Galaxy Quest (1999)

Galaxy Quest is classic Star Trek meets Event Horizon (with General Mandible from Antz as the villain Sarris). This movie is peerless as a spoof of Star Trek and an homage to its fans. As our story begins, Tim Allen's head still swells to fill his enduring reprise role as Capt. Peter Quincy Taggert ("Never give up! Never surrender!") and he just pegs the William Shatner swagger, combat roll, ripped shirt, etc. (as Shatner's Star Trek costars publicly attest). Alan Rickman is diffident as the once-Shakespearean actor who can't shake his fame as the Spock-like carapace-sporting Dr. Lazarus ("By Grabthar's hammer ... you shall be avenged!" -- though at conventions he sullenly threatens fans "Don't say it!"). Sigourney Weaver is poured into her uniform as Lt. Tawny Madison, whose role as communications officer is basically to repeat everything the computer says to the crew and vice versa. Tony Shalhoub is the impassive Tech Sgt. Chen, whom nothing seems to faze. (Maybe his fazer was set on stun.) Sam Rockwell is a Trekkie-type fan who gets picked for a mission as Crewman No. 6 -- so, true to Star Trek folklore, he is justified to fear an imminent death as the most dispensable crew member. Enrico Colantoni does admirably as the leader of the Thermians, whom Tim Allen's character first assumes are just highly nerdy sci-fi fans with no social skills. It's probably not possible to adequately represent this movie's plot and humor or to summarize its dead-on parody of all things Trekkian and sci-fi-ish, so take the word of all rabid Star Trek, sci-fi film, and Galaxy Quest fans: Galaxy Quest is the funniest sci-fi spoof ever. Not only that, but it has a plot, twists, character development, and a slam-bang feel-good wrapup. I lived on Star Trek (classic and Next Generation) throughout my school years and I will never tire of watching this old chestnut. After The Matrix, it was the second movie I bought to inaugurate my DVD system. If you have ever enjoyed Star Trek, Galaxy Quest will feel like a comfortable old shoe. 4 stars.