

GALAXY QUEST

 Reviewed by Harvey Karten
 DreamWorks Pictures
 Director:  Harold Ramis
 Writer:  Robert Gordon
 Cast: Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Alan Rickman, Tony
Shalhoub, Sam Rockwell, Daryl Mitchell, Enrico Colantoni,
Robin Sachs

   How would you explain what an actor is to an adult who
never heard a radio program, watched TV, or went to the
theater or a movie?  When you think about it, this would be
pretty difficult.  After all, how do you make clear to someone
of such a vastly different culture that people who pretend to
be other people are entertaining?   This is precisely the
dilemma faced by a crew of aging performers in "Galaxy
Quest," a consistently funny, good-natured, uncynical parody
of a popular TV program that was cancelled after running for
three years despite its hard core of dedicated fans.  "Star
Trek," a series that lasted from 1979 to 1982 and featured
(by today's standards) pretty chintzy special effects, was to
some extent a cult offering, its devotees actually memorizing
details of the various episodes so well that they could quote
chapter and verse what happened in which episode in much
the way that a Jehovah's Witness could do a similar task with
the Bible.  By spoofing the series in a congenial way, Dan
Parisot gets solid performances from a fine crew of actors,
making good use of a script written by David Howard and
Robert Gordon.  Though the movie's targeted audience is
probably bright, albeit geeky, teens and college students,
"Galaxy Quest" could conceivably be appreciated by the little
ones, its PG rating based on a little cartoon violence and a
couple of briefly sensual scenes.

   In propelling his lampoon of the TV series, director Parisot
plays up the theme of laid-off actors.  Just what do well-
known performers become when their employment is
canceled?  (In the case of "Cheers," for example, we know
that one such entertainer went on to far greater fame with his
own TV program, another has taken on some powerful roles
in movies, while some of the others are doing not as well as
before, gaining little parts in off-Broadway plays and in movie
cartoon voiceovers.)  The guys in "Galaxy Quest" (read: "Star
Trek") are pleased as punch to hear the wild applause at the
special conventions which the devotees attend to see some
old screenings and collect autographs, but none of them are
doing anything worth writing home about.  One of the
intriguing aspects of "Galaxy Quest" is that each actor plays
another actor who plays yet another actor, providing a field
day for semioticians.

  In the principal role of Jason Nesmith, Tim Allen doubles as
Commander Peter Quincy Taggart--the role taken by William
Shatner in the TV series--while Alan Rickman performs in the
guise of Alexander Dane, a lizard-like alien who befriended
the crew in that very same TV program.  With Sigourney
Weaver as Gwen DeMarco (here performing as Tawny
Madison), Tony Shalhoub as Fred Kwan and doubling as
Sergeant Chen, and Daryl Mitchell as Tommy Webber aka
Laredo, these characters are about to see life's imitating art. 

   One day a crew of friendly, stiff octopi from another planet-
-who have been able to take on the physical appearance of
human beings and have their language immediately
translated--approach the cynical and drunken Nesmith,
begging him to save their planet from evil green giants led by
Sarris (Robin Sachs).  Having watched episodes of Star Trek,
the leader, Mathesar (Enrico Colantoni), and his "people"
have no idea that the programs are unreal, meant simply for
entertainment.  Considering the episodes to be actual
historical documents, they convince Nesmith and his
colleagues to beam up to their planet and use their ingenuity
to rid them of unfriendly aliens.  What follows is one
circumstance after another as the fearful actors--who have
become discouraged and misanthropic from being out of work
for so long--gradually become proud fighters for their alien
friends, thereby gaining a whole new outlook on life. 
Essentially, Dan Parisot does a good job proving the hipness
of existential philosophy: you are what you commit yourself to
doing. and if your commitment gives you pride and genuine
purpose, what more can you ask of life?

   The comic tone is evoked by the rigid walks and bizarre
talk of the friendly aliens, by the confused and often edgy
banter of the human crew determined to save their pals, and
by the dialogue which parodies the corny lines of the TV
show.  "I won't say that stupid line one more time," insists
Dane as he prepares to meet his devotees--who expect him
to repeat the watchwords of the show.  The actors
increasingly and unconsciously follow the dialogue they
maintained from their 1979-1982 scripts as they meet the
challenges.  "Galaxy Quest" is altogether a holiday surprise,
a movie with a trailer that could make a potential moviegoer
think twice before paying his money and taking his chances,
but one which comes through as an congenial, occasionally
laugh-out-loud satire that has a broad affection for its target.

Rated PG.  Running Time: 104 minutes.  (C) 1999
Harvey Karten, [email-masked]