Some movies you can watch again and again and enjoy every time. This is one of them. Funnily enough The Iron Giant came out the same year, and is possibly one of the most perfect and rewatchable animated films ever made. Ever plan a review of Iron Giant ?
As a Nerd: I really want to know the political consequences and all that. I mean, the People saw the Ship at the end of the movie fly though the city - no one will believe it's just a flashy special effect. I want to know what happens after the movie. Ok, yeah, they do make a new show - but what does it all mean? Am i the only one wondering about it like this?
SHe looks so good as a blonde. I saw Ghostbusters when I was 5-6 back when in came out, in theaters..... Zool. She's my Hollywood crush. Some people have crushes man crushes, Sigourney Weaver has all ways been my Hollywood Crush, along with Kim Cattrall. And not cause of that other movie (Lassie); but since I saw the movie Mannequin. There was a show on Nickelodean about a department store where a mannequin came to life when he put on his had but it'd fall off all the time. SO naturally I gravitated to a female version of this type of role and learned the difference between recognizable accepted and realistic standards of beauty and Cindy Crawford had like a 180 IQ. SO I know the difference between stupidly beaultiful and Worldy attractive beyond imagination.worth.
Hey Oliver! Great videos BTW! I was the VFX Art Director on Galaxy Quest, and I remember laughing out loud while reading the script! Although the 1st version I read contained many more sexual references, like the "NSEA Protector" was "USEA Protector" 'use a protector'... and the protective jello for traveling through the wormhole was described as a condom rolling over the characters... Thankfully many of these 'jokes' were cut to clean it up a bit and keep it's innocent tone. Also the "NTE" in the Protector's name stands for "Not The Enterprise" and the design of the ship is deliberately a flip flop of the Enterprise, with the Main body taking on the Nacelle shape and the engines taking on the disk-like saucer shape. This was a blast, especially since I had also recently worked on Star Trek: First Contact. So even back then we all thought GQ was a better Star Trek Film because we had improved our work since then as well. There are so many inside jokes throughout the film that make it so watchable and it's also the most female watched sci-fi film ever as it doesn't require years of nerding out on ST to enjoy it.So watch it with your wife, she'll love it too! :) And it was a super fun project to work on and very proud that it has become such a fan favorite :)
JAEGERTECH Wow thats fantastic to read you were the Art Director and also worked on ST First Contact. I think GQ is better at being Star Trek than Star Trek! lol. You can see throughout what love and attention has been put into GQ and with Paramount last year trying to piece together the crew for Star Trek 3 they should've got the team from GQ to do it. Are you still working within the industry?
+JAEGERTECH - Great job on the film! It is one of my all-time favorites (and I am a real sci-fi geek). Is this one of the favorite films that you worked on?
+JAEGERTECH Wish I could give you a big kiss. My whole geek family consider this as the best Sci-Fi comedy of all time. We will watch it a number of times a year in perpetuity. Again thank you for this masterpiece.
GQ being somehow a 'better Trek film than Trek itself' is plainly disrespectful in my opinion. I like the VFX in this film, but let's not make the mistake of comparing a parody to a sci-fi film. I mean, people would get laughed at if they said Spaceballs was better than Star Wars (though it probably is better than most of those films when you think about it). But Trek is okay to rip into for some reason. People who call its fans 'geeks' probably also like Star Wars, oblivious to the hypocrisy of it. When considering that there are very high quality Trek films like Wrath of Khan, Undiscovered Country and First Contact (most fans consider these the best of the franchise), it's clear it gets a lot of unfair criticism. In all honesty there are more good Star Trek films and series than there are Star Wars ones, but the latter is still considered 'mainstream' for some reason. Both have been taken by Abrams and twisted into something truly pleasing for the dumbest possible audience while probably leaving a lot of their genuine, long-time fans behind. While I think SW will always be fine no matter who directs the films, the Trek reboot was terrible, though it improved slightly with Into Darkness.
KRSsven I don't think GQ is a parody. I think that's a purposeful diversion. I think the entire point of the movie is commentary on the real actors that play in these types of shows, how they are just normal people and are annoyed at the hero worship they get, because deep inside they feel like they do nothing to deserve it, since they are just professional liars. That's the main function of this film. The comedy and diversions are to try to make the mood not as dark and give non-deep thinking people something to watch too. It's actually a dark, sad movie, but they get the chance to earn the hero worship. Really, this is kind of a movie made for sci-fi industry people, but delivered in such a way that the public can enjoy it too.
My old boyfriend and I went to camp at Goblin Valley, Utah while they were shooting the rock monster scene. As we drove to the campsite, we saw the space ship and the normally empty place was full of people and semi trucks. We asked a crew worker what was being filmed and when he said Galaxy Quest, we thought it sounded like a B movie. Of course, when it came out we had to see it and of course loved it. It's one of my favorites.
Yeah Rickman is awesome. A few years later he played another humorously pessimistic personality in the robot voice in Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. I'm guessing you've seen that one too.
"By Grapthar's hammer....what a savings." That may be the single funniest line delivery I've ever heard in a film! It slays me every time I watch! Great review for a great film! It's hard not to flat-out LOVE this film! And that theme is just epic!
Totally agree about the comedy in this film. It's so genuine and never gets old. Even today I like to add, "...and it exploded." into conversations at random.
"she was a strong woman without any feminazi flare" Ah yes, that's typical of the 70s and 80s and it's part of why i love that era so much. A lot of women today think they can't be strong without also being feminazis, not realizing that if you make a big deal out of gender, you're a sexist yourself. Man i really miss the 80s.
As a Nerd: I really want to know the political consequences and all that. I mean, the People saw the Ship at the end of the movie fly though the city - no one will believe it's just a flashy special effect. I want to know what happens after the movie. Ok, yeah, they do make a new show - but what does it all mean? Am i the only one wondering about it like this?
I'd like to argue against Saris being a typical or generic villain, at least in regards to that being a bad thing. It isn't. In fact, I feel that much of the weight of the film relies heavily on the strength of him being a threat. With so many outlandish aspects that the film throws at the audience, the film needs a simple and effective villain to tie it all down and give everything a purpose. If his antagonism feels in any way uncertain or falls flat, you've lost the movie. Sure, Saris is a little stock. He doesn't have a redemptive or sympathetic angle to his character, or any kind of explanation as to why he is the villain. He is just an evil-minded opportunist; a pirate looking to take what he wants from the easily-bullied Thermians. But I'd say that is his strength. He is simply a very effective and powerful bad guy, but he also doesn't really feel like any other villain we have seen in this kind of movie. He isn't mysterious like Vader, or poetic like Khan. He isn't a big dumb force or even an overly intelligent one. He is just dangerous and good at it. That's all a movie like this needs: A reason to rally together. The thing that makes his character stand out to me, is all in the performance of Robin Sachs. The little gestures, mouth movements, and especially in the way he delivers his lines, with that gravelly smugness; that really makes his character stand above most 'Star Trek' villains. He is very 'human', at least compared to the Thermians, which becomes a fundamentally important notion when Jason is forced to explain the truth to Mathesar. And In that scene, his contributions are some of my favorite lines of the film: "He ... Doesn't Uuunnnnderstaaaand" He is verbally relishing in the utter despair of the situation. It's amusing to him. He is a big cat playing with his collection of senseless mice, and that kind of overconfidence is what ultimately gets the best of him. He just didn't think that this sad, uncoordinated collection of dimwits could do anything as skilled as tricking him.
You've showed what I consider a perfect understanding of Saris and his importance to the movie, and have delivered it in a very interesting and sophisticated, but brief, commentary. Thank you!
He's a villain seen solely from the point of view of his victims, who never have any experience of him as anything BUT a villain. So it makes sense that we don't see any redeeming qualities, since the movie is told from their point of view, not his.
Exactly. Saris wasn't an actor playing an over the top villain. Despite the bizarre setting they portrayed him as believable, 'normal' if you will. One of the most memorable moments of the film for me was when Saris realized the truth about the Galaxy Quest show and forced Jason to explain the situation to Mathazar "as you would a child".
Rickman and Allen had a continuous relationship on set, much like in the movie. Rickman didn’t think Allen took the craft seriously cause he was always joking around on set right up till action was called. But after the scene were Jason confesses that they are fakes, apparently Rickman said, “Damn, I think the guy finally experienced acting”. Such a great backhanded compliment that I could totally seeing Rickman saying.
Totally love this film. I think it's very well-written - it never descends to being mean-spirited or snide mockery of either sci-fi, series actors or the fans that get so invested in the shows or characters, which it so easily could have done with a less skilful writer. Instead, the real affection is very apparent.
At a 2013 Arclight screening, producer Johnson (him or Parisot) said Sigourney "borrowed" her _GQ_ wig, and loved wearing it to parties. (I like to think she snagged that miraculous bra, too.)
Seven Samurai, Magnificent Seven, Battle Beyond the Stars, Three Amigos, A Bug's Life, Galaxy Quest - of all the stories to use this plot, Galaxy Quest is my favorite. It's one of my favorite scifi films and one of my favorite comedies.
Hmmm. I believe you have conflated a few different plots here. I get the basic skeleton of ‘village gets help from outsiders’ but there are a lot more details in each of these.
It's the most re-watchable movie I own. Flawless. "This is... Commander Peter Quincy Taggert. The crew and I are in a lot of trouble and we need your help..." The words every Quest fan is dying to hear.
I agree with you Earl. They wouldn't be able to catch lightning in a bottle again. The studio would find a way to screw it all up and destroy the magic of the original. I can't help but think of Blues Brothers 2000, although I try to. That is what they would do to this movie. IMO of course.
They could do a recast sequel as a parody of the rebooted Star Trek movies where a group of actors in a Galaxy Quest reboot get kidnapped by the Thermians as well but that would just be a rehash
And I think it makes no sense. It's just trying to milk a dead horse (yes, this was on purpose), in that the movie is perfect as it is, and making sequels/series or whatnot would only detract from its heritage of being perhaps the best sci-fi comedy and commentary on fandoms ever made.
I have always enjoyed your retrospective of movies or of TV shows ever since I found the first one quite some time ago. Galaxy quest has been one of my favorite comedic sci-fi movies ever since I first saw it and I see no reason that that's going to change anytime soon. The same thing goes for your retrospectives. I enjoy them and I will keep on enjoying them as long as you put them out. Thank you for all the enjoyment and entertainment over the years.
As usual - SOOOO much more interesting and informative than a typical "review/opinion" piece. Always appreciate your efforts to research and bring to light details the average movie lover might not know. Your reviews are insightful, un-cynical, and demonstrate your genuine passion for cinema - which is infectious. I love watching your take on movies I have enjoyed and remember fondly - it's almost like watching them again with an equally enthusiastic friend. :)
Adam Poll retrospective is fantastic. I agree that he is uncynical and simply not nitpicking unlike many reviewers which I find very refreshing. I'm done now with the old format of film reviewing which I found tiresome after retrospective which gives a more comprehensive take on a film.
Very nice retrospective of Galaxy Quest!I've also lost count of re-viewings. I think it's 25 times or more. 4 of them during this shelter in place period. I hope you are staying healthy, too!🤣
Seeing Enrico Colantoni in Person of Interest... it's astonishing what a versatile actor he is. LOVE that series. LOVE this movie. He's outstanding in both.
This film is to me what Spaceballs wanted to be, but didn't really get right. It's pretty clear the makers of this film have a great love for that which they are satirizing. They aren't laughing at Star Trek fans but laughing with them. I'm not a trekkie, but I can understand their devotion to something they love.
+Sequentially Compact You hit the nail on the head. I was on a Trek Convention the year Galaxy Quest was in Cinemas and everybody there raved about it and what a great Star Trek satire it was.
Sequentially Compact id have to diagree with that. spaceballs was a spoof of sci fi in general, but def aimed more at star wars than st. Mel Brooks usually has the same tone for all of his spoofs.
I bought the BluRay just for this review, watching it again now. The part where Tim Allen forgot to turn off the call is one of my favorite gags in movies of all time
I always enjoy your reviews. There's always a sense of fairness in them no matter how poor the movies maybe, with you highlighting any positives. Love this film. Mathasar is an underrated character. He could have seemed one dimensional and corny but throughout the movie, while naive, he has a certain nobility about him.
Great film! Interesting to see how prescient the script was about fan- based events like Comiccon. Rickman's reading of Grabthar's hammer as Lazurus to Quelleck is exquisite. Too many comedic moments to mention... ( " Oh, that's not right! " ). The ultimate iconoclastic send-up of original Star Trek! A genuine feel- good film on all counts!
Oliver Harper, I completely agree with everything you say here, this is one of my absolute favorite films. Like you not only can I watch this many times over and not get tired of watching, I will continue if I need a good laugh.
"I KNOW! You construct a weapon. Look around you, can you form some sort of rudimentary lathe." Funniest line of dialogue ever. Also him flinching directly after saying that is great.
Nicely presented Oliver :D I only discovered Galaxy Quest last year and I was so mad with myself for not seeing it sooner ! This movie shows that Sci Fi, comedy and drama can work all at once ! Great retrospective as ever dude :)
Love the little details in the editing, like the change of music from actiony to sad the moment Jason Nesmith overhears the guys talking about him and he gets depressed/angry at fans/drunk/hungover, then back to actiony when the adventure starts.
Great retrospective review! I always loved this movie & watch it every chance I get! That's cool you noticed the Defender ship scraping the front of the ship when it leaves the space dock! I had always wondered that for years! Bravo!!
16:33 - I saw Galaxy Quest in the theater on opening weekend and they left in the F-Bomb... it was the only one in the movie and the timing was perfect.... laughed my ass off. this movie will always be one of the best. Great review, Oliver.
Galaxy Quest succeeds where 2005's Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy failed. It only just hit me that both Sam Rockwell and Alan Rickman show up in both, and the only things that makes tHGttG repeatably watchable are Rockwell and Rickman.
When i recently rewatched Home Improvement i saw Tim Allen talk about lathes is a few episodes. I thought there could be a funny youtube video in it, but i never worked out the details.
I first watched this film in theatres, it surprised the Bejesus out of me. They had every character fleshed out enough and you gave a crap about. Alan Rickman Hijacked the entire movie.... a movie with not a high budget, but delivered a punch as hard as Marvel' The Avengers
This is definitely in the top 5 of my favorite Star Trek films. What I love is that the writers and director demonstrate an unparalleled understanding and respect for both Star Trek and the fandom. Sure they make fun of the fans--to hilarious results--but the movie's heart recognizes the importance Star Trek and other similar sci fi properties has played on its viewers and that fan obsession is generated by true love for the subject matter. The film really is one of the best homages I've ever seen.
Turned away for a moment. Heard the line, “I see you’ve managed to get your shirt off.” Turned back only to be disappointed it wasn’t directed at Sigourney.
One of the best scenes with Tony Shaloub ended up on the cutting room floor. It was a brilliant take going against the type of the over-caffeinated Scotty. Check out the outtakes on the DVD.
Tim Allen's performance in that one scene is amazing...and his performance in this movie overall is doubtless the best of his career (I know, I know...but c'mon, it is very good).
Hello Oliver! Watching your reviews is like watching a mini movie with a clear understanding of everything that goes on to make one. This one, Galaxy Quest is one of my faves because the movie has most of movies/ TV shows, all wrapped in one. I saw it when it first came out in the theatres. I laughed, (and almost cried). I love this film! Thanks to your review, I must see it again. I really like the music score too! I identify myself with the actors as they acted out in their TV show. But not as real people placed in real situation. Sometimes in order for me to solve a problem or crisis, I do get into my character role just like in this movie.
Thanks for another interesting and (almost) unbiased review Oliver. I agree that GQ is almost flawless. I also wondered about the Protector's wing when the nose rubbed on the dock !! I wonder if the director thought we wouldn't notice ??!!
This is a solid retrospective. When Galaxy Quest was released, I did not see it. In fact, I knew no one who had seen it at the time and I heard nothing about it. Several years later I picked up the DVD on a whim. I was shocked at how good the film was. The writing and directing were both solid, and the casting was almost inspired. The cast all had their standout moments, and I was impressed at how balanced the ensemble was written. Special effects were top-notch, the score was well-written and effective.
Get Galaxy Quest on Blu-ray here goo.gl/iicVur
Some movies you can watch again and again and enjoy every time. This is one of them. Funnily enough The Iron Giant came out the same year, and is possibly one of the most perfect and rewatchable animated films ever made. Ever plan a review of Iron Giant ?
madjou1 yes, the error summoned to mind Fred saying absently, as he works his crossword puzzle,“…five curtain calls…”
Great review for a Great film, thank you :-)
As a Nerd:
I really want to know the political consequences and all that.
I mean, the People saw the Ship at the end of the movie fly though the city - no one will
believe it's just a flashy special effect.
I want to know what happens after the movie. Ok, yeah, they do make a new show - but
what does it all mean?
Am i the only one wondering about it like this?
Sigourney Weaver's push up bra for this movie should have won for best supporting actor!
NavySharkz i see what you did there
actors, actors, actors enough of the singular :D
And I should’ve been it’s understudy.
@@justincoleman3805 LOL! XD
SHe looks so good as a blonde. I saw Ghostbusters when I was 5-6 back when in came out, in theaters..... Zool. She's my Hollywood crush. Some people have crushes man crushes, Sigourney Weaver has all ways been my Hollywood Crush, along with Kim Cattrall. And not cause of that other movie (Lassie); but since I saw the movie Mannequin. There was a show on Nickelodean about a department store where a mannequin came to life when he put on his had but it'd fall off all the time. SO naturally I gravitated to a female version of this type of role and learned the difference between recognizable accepted and realistic standards of beauty and Cindy Crawford had like a 180 IQ. SO I know the difference between stupidly beaultiful and Worldy attractive beyond imagination.worth.
Hey Oliver! Great videos BTW! I was the VFX Art Director on Galaxy Quest, and I remember laughing out loud while reading the script! Although the 1st version I read contained many more sexual references, like the "NSEA Protector" was "USEA Protector" 'use a protector'... and the protective jello for traveling through the wormhole was described as a condom rolling over the characters... Thankfully many of these 'jokes' were cut to clean it up a bit and keep it's innocent tone. Also the "NTE" in the Protector's name stands for "Not The Enterprise" and the design of the ship is deliberately a flip flop of the Enterprise, with the Main body taking on the Nacelle shape and the engines taking on the disk-like saucer shape. This was a blast, especially since I had also recently worked on Star Trek: First Contact. So even back then we all thought GQ was a better Star Trek Film because we had improved our work since then as well. There are so many inside jokes throughout the film that make it so watchable and it's also the most female watched sci-fi film ever as it doesn't require years of nerding out on ST to enjoy it.So watch it with your wife, she'll love it too! :) And it was a super fun project to work on and very proud that it has become such a fan favorite :)
JAEGERTECH Wow thats fantastic to read you were the Art Director and also worked on ST First Contact. I think GQ is better at being Star Trek than Star Trek! lol. You can see throughout what love and attention has been put into GQ and with Paramount last year trying to piece together the crew for Star Trek 3 they should've got the team from GQ to do it.
Are you still working within the industry?
+JAEGERTECH - Great job on the film! It is one of my all-time favorites (and I am a real sci-fi geek). Is this one of the favorite films that you worked on?
+JAEGERTECH Wish I could give you a big kiss. My whole geek family consider this as the best Sci-Fi comedy of all time. We will watch it a number of times a year in perpetuity. Again thank you for this masterpiece.
GQ being somehow a 'better Trek film than Trek itself' is plainly disrespectful in my opinion. I like the VFX in this film, but let's not make the mistake of comparing a parody to a sci-fi film. I mean, people would get laughed at if they said Spaceballs was better than Star Wars (though it probably is better than most of those films when you think about it). But Trek is okay to rip into for some reason. People who call its fans 'geeks' probably also like Star Wars, oblivious to the hypocrisy of it.
When considering that there are very high quality Trek films like Wrath of Khan, Undiscovered Country and First Contact (most fans consider these the best of the franchise), it's clear it gets a lot of unfair criticism. In all honesty there are more good Star Trek films and series than there are Star Wars ones, but the latter is still considered 'mainstream' for some reason. Both have been taken by Abrams and twisted into something truly pleasing for the dumbest possible audience while probably leaving a lot of their genuine, long-time fans behind. While I think SW will always be fine no matter who directs the films, the Trek reboot was terrible, though it improved slightly with Into Darkness.
KRSsven I don't think GQ is a parody. I think that's a purposeful diversion. I think the entire point of the movie is commentary on the real actors that play in these types of shows, how they are just normal people and are annoyed at the hero worship they get, because deep inside they feel like they do nothing to deserve it, since they are just professional liars. That's the main function of this film. The comedy and diversions are to try to make the mood not as dark and give non-deep thinking people something to watch too. It's actually a dark, sad movie, but they get the chance to earn the hero worship. Really, this is kind of a movie made for sci-fi industry people, but delivered in such a way that the public can enjoy it too.
"I see you managed to get your shirt off." Love this movie and it's spoof of TOS, which is still my favorite show.
It's like Groundhog Day, it gets better every time you see it
That moment when Kwan walks through the background murmuring, "Wow, the floors are so clean!" Don't try telling _me_ he's not a stoner!
Never Give Up! Never Surrender!
After 23 years… still makes me love the movie!
This is a movie that ages like fine wine. The older it gets the better it becomes.
My old boyfriend and I went to camp at Goblin Valley, Utah while they were shooting the rock monster scene. As we drove to the campsite, we saw the space ship and the normally empty place was full of people and semi trucks. We asked a crew worker what was being filmed and when he said Galaxy Quest, we thought it sounded like a B movie. Of course, when it came out we had to see it and of course loved it. It's one of my favorites.
It’s worse for Alan because savings are plural. What a saving.
Is it wrong that I love this film. I swear... I love Galaxy Quest. God rest Alan Rickman's soul.
MegamanNG If you love this movie, I'm a fanatic fan of this movie!
Awesome.
MegamanNG
I enjoyed this movie too.
Yeah Rickman is awesome. A few years later he played another humorously pessimistic personality in the robot voice in Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. I'm guessing you've seen that one too.
by grapthar's hammer ! this movie is brilliant!
"By Grapthar's hammer....what a savings."
That may be the single funniest line delivery I've ever heard in a film! It slays me every time I watch! Great review for a great film! It's hard not to flat-out LOVE this film! And that theme is just epic!
Alan Rickman packed so much loathing into that line it just makes it all the more hilarious.
Hwut a savings.
*rolls eyes*
I know, that’s easily my favourite line in the movie, I don’t think anyone else could have said it better than him.
KP108 Reading it, just now, I still laughed out loud. It’s such a good delivery.
+N.B. You could HEAR the cringe in his voice. A better portrayal of bearing up under humiliation, I've never seen. The man was a master, indeed.
5:56 The way Alan Rickman grabs this poor guy's picture to sign is so perfect, so much contempt, and done with peak thespian flare. 👌😂
RIP Alan - so sad.
+ewaf88 the greatest!
+TrOllinM4sTEr crying shame :-(
Marshall Banana I wish that were true!
Totally agree about the comedy in this film. It's so genuine and never gets old. Even today I like to add, "...and it exploded." into conversations at random.
A truly underrated gem that gets better the more I watch it.
Sigourney Weaver has never looked hotter than as Gwen.
I remember when the trailers came out, and I didn't recognize her. Then I found out it was her and it was mind blowing :)
YES! OH MY GOD! Even hotter than in Alien!
"she was a strong woman without any feminazi flare"
Ah yes, that's typical of the 70s and 80s and it's part of why i love that era so much. A lot of women today think they can't be strong without also being feminazis, not realizing that if you make a big deal out of gender, you're a sexist yourself. Man i really miss the 80s.
Oh she's stunning in Galaxy Quest
Seriously, for the longest time I didn't even know it was Sigourney. Good lord!
That was an incredibly warm review. You put so much love into this review like the people who made Galaxy Quest.
Dude, your review almost made me cry. You really touched all the heart felt moments of this film. It's not just a comedy.
Great retrospect, this is such an underrated movie. It's up there with Ghostbusters and Blazing Saddles as one of the best comedies ever made.
As a huge Star Trek fan, this movie was the perfect satire of the original series.
you spelt homage wrong
Hey. This is better than the new movies and TV show
You spelt blargldeeflurg wrong. Sorry my translators broken.
As a Nerd:
I really want to know the political consequences and all that.
I mean, the People saw the Ship at the end of the movie fly though the city - no one will
believe it's just a flashy special effect.
I want to know what happens after the movie. Ok, yeah, they do make a new show - but
what does it all mean?
Am i the only one wondering about it like this?
They almost out Star Trek'd the actual Star Trek
I'd like to argue against Saris being a typical or generic villain, at least in regards to that being a bad thing. It isn't. In fact, I feel that much of the weight of the film relies heavily on the strength of him being a threat. With so many outlandish aspects that the film throws at the audience, the film needs a simple and effective villain to tie it all down and give everything a purpose. If his antagonism feels in any way uncertain or falls flat, you've lost the movie.
Sure, Saris is a little stock. He doesn't have a redemptive or sympathetic angle to his character, or any kind of explanation as to why he is the villain. He is just an evil-minded opportunist; a pirate looking to take what he wants from the easily-bullied Thermians. But I'd say that is his strength. He is simply a very effective and powerful bad guy, but he also doesn't really feel like any other villain we have seen in this kind of movie. He isn't mysterious like Vader, or poetic like Khan. He isn't a big dumb force or even an overly intelligent one. He is just dangerous and good at it. That's all a movie like this needs: A reason to rally together.
The thing that makes his character stand out to me, is all in the performance of Robin Sachs. The little gestures, mouth movements, and especially in the way he delivers his lines, with that gravelly smugness; that really makes his character stand above most 'Star Trek' villains.
He is very 'human', at least compared to the Thermians, which becomes a fundamentally important notion when Jason is forced to explain the truth to Mathesar. And In that scene, his contributions are some of my favorite lines of the film: "He ... Doesn't Uuunnnnderstaaaand" He is verbally relishing in the utter despair of the situation. It's amusing to him.
He is a big cat playing with his collection of senseless mice, and that kind of overconfidence is what ultimately gets the best of him. He just didn't think that this sad, uncoordinated collection of dimwits could do anything as skilled as tricking him.
You've showed what I consider a perfect understanding of Saris and his importance to the movie, and have delivered it in a very interesting and sophisticated, but brief, commentary. Thank you!
He's a villain seen solely from the point of view of his victims, who never have any experience of him as anything BUT a villain. So it makes sense that we don't see any redeeming qualities, since the movie is told from their point of view, not his.
Exactly. Saris wasn't an actor playing an over the top villain. Despite the bizarre setting they portrayed him as believable, 'normal' if you will. One of the most memorable moments of the film for me was when Saris realized the truth about the Galaxy Quest show and forced Jason to explain the situation to Mathazar "as you would a child".
Good points. He's not defeated by his own stupidity; he's only defeated because of The Mcguffin
apparently sam rockwell based his performance on bill paxton in aliens.
That's it man. Game over, game over man !!!
kevin orlando “Why don’t you put her in charge?” 🤣 He almost stole that movie, just like Sam almost stole this one.
@@goldenageofdinosaurs7192 That line was brilliant. Newt rocks.
We've also watched it countless times. It's one movie the hubs and I can *always* agree on. It's a masterpiece.
Rickman and Allen had a continuous relationship on set, much like in the movie. Rickman didn’t think Allen took the craft seriously cause he was always joking around on set right up till action was called. But after the scene were Jason confesses that they are fakes, apparently Rickman said, “Damn, I think the guy finally experienced acting”. Such a great backhanded compliment that I could totally seeing Rickman saying.
Every actor is perfect in this movie, but Alan Rickman surpasses them all with his deadpan style.
Did you mean 'Contentious'?
Contentious, having read Rickman's diaries, is putting it nicely
This movie deserves more attention. Funny and charming
Totally love this film. I think it's very well-written - it never descends to being mean-spirited or snide mockery of either sci-fi, series actors or the fans that get so invested in the shows or characters, which it so easily could have done with a less skilful writer. Instead, the real affection is very apparent.
Sigourney Weaver was a total BABE is this movie. She should've gone blonde more often!
At a 2013 Arclight screening, producer Johnson (him or Parisot) said Sigourney "borrowed" her _GQ_ wig, and loved wearing it to parties. (I like to think she snagged that miraculous bra, too.)
Great movie. Guy Fleegman stole it from the great Lazarus. "Let's get out of here before they kill Guy!" still makes me laugh out loud to this day.
Seven Samurai, Magnificent Seven, Battle Beyond the Stars, Three Amigos, A Bug's Life, Galaxy Quest - of all the stories to use this plot, Galaxy Quest is my favorite. It's one of my favorite scifi films and one of my favorite comedies.
Hmmm. I believe you have conflated a few different plots here. I get the basic skeleton of ‘village gets help from outsiders’ but there are a lot more details in each of these.
It's the most re-watchable movie I own. Flawless. "This is... Commander Peter Quincy Taggert. The crew and I are in a lot of trouble and we need your help..." The words every Quest fan is dying to hear.
I've lost count of how many times I have seen GQ. One of my favourite films of all time!
I don't think they should make a sequel. Since Alen Rickman died, I don't think it would work
they though of doing a series with a recast.
Let's hope they never go through with that idea. They recast Ghostbusters and look what happened there ugh!
I agree with you Earl. They wouldn't be able to catch lightning in a bottle again. The studio would find a way to screw it all up and destroy the magic of the original. I can't help but think of Blues Brothers 2000, although I try to. That is what they would do to this movie. IMO of course.
They could do a recast sequel as a parody of the rebooted Star Trek movies where a group of actors in a Galaxy Quest reboot get kidnapped by the Thermians as well but that would just be a rehash
And I think it makes no sense. It's just trying to milk a dead horse (yes, this was on purpose), in that the movie is perfect as it is, and making sequels/series or whatnot would only detract from its heritage of being perhaps the best sci-fi comedy and commentary on fandoms ever made.
I have always enjoyed your retrospective of movies or of TV shows ever since I found the first one quite some time ago.
Galaxy quest has been one of my favorite comedic sci-fi movies ever since I first saw it and I see no reason that that's going to change anytime soon.
The same thing goes for your retrospectives. I enjoy them and I will keep on enjoying them as long as you put them out.
Thank you for all the enjoyment and entertainment over the years.
As usual - SOOOO much more interesting and informative than a typical "review/opinion" piece. Always appreciate your efforts to research and bring to light details the average movie lover might not know. Your reviews are insightful, un-cynical, and demonstrate your genuine passion for cinema - which is infectious. I love watching your take on movies I have enjoyed and remember fondly - it's almost like watching them again with an equally enthusiastic friend. :)
Adam Poll retrospective is fantastic. I agree that he is uncynical and simply not nitpicking unlike many reviewers which I find very refreshing. I'm done now with the old format of film reviewing which I found tiresome after retrospective which gives a more comprehensive take on a film.
Very nice retrospective of Galaxy Quest!I've also lost count of re-viewings. I think it's 25 times or more. 4 of them during this shelter in place period. I hope you are staying healthy, too!🤣
Seeing Enrico Colantoni in Person of Interest... it's astonishing what a versatile actor he is. LOVE that series. LOVE this movie. He's outstanding in both.
"By Grapthar's Hammer"... I still use that when at a loss for words. Epic film.
Just watched for the first time today and I was smiling the whole time .
This film is to me what Spaceballs wanted to be, but didn't really get right. It's pretty clear the makers of this film have a great love for that which they are satirizing. They aren't laughing at Star Trek fans but laughing with them. I'm not a trekkie, but I can understand their devotion to something they love.
+Sequentially Compact You hit the nail on the head. I was on a Trek Convention the year Galaxy Quest was in Cinemas and everybody there raved about it and what a great Star Trek satire it was.
Sequentially Compact id have to diagree with that. spaceballs was a spoof of sci fi in general, but def aimed more at star wars than st. Mel Brooks usually has the same tone for all of his spoofs.
Despite High Anxiety being a very good satire of Hitchcock movies, Mel Brooks tends to be a one-trick pony. @@garyhall331
And like Spaceballs, this movie is better than all of the recent Star Trek movies and Discover
There’s a reason Mel Brooks hasn’t made a film in 25 years. His shit got old fast.
This movie is a love letter to sci-fi fan culture and sci-fi TV shows in general. It's funny, but not stupid. And it has a lot of heart. I love it.
Not only have I watched the movie several times, but I've watched this review of yours several times. All I can say is: Bravo! and thanks.
By Grabthar's Hammer.... This is amongst my FAVORITE movies!!!!!
Man....I LOVED this film I almost forget how much I liked everytime I saw it, definitely need to watch it again
5 curtain calls, not 3, lol. Other than that, fantastic retropective of one of my top 10 favorite movies! :)
Kelleigh Jones damn 2 off lol
"This is the ship that made the Kessel Run in 14 parsecs!"
"12!"
Sorry, wrong movie!
Gotta love that Sam Rockwell finger point
I bought the BluRay just for this review, watching it again now.
The part where Tim Allen forgot to turn off the call is one of my favorite gags in movies of all time
I always enjoy your reviews. There's always a sense of fairness in them no matter how poor the movies maybe, with you highlighting any positives.
Love this film. Mathasar is an underrated character. He could have seemed one dimensional and corny but throughout the movie, while naive, he has a certain nobility about him.
One of my favorite films of all time, loved guy!
Great film! Interesting to see how prescient the script was about fan- based events like Comiccon. Rickman's reading of Grabthar's hammer as Lazurus to Quelleck is exquisite. Too many comedic moments to mention... ( " Oh, that's not right! " ). The ultimate iconoclastic send-up of original Star Trek! A genuine feel- good film on all counts!
RIP Alan.
The best Star Trek review you have ever done.
Always loved this movie. Tim the Toolman, Ellen Ripley, and Hans Gruber vs Aliens. Classic and actually really funny. Still holds up.
Good review, Oliver. This is a great movie. I like how it's a spoof and a homage at the same time.
Oliver Harper, I completely agree with everything you say here, this is one of my absolute favorite films. Like you not only can I watch this many times over and not get tired of watching, I will continue if I need a good laugh.
Sigourney Weaver is breathtakingly beautiful in that movie!
Absolutely!!!
"I KNOW! You construct a weapon. Look around you, can you form some sort of rudimentary lathe." Funniest line of dialogue ever. Also him flinching directly after saying that is great.
Segony Weaver looks super hot in this movie.
this movie was so well done story, actors, music and good feeling at the end
24:39-24:45 Seeing the characters cheering when Sarris’s ship explodes is always a lot of fun to watch.
Yeah, but Gwen being a not so good girlfriend isn't. I think she should've felt bad for Sarris, honestly, but that's me bc I ship them :3
This is the best Star Trek movie I have ever seen...
Nicely presented Oliver :D I only discovered Galaxy Quest last year and I was so mad with myself for not seeing it sooner ! This movie shows that Sci Fi, comedy and drama can work all at once ! Great retrospective as ever dude :)
I don’t generally enjoy spoofs, but I really like this one as it treats the genre respectfully.
I love how sigourneys clothes become more and more revealing. Its SO hilarious!
Best of all the GALAXY QUEST retrospectives! 5 out of 5 STARS
We quote this movie everyday at work.
Same here
"By Grabthar's Hammer, you will submit your annual financial report..."
Never give up, never surrender
Look. I have one job to do on this lousy ship. It's stupid, but I'm going to do it.
You make better trailers than the actual producers!
Love the little details in the editing, like the change of music from actiony to sad the moment Jason Nesmith overhears the guys talking about him and he gets depressed/angry at fans/drunk/hungover, then back to actiony when the adventure starts.
Great retrospective review! I always loved this movie & watch it every chance I get! That's cool you noticed the Defender ship scraping the front of the ship when it leaves the space dock! I had always wondered that for years! Bravo!!
I can watch this movie a hundred times and I still laugh each and every single time!
This movie is simply amazing and perfect in almost every aspect.
God why are these retrospectives so damn good? Eager for the next one. Bravo!
16:33 - I saw Galaxy Quest in the theater on opening weekend and they left in the F-Bomb... it was the only one in the movie and the timing was perfect.... laughed my ass off. this movie will always be one of the best. Great review, Oliver.
Lucky you. You heard the Pg-13 version ( MPAA now allow 1 f-bomb per film,if "organic"( genuine fright or threat of harm)).
Galaxy Quest succeeds where 2005's Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy failed. It only just hit me that both Sam Rockwell and Alan Rickman show up in both, and the only things that makes tHGttG repeatably watchable are Rockwell and Rickman.
Of all the parodies we have encountered, its heart was the most... Star Trek.
Excellent review! One of my favorite movies....so many quotable lines!
Oliver, not once did I hear "rudimentary lathe."
Retrospective review assignment incomplete.
When i recently rewatched Home Improvement i saw Tim Allen talk about lathes is a few episodes. I thought there could be a funny youtube video in it, but i never worked out the details.
I just re-watched it again and it still makes me laugh indeed. Great movie!
Surprisingly good movie! I always overlooked it but recently watched it on Netflix. Really enjoyed the film for all the reason Oliver pointed out!
I love this movie :) i always remember when they served food, alan rickman's character got the freaky squid instead of regular food :D
I missed part of this video because I was working on a rudimentary lathe and had to watch it again.
Super !! Well done with excellent insight balanced with a judicious " lookback " more than fifteen years after it's release !
Alan Rickman steals every scene in every movie he was in, amazing.
I remember seeing this in the theater with my family of Star Trek fans. Hard to believe that was 20 years ago.
I first watched this film in theatres, it surprised the Bejesus out of me. They had every character fleshed out enough and you gave a crap about. Alan Rickman Hijacked the entire movie.... a movie with not a high budget, but delivered a punch as hard as Marvel' The Avengers
This is my second favourite Star Trek film after Wrath of Khan!
This is definitely in the top 5 of my favorite Star Trek films. What I love is that the writers and director demonstrate an unparalleled understanding and respect for both Star Trek and the fandom. Sure they make fun of the fans--to hilarious results--but the movie's heart recognizes the importance Star Trek and other similar sci fi properties has played on its viewers and that fan obsession is generated by true love for the subject matter. The film really is one of the best homages I've ever seen.
Turned away for a moment.
Heard the line, “I see you’ve managed to get your shirt off.”
Turned back only to be disappointed it wasn’t directed at Sigourney.
I have been a fan of this movie since it first came out truly a great movie
there are no words for how much I adore this movie 😍
"They look like minors."
"Yeah, they do look young."
"Not minors, MINORS!"
"You lost me."
Miners. And minors.
Alan Rickman: "Miners, not minors!"
Best double take in film history.
Do you get the joke? Hard to tell by your spelling.
Such a great movie, always watch it when it comes on.
The bad guys look so believable to this day, love the style so cool! The acting is so damn good. RIP Robin Sachs.
Tony shalhoub played beta- blockers CRANKED up. So funny.
One of the best scenes with Tony Shaloub ended up on the cutting room floor. It was a brilliant take going against the type of the over-caffeinated Scotty. Check out the outtakes on the DVD.
Tim Allen's performance in that one scene is amazing...and his performance in this movie overall is doubtless the best of his career (I know, I know...but c'mon, it is very good).
Hello Oliver! Watching your reviews is like watching a mini movie with a clear understanding of everything that goes on to make one. This one, Galaxy Quest is one of my faves because the movie has most of movies/ TV shows, all wrapped in one. I saw it when it first came out in the theatres. I laughed, (and almost cried). I love this film! Thanks to your review, I must see it again. I really like the music score too! I identify myself with the actors as they acted out in their TV show. But not as real people placed in real situation. Sometimes in order for me to solve a problem or crisis, I do get into my character role just like in this movie.
A great movie and another one of my favourites, fantastic review.
This is my mom's all-time favorite movie.
Thanks for another interesting and (almost) unbiased review Oliver. I agree that GQ is almost flawless. I also wondered about the Protector's wing when the nose rubbed on the dock !! I wonder if the director thought we wouldn't notice ??!!
This was a fantastic review! Very well done and you have my thanks.
This is a solid retrospective. When Galaxy Quest was released, I did not see it. In fact, I knew no one who had seen it at the time and I heard nothing about it. Several years later I picked up the DVD on a whim. I was shocked at how good the film was. The writing and directing were both solid, and the casting was almost inspired. The cast all had their standout moments, and I was impressed at how balanced the ensemble was written. Special effects were top-notch, the score was well-written and effective.
I really love this film. When news broke about Alan Rickman’s passing, I watched it again. ❤