toy  Story" in merit, it entertains adults and children alike, standing out  as one of the year's best family films. 

The story details the  adventures of a canceled television science fiction fantasy cast,  similar in content to "Star Trek." "Galaxy Quest" is the name of the  program. In their years, the stars, including Jason Nesmith, Gwen  DeMarco, Fred Kwan, Alexander Dane, and Tommy Webber, were some of the  biggest, most popular names in TV. Now, their means of making a living  is signing fans' autographs for a price and being cast in amateur  presentations.  

There is very detailed character development  here. The characters are wonderfully cast and brilliantly portrayed.  Unfortunately, most family films don't contain the patience for such  necessary material. We bond with these characters; they are likable,  funny, energetic and independent.  These individuals are the key of  success to this kind of movie.

 The real plot begins when strange people come to Jason beging for him to  save their existence from a powerful evil force who wishes to wipe them  out of the universe forever. Naturally, at first our television star is  skeptical, but when the strange people turn out to be humble aliens and  transport Jason to their spaceship, he realizes this is something  serious. The aliens begin to explain that they think he and his "Galaxy  Quest" team are the only people in the universe who can save their race.  He rushes to the members of his old cast and tries to justify his  experience. He says that there are extraterrestrial creatures who  require the help of their "Galaxy Quest" characters. None of his friends  believe him, but once again give in when they find themselves  transported off earth, onto the creature's spaceship.  Of course, the  aliens don't realize that their hopeful heroes are simply out of work  actors, but who needs to tell them? So it is up to Commander Peter  Quincy Taggart, Lt. Tawny Madison, Tech Sergeant Chen, Dr. Lazarus of  Tev'Meck, and Lt. Laredo to save the day for our innocent and haunted  alien life forms. 

"Galaxy Quest" is a slapstick comedy that is  smart, and does not go over the edge with its humorous material. It  leaves room for several other essential elements such as happiness,  romance, honesty, excitement, and contains a dramatic purpose. The story  is very original, and contains a firm theme of action in its premise.  It also has lots of outstanding visual effects and sight gags that are  effective and interesting to watch.  

A Television Show?

Paramount is currently putting together a television version of the 1999 Dreamworks film!

Hopefully, this show will be even better than the show in the film. Or not, and that will totally be its appeal! Whatever happens, today is an awesome day for sci-fi comedy fans everywhere. Paramount, we salute you.

Deleted scenes included on the DVD:

• Tech Sargeant Chen helps an engineering crew solve a difficult problem without offering any insightful help whatsoever.
• Alexander is presented his living quarters: an empty room save a bed of spikes and a daunting toilet.
• An alternate version of a scene in which its revealed Jason and Gwen were old flames.
• Guy overreacts when his foot gets caught in a rock, and Jason does his “rugged pose”.
• Alexander uses an acting method to figure out the rock monster’s “motivation”.
• Gwen rips open her uniform to seduce two enemy soldiers, before crushing them with a door. (Part of this scene was featured in the trailer.)
• General Sarris revives himself and attacks the crew while crash landing.

Remember…

Never give up and never surrender!

---

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