Galaxy Quest (Perhaps the best Star Trek fanfic ever), Part 1
[All images are owned by DreamWorks and Amblin Entertainment. Please don’t sue me]
[QUICK NOTE: I had thought I had posted this years ago, but couldn’t find it in my archive. Then I remembered…I had, but thanks to the way I wrote reviews back then (I tried to cram image-heavy reviews of movies over an hour and a half long into one post and watched Tumblr pitch fits when I tried to save it), Tumblr “ate” it and it was gone forever. Even worse, back then I wrote everything into Tumblr instead of my current practice of doing so in Word and copy/pasting it to Tumblr. So….take 2]
If you’ve spent any time on fanfic websites (or, back in the 90s, USENET boards), you’re bound to find any number of Star Trek fanfic. Once you see the first few minutes of Galaxy Quest, you’ll get the idea that this is Trek fanfic with the serial numbers filed off. You would think it was a parody film like Spaceballs, but it’s actually so much more and went beyond its fanfic premise and into arguably a sci-fi classic.
(Thanks to Rotten Tomatoes)
Galaxy Quest, according to the film lore, was a sci-fi series from the late 70s that was unceremoniously cancelled in 1981. Since its cancellation, fan support kept the series alive for (at that point) 18 years thanks to fan conventions. For whatever reason (unlike the TOS cast), the cast had to be booked as a package deal rather than individually. Needless to say, the on-screen tensions had been magnified over the past 2 decades since they can’t get away from each other.
The show starred Jason Nesmith (played by Tim Allen), who played Commander Peter Quincy Taggert. Jason knows he’s the star the fans want to see and plays that card to the hilt, often taking solo gigs behind the others’ back (needless to say, no one among the cast likes him very much)
Gwen DeMarco (played by Sigourney Weaver) played First Officer Lt. Tawney Madison, whose role was essentially eye candy that parroted whatever the computer said. Needless to say, she’s a bit bitter about that.
Sir Alexander Dane (played by Alan Rickman) is a classically trained Shakespearian actor that played Dr. Lazarus, the ship’s science officer. He hates that he’s known for this role. He hates that Jason continues to hog the spotlight long after he did so during the series.
And he HATES that STUPID! FUCKING! CATCHPHASE!
Tommy Webber (played by Daryl Mitchell, who would go on to play Paxton Plame in NCIS: New Orleans, and has been a paraplegic since he was involved in an accident in 2001) was a child actor when Galaxy Quest was being filmed and played the ship’s pilot, Laredo.
Fred Kwan (Played by Tony Schaloub) played the ship’s engineer Tech Sgt. Chen. I can’t confirm it, but I’m pretty sure Fred is on some sort of sedative, because, out of the entire crew, he’s the one who’s the most chill about everything that happens in the film.
But enough introductions. On with the show! If you would like to watch the film, it’s available on Paramount+ or behind your favorite paywall.
(Thanks to JoBlo Movie Clips)
Before we continue, let’s talk about the announcer for the seminar:
Guy Fliegman (played by Sam Rockwell), who played Crewman #6 (and died a Redshirt’s death) in Episode 81 of the series.
Following the introductions, the crew is escorted to the autograph tables.
Naturally, Jason gets his own table.
Alex is sick of hearing fans (mostly dressed in bad replicas of his “head”) spewing that stupid catchphrase at him after the second time, while Gwen is trying to dissuade rumors that there was ever anything between Tawny Madison and Peter Taggert.
As the crew takes a break, Jason is stopped by four fans who plead for his help.
He tells the fans to make sure to pick him up in a limo, then takes off to the restroom, where he overhears attendees mocking the crew…especially him.
After that, he just wants to leave, but is stopped by another batch of fans who are trying to nitpick details about the show (don’t you just hate those types of fans?)…and he snaps.
With that, he storms out of the convention hall.
That night, he spends his time at home watching old Galaxy Quest reruns and getting totally drunk.
(Thanks to Michael and Stephanie Sandberg)
The leader of the Thermiansis named Mathesar (played by Enrico Colantoni, who played Kieth Mars in Veronica Mars)
Meanwhile, Jason is missing the legitimate gig he and the others were booked for: advertising the opening of an electronics store.
As you can tell, Alex was THRILLED by this gig.
Jason rushed to the gig, running into the teens he blew off at the convention. Both he and the teens dropped their communicators voxes, and got them mixed up when they were picked up. Jason then rushed to the rest of the crew to tell them about his adventure in deep space
As you can tell, they all think he’s full of it.
Then the Thermians show up, saying Sarris survived the encounter and they need his help yet again.
The crew pretty much brushes him off and walks away. Then they realize he was talking about a job and rush back.
(Thanks to Binge Society)
Mathesar explains that they have modeled their entire society after the Protector’s “Historical Documents.” Jason then explains that they’re on a starport, housing their spaceship:
…the Protector 2. Mathesar takes them on a tour and Jason is pumped about being “Commander Taggert,” while the rest are more than a bit dubious.
(other than Guy, who’s just happy to be on “the show” again)
Eventually, the tour reaches the Bridge Command Deck.
And so, after a squealy start, Our Heroes are on their way to their negotiation with Sarris.
Mathesar explains why Sarris has been attacking his people: Sarris is after the Omega 13 device (the one in the show clip at the beginning of the film) Since the show was cancelled before the cliffhanger was resolved, none of the crew knows what it does, so they ask Mathesar. Mathesar isn’t exactly sure either. Jason asks how Sarris knows about the device. Mathesar admits that the former Commander was tortured for the information before he was killed.
Suddenly, the crew doesn’t want to do this any more.
However, Sarris has arrived and would likely destroy anyone who tries to leave. Oh, by the way…Sarris is here and everyone is needed on the Command Deck. Sarris is sympathetic that the last encounter was a misunderstanding (in case you didn’t guess, that was sarcasm)
Jason signals to Gwen to cut the transmission, then comes up with a plan to take Sarris with a surprise attack. Just one problem:
Gwen misinterpreted his signal to cut the transmission and didn’t, so Sarris heard everything. Needless to say, he’s even less happy about that that he was after the first time they met.
(Thanks again to Fandango)
Well, they get through the minefield and somehow evade Sarris, but Tommy has a broken arm. What’s more…
Mathesar then shows up to apologize for their failure (WHAT?! Jason’s the one who broke the fucking ship!) Gwen tries to explain that they’re actors, but Mathesar’s people are incapable of not telling the truth and think anyone who is not honest is the worst types of people. Gwen then asks if they think, say, Gilligan’s Island is real.
Fortunately, Fred chimes in to save an awkward situation.
With that, Jason prepares to pack up his crew so they can retrieve a Dilithium Crystal Beryllium Sphere and Save The Day.
In the meantime, Alex needs a rest, so his liaison Quellek takes him to his quarters (modeled after his quarters in the Historical Documents) and shows him to his bed.
Homey! Quilek brags that, after 3 years of effort, he was able to comfortably sleep on the spikes.
[NOTE: the above scene was, unfortunately, deleted from the film, but it’s too funny to not share]
WILL Our Hereoes find a Beryllium Sphere?
WHY are the Thermians letting Jason command the ship after he nearly destroyed it?
These questions and more will be answered in Part 2 of this review!