Galaxy Quest is a film about a cast of a science fiction show (not too unlike Star Trek) that have had trouble getting other roles since then. One day, they're abducted by a race of aliens who based all of their technology off of their show and asks them to help them defeat the bad guys, unaware that they are just actors. The story is simple but it's incredibly effective, it takes a group of incredibly under qualified characters and forces them to save the galaxy, all while discovering a new appreciation for the show that made them famous. And I've already just stated what makes Galaxy Quest so great. This film is a homage of Star Trek, one may even call it a parody given how many jokes there are, but it's made with a love for the source material that rivals any other Star Trek movie. Galaxy Quest has a ton of jokes, but it's rarely at Star Trek's expense, rather it feels like the writers are lovingly poking fun at the franchise. And do you know who ends up saving the day at the end of the film? A fan. What genuinely surprised me about this film is how positively it dealt with the concept of fandoms in 1999. Back then, Star Trek fans (and nerds in general) were frequently poked fun at a lot of the time, which is why it's so surprising and heartwarming that Galaxy Quest puts a big emphasis on how much love these fans have for the franchise. It might be a bit too idealistic nowadays given the state of the internet, but it's shocking how ahead of its time Galaxy Quest ended up being.
The cast of Galaxy Quest is phenomenal as well. Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Tony Shalhoub, Sam Rockwell, Daryl Mitchell, and especially Alan Rickman were all amazing in their roles here and formed an excellent main cast. But that's not even mentioning the side characters which contained Enrico Colantoni (Elias!), Rainn Wilson (Dwight!), and Sam Lloyd (Ted!). It's easily one of the best all-star casts I've seen in a film. Even more, the writing is just excellent, perfectly balancing between hilarious comedy and genuine stakes. As funny as the film is, it never feels like it's making light of the danger the characters are experiencing. It's also a really well-executed story with a lot of different plot elements that manage to converge in the climax of the film. I also have to give credit to the special effects, which are just phenomenal for 1999. The CGI used here aged surprisingly well given the year it came out.
Some of my favorite homages are the ones that take their source material and tries to polish and perfect it as much as they can, as if to truly emulate what it must have been like looking back on these experiences with rose-tinted glasses. I experience this a lot with indie games like Sonic Mania, Freedom Planet, and Shovel Knight, which all show a genuine love for their inspiration while also iterating on it and fixing its flaws, and I think Galaxy Quest executes this perfectly. It's not just a Star Trek ripoff, it's a loving tribute to the franchise with great characters, fun action scenes, surprisingly good visuals, a unique alien planet, and a heartwarming message. It feels like the perfect Star Trek film, which is why I'm glad to call it my favorite out of all of them.
5/5 Stars
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