25 years later, this is still one of the best Star Trek films

I don’t remember how old I was the first time I watched it Galaxy Missionbut the memory stands out anyway. My father introduced this to me, no doubt because he thought my Harry Potter– obsessed me would be delighted to see Severus Snape in an alien prosthetic head. He was right, and to this day it remains one of my favorite films.

For good reason, too, as Dean Parisot’s sci-fi comedy is still a delight even 25 years after its debut. Following the brilliant premise of a television cast forced into an adventure straight out of their own show, Galaxy Mission becomes a love letter to fandom and the importance of storiesand which has its own cast of memorable characters. In some ways, it’s only become more relevant since it was first released in December 1999, and it’s no surprise that some consider it one of the best Star Trek films.

Galaxy Quest makes the most of a great premise

It’s funnier when it leans into the absurdity of the setup

The show in the universe Galaxy Mission is essentially Star Trekand writers David Howard and Robert Gordan poke fun at its most familiar tropes, from the odd crewman who keeps dying to the roguish captain who somehow loses his shirt in battle. When the film begins, the series has been off the air for several years. The cast goes to conventions in costume instead of doing other work. They each respond to this differently, but no one likes it more than Jason Nesmith (Tim Allen), who played Kirk-esque Captain Peter Quincy Taggart and whose inflated ego only grows with each fan interaction.

At one of these conventions, Jason is approached by real aliens known as Thermians, seeking help from the heroic crew found on Galaxy Missionthat they see as “historical documents.” What at first appears to be more praise from wide-eyed fans turns out to be a real cry for help, and it’s not long before the entire cast is in space and forced to take on the same roles they’ve already played. There’s an inherent sense of humor in the premiseand Galaxy Mission make the most of it.

The best and funniest moments come from the actors fumbling through the actions at which their characters would have excelled. Tommy Webber (Daryl Mitchell), whose character Laredo expertly piloted the spaceship, almost crashes the first time he gets into the driver’s seat. Fred Kwan (Tony Shalhoub, whose character seems ripe for commentary about money laundering that never comes to fruition), normally the ship’s brilliant technical sergeant, cringes at the thought of using a key piece of technology. Galaxy Mission revel in these moments and executes them brilliantly, thanks to the cast’s sharp writing and perfect comedic timing.

The Galaxy Quest cast is perfect

Everyone’s role is needed

Parisot has assembled a fantastic group of actors, many of whom adopt archetypes that hew closely to real life or characters they have previously inhabited. For example, Sigourney Weaver gets the chance to play a science fiction hero who is very different from ForeignerIt’s Ripley, but he’s still very sweet. Allen brings some of Buzz Lightyear’s commanding voice to Jason’s performance as Captain Taggart, though his usual comedic sensibilities are never forgotten.

I’ve been thinking for a long time that the real MVP of the Galaxy Mission The cast is Sam Rockwell as Guy, a forgotten background actor who jumps at the chance to be part of the show, only to later remember that he has a tendency to play crew members who die. The eventual Oscar winner has some of the best line deliveries (“Is there air?! You don’t know!”) and proves to be much more memorable than Guy’s on-screen persona.

I would also be remiss if I didn’t make a special mention of Alan Rickman; he will always be best remembered for his villainous and darker characters, but as the bitter Shakespearean actor Alexander Dane, he lets his dry humor loose to brilliant effect.

The most powerful part of Galaxy Quest

…it’s only become more timely

Thanks to the rise of online fan culture, Galaxy Mission it has only become more timely. Before, the idea of ​​a passionate fan base prone to dressing up and writing fanfiction would be exclusively linked to so-called nerd stories, as well Galaxy Mission. Now, however, everything from Game of Thrones to 9-1-1 can spark a thriving online fandom, which is why it’s still so refreshing to watch this film 25 years later.

Galaxy MissionIt’s brand of fandom is perhaps a little outdated – I doubt Taggart and Tawny Madison are the main ship when Taggart and Doctor Lazarus are there – but it remains a beautiful ode to the importance of stories.

No scene shows this better than the moment Rickman’s Alexander utters his most memorable (and most hated) line. Galaxy Mission line to calm Quelleck (Patrick Breen), the Thermian who idolized his character. A character like Alexander, who seemed openly sickened by the idea of ​​uttering the phrase earlier, seeing the impact his character had takes the film from a silly comedy to a sincere examination of storytelling.

At a time when the real world becomes scarier by the day, stories can be our escape and our reminder that unity and joy can be stronger than apathy. At the beginning of the film, the Galaxy Mission The cast is sidelined due to their varying feelings about the show, but in the end, they saw strength in the storytelling, their characters, and sticking together. That’s a message that will always be relevant, and it’s one of the reasons I’m grateful Galaxy Mission exists.