Galaxy Quest (1999)

The alumni cast of a space opera television series have to play their roles as the real thing when an alien race needs their help. However, they also have to defend both Earth and the alien race from a reptilian warlord.

Director:

Dean Parisot

Writers:

David Howard (story), David Howard (screenplay)

Stars:

Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Alan Rickman

7 wins & 14 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Tim Allen	...	Jason Nesmith
Sigourney Weaver	...	Gwen DeMarco
Alan Rickman	...	Alexander Dane
Tony Shalhoub	...	Fred Kwan
Sam Rockwell	...	Guy Fleegman
Daryl Mitchell	...	Tommy Webber
Enrico Colantoni	...	Mathesar
Robin Sachs	...	Sarris
Patrick Breen	...	Quellek
Missi Pyle	...	Laliari
Jed Rees	...	Teb
Justin Long	...	Brandon
Jeremy Howard	...	Kyle
Kaitlin Cullum	...	Katelyn
Jonathan Feyer	...	Hollister

Storyline

The sci-fi television series "Galaxy Quest", which took place aboard the intergalactic spaceship NSEA Protector, starred Jason Nesmith as suave Commander Peter Quincy Taggart, Gwen DeMarco as sexy communications person Lt. Tawny Madison (a role which consisted solely of repeating what the computer stated, much to Gwen's chagrin), Shakespearean trained Sir Alexander Dane as alien Dr. Lazarus, Fred Kwan as engineer Tech Sergeant Chen, and Tommy Webber as child pilot Laredo. Eighteen years after the series last aired, it lives on in the hearts of its rabid fans. However, it lives on in infamy for its stars, who have not been able to find meaningful acting work since. Their current lives revolve around cashing in on however those roles will afford, which usually entails attending fan conventions or worse, such as electronic store openings. Only Jason seems to relish his lot in life, until he finds out that his co-stars detest him because of his superior attitude as "the Commander", and ...

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Plot Keywords:

sexy woman | shapeshifting | cult film | male alien | time bomb | 

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Taglines:

The show has been cancelled... But the adventure has only begun.

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Genres:

Adventure | Comedy | Sci-Fi

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for some action violence, mild language and sensuality

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 December 1999 (USA)

Also Known As:

Captain Starshine

Filming Locations:

Petersen Automotive Museum - 6060 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$45,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$7,012,630, 26 December 1999, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$71,583,916

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$90,683,916

Company Credits

Production Co:

DreamWorks, Gran Via Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

When the crew are eating aboard the ship, they are told that the food has been prepared based on their regional cuisine. Commander Taggart comments that the steak tastes like Iowa Beef. This seems like a subtle reference to the fact that Captain James Kirk, this character's Star Trek (1966) analogue, is from Iowa.

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Goofs

When Tim Allen is fighting the "Pig Lizard" on the rock planet, right before he jumps over the creature, you can see a crew member's hand maneuvering the puppet.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Laredo: Exiting the time knot now, Sir.
Tech Sgt. Chen: We're alive.
Laredo: We made it, Commander. We made it.
Dr. Lazarus: By Grabthar's hammer, we live to tell the tale.
Voice of Computer: Systems registering functional.
Lt. Tawny Madison: All systems are working, Commander.
Commander Peter Quincy Taggart: I don't like it. It was too easy.
Laredo: Wait. Oh, no! They're everywhere. There are time knots opening everywhere.
Lt. Tawny Madison: A trap!
[...]

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Crazy Credits

At the end of the closing credits, Enrico Colantoni, as Mathesar, says "Never give up... Never surrender!".

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Alternate Versions

The theatrical version was screened at three different aspect ratios: the early scenes, featuring clips of the TV series, were shown at 1.33:1; the initial part of the story, set on Earth, was framed at 1.85:1; the scenes set in outer space were screened at 2.35:1. The DVD release keeps only the initial 1.33:1 full frame scenes, then shows the rest of the film at the wider aspect ratio of 2.35:1. This was done on purpose because director Dean Parisot felt it played better on home video screens.

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Connections

Referenced in The Middleman: The Palindrome Reversal Palindrome (2008)

User Reviews

A wickedly funny look at the SciFi inner sanctum

Comedies are usually pretty tricky for me. Either I'm laughing my head off and nobody else gets it, or everybody else is laughing and I'm looking for the nearest exit. But Galaxy Quest had everyone in the theater laughing, including my companion--who hates science fiction. It cut across ages and backgrounds with a very simple premise--you are what you believe yourself to be.

As a fifteen year veteran of science fiction conventions, I've seen the phenomenon from both sides of the stage. I've met the get-a-lifers, the just-for-fun guys, and the not-so-rare I'm-only-in-it-for-the profit gang. I've met 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.

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?

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.

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