IronWatcher’s review published on Letterboxd:
Watched on Netflix
Despite its overly conciliatory attitude towards the extreme fan, "Galaxy Quest" has become a really excellent parody of series like "Star Trek" and its fan cult. Perhaps the subject matter could have been handled a little more mercilessly, but on a family-friendly basis the result is surprisingly successful and also keeps the necessary respect for its "victims" in mind (which applies not only to series but also to their actors).
In terms of acting, there is a lot to discover. Tim Allen surprised me with a performance that I wouldn't have expected from him. I generally enjoy watching his films, but more because of his likeable charisma than because of his talent. Sigourney Weaver looks a bit pale with blonde hair, the chance to parody her role from "Alien", which would only have had a limited connection to the content of "Galaxy Quest", is almost completely wasted. Her performance is remarkable, even if she hardly stands out in the confusion of all the humor extremes with her simple role.
The greatest praise is due to the actor who plays the leader of the good aliens. It's rare to play such a wonderfully weird, broken role, and he clearly has fun doing it. The most important female alien is also well cast and visibly amused. That should be the big plus point of this science fiction comedy anyway: you can see that everyone involved is having fun with the project.
And why not: the story is clever, offers all kinds of good jokes and recognizes the vast number of opportunities to really bring in a lot of them. From the countdown to a threat and the last-second rescue, to the unnecessary nature of some series roles, to Kirk's eternally naked upper body, everything is really pulled through the cocoa. Despite all the nonsense, there are also serious moments within the bounds of what is possible in a rather silly comedy.
For example, it almost breaks your heart when the supposed captain has to explain to his alien friend what a play is. The hated words of the intellectually inclined actor, who seems to hate his role abysmally, also make the viewer smile sadly when he speaks them to a dying fan. Such moments are touching, and that in the midst of madness.
The fact that the entire idea is actually stolen from "!Three Amigos!" doesn't bother much. This piece of film finally manages to entertain different generations of viewers again without one side having to make compromises. No popcorn movie has managed that for a long time. Not quite the caliber of "Back to the Future", but still quite close, everyone involved in this work can be justifiably proud of the end product.
An important factor this time is the special effects, which really have nothing to complain about. Computer animation and hand-made elements (such as some bizarre masks), as well as the script and acting, constantly manage the balancing act between effective comedy and a clear parody of a role model.
So if you haven't seen this movie yet, you should do so as soon as possible. Thanks to the good script, you don't even have to like series like "Star Trek" to laugh along. In some cases, such a negative attitude might even increase the laugh content. I don't know, after all I am a fan of such a series myself, namely the 60s "Star Trek".
