Throughout September I will be raiding my collection of favourite movies to review one a day, with a focus on overlooked and underappreciated films.
Where to find it: All4 right now
Length: 100 minutes
Synopsis: The cast of Star Trek are mistaken by aliens for the characters they play
Recommendation rating: 4/5
What I like about it: fun, good effects, better than it ever had to be
What I don’t like about it: honestly, nothing stands out – it’s just a fun ride
Review:
The movie opens on a sci-fi convention as we meet the cast of Galaxy Quest – Tim Allen as the brash captain and the actor who likes to believe he’s as daring as his character, Alan Rickman as a thespian disappointed by his typecasting as the alien sidekick, Sigourney Weaver as the useless token female (“My whole job on the show was repeating what the computer said!”), Sam Rockwell as the dispensable and forgotten red shirt – all taking wonderful advantage of their real-life parallels. Complications arise when aliens appear, led by a hilarious performance from Enrico Colantoni, to recruit the captain in their intergalactic war, having based most of their technology on old broadcasts of Galaxy Quest and believing only the crew of that show can save them.
The film leaves me impressed every time I watch it, not because it’s a great film really but because not a single aspect is phoned-in. The practical effects, costumes, acting, everything is lovingly considered and it adds up to the most fun you’ll have watching something Star Trek-related.
Content notes (may contain spoilers):