Galaxy Quest Blu-ray delivers great video and audio in this excellent Blu-ray release
The stars of a 1980s sci-fi show--now eking out a living through re-runs and sci-fi conventions--are beamed aboard an alien spacecraft. Believing the cast’s heroic on-screen dramas are historical documents of real-life adventures, the band of aliens turn to the cast members for help in their quest to overcome the oppressive regime in their solar system.
For more about Galaxy Quest and the Galaxy Quest Blu-ray release, see Galaxy Quest Blu-ray Review published by Martin Liebman on November 19, 2009 where this Blu-ray release scored 4.0 out of 5.
"Star Trek" is practically a
genre
unto itself. Though cemented firmly in the realm of Science Fiction, the show has created a
wonderfully diverse universe inhabited by almost countless races and dozens of primary
characters,
the result hundreds upon hundreds of hours worth of source material across several television
shows and almost a dozen feature-length films from which to cull a collection of the best material
suitable for implementation into a carefully-orchestrated, laugh-out-loud funny, and completely
spot-on parody of Gene Roddenberry's classic series and satire of the real-world people, places,
and
things that exist as a result of the series' enormous following. Suffice it to say, no garden-variety
parody would do for a series that has lived long and prospered for over 40 years, and David
Howard's Galaxy Quest screenplay positively nails the material. From the
wonderfully-crafted characters that
embody the best "Star Trek" has to offer to the implementation of rabid fans and conventions as
a crucial element to the plot, Galaxy Quest boldly embodies not only the world of "Trek"
but the
entire universe surrounding it in a film that's both parody and satire, each perfectly executed.
WWKD (What Would Kirk Do)?
The cast of the 1980s fictional Science Fiction television show "Galaxy Quest" -- Jason Nesmith
as
Commander Peter Quincy Taggart (Tim Allen, Wild Hogs);
Alexander
Dane as Dr. Lazarus (Alan Rickman, Die Hard); Gwen
DeMarco as Lieutenant Tawny Madison (Sigourney Weaver, Ghostbusters); Fred
Kwan as Tech Sergeant Chen (Tony Shalhoub, 1408); Tommy
Webber as Lieutenant Laredo (Daryl Mitchell, "Veronica's Closet"); and Guy Fleegman as an
expendable
crewman
(Sam Rockwell, Moon) -- are once
again reunited not on the bridge of the NSEA Protector but on the stage at another
convention, surrounded by adoring fans ("Questies" or "Questers"?) that take their "Galaxy
Quest" just a bit too seriously.
Unfortunately, the cast -- save for Nesmith -- is washed up, showing up just for the paycheck
and fed up with the fame the show has engendered in their lives. Soon enough, Nesmith meets
up with several oddball beings whom he mistakes for individuals wanting to hire him for another
gig. He soon discovers that they're not of this world; they're the last of a race known as
Thermians, and the evil Sarris (Robin Sachs) is out to eliminate the remainder of the species. As
a
desperate last-ditch effort to save themselves, the Thermians have created a full-sized working
replica of the
Protector based on the "historical documents" (television shows) depicting the heroics of
the ship and its intrepid crew. Soon enough, the entire primary cast of "Galaxy Quest" -- along
with a
random character that appeared and promptly died in a single episode -- find themselves aboard
the very real Protector, millions of miles from home, and facing off with a deadly and
experienced foe.
Simply put, Galaxy Quest gets it. It doesn't just understand its source material and the
world it has forged, it lives and breathes it, and the result is a pitch-perfect parody of the "Star
Trek"
universe and a hilarious satire of the real world fans that surround it. Galaxy Quest's
greatest asset, however, lies in its ability to so perfectly draw on various characters that have
appeared throughout the "Star Trek" universe and integrate them into the story. All that's
missing, really, is a chief medical officer, but otherwise, the film's take on Trek's best is spot-on
through and through. Commander Taggart is the easiest character to dissect; he's Captain
James T. Kirk through and through, and while the script creates the shell of the character, Actor
Tim Allen provides him his soul. Allen's performance is uncanny, perhaps the best of its kind. He
has William Shatner's mannerisms and speech patterns down to a science, and it seems almost
second nature; this is easily Allen's best role and finest performance. Dr. Lazarus is clearly the
Spock equivalent; the character is sufficiently different from Nimoy's and the Vulcan's way of
doing
things, but it's the closest parallel of the character, though an argument could be made that he
also incorporates a touch of the Klingon Lieutenant Worf if only through his catchphrase that
mentions an ancient's hammer and the quest for vengeance. Tawny Madison is best described as
a combination of the original series' communications officer Lieutenant Uhura and "The Next Generation's"
Counselor Deanna Troi as evidenced by the character's role as something of a communicator with
the ship's computer and tight-fitting outfit. Tech Officer Chen is the chief engineer, the
Scotty/Geordi/O'Brien/Torres/Tucker character that plays a crucial role but sometimes seems to
fade into the background while spewing random technical jargon meant not necessarily to
coincide with the way things do and may work on some future starship but instead to set up an
escape clause to allow the ship and crew to live another day. Laredo is clearly a take on "The
Next Generation's" boy wonder Wesley Crusher, though Galaxy Quest takes the
character a step further and makes him a pre-teen rather than a slightly older teenager (at least
at the time the fictional show originally aired). Finally,
the film's most engaging character is the random individual who epitomizes the Original Series'
infamous "Red Shirt" crewman who was nothing more than fodder to die on an away mission, a
character and actor living on 15 minutes of fame as embodied in an eternal television program
that's loved the world over. Even the film's villain, Sarris, recalls the Klingon General Chang from
Star Trek VI: The
Undiscovered Country while the Thermians, in name anyway, are almost analogous to
the most famous of Science Fiction instruments, the Theremin.
Aside from the obvious character parallels, Galaxy Quest's take on the entirety of the
"Star Trek" universe is uncanny, but it also does an outstanding job of creating its own universe
and back story that parallels "Star Trek" but never becomes "Star Trek." Galaxy Quest
certainly enjoys its own identity that stems from Gene Roddenberry's creation, but certain
aspects almost seem to pay homage to the series and its fans just as much as it parodies and
satirizes them. The film never forgets that it has its own story to tell, an original tale that even
"Star Trek" never fully realized in its various episodes that place the characters out of sync with
their own universe and/or time. Galaxy Quest paints its heroes as everyday people first
and foremost, and it's the film's ability to make them positively not who they play on
television that ultimately sells the story as they slowly but surely come to understand that only
embracing their make-believe counterparts and not simply mimicking then out of contractual
duty will save not only their
lives but those of their new Thermian friends. In between the laughs and the action, and in the
third act in particular, Galaxy Quest frames its story around several emotionally-charged
scenes that are extraordinarily effective in both meaning to the story and delivery by the actors.
Of course, it's fitting that fans of the show -- those that really make it all possible -- are painted
as heroes by film's end, and their dedication to "Galaxy Quest" not only saves the day but proves
that there's truly no such thing as a bad hobby or extreme fandom.
Galaxy Quest launches onto Blu-ray with a strong but visually dull 1080p, 2.35:1-framed
transfer. After a window-boxed introductory that's meant to recapture the small-screen feel of
the "Galaxy Quest" television show, the image opens up to a scope presentation for the
remainder of the film. The scenes inside the "Galaxy Quest" convention take on a slightly hazy
appearance, but subsequent material impresses a great deal more. Various shots that take place
before the action switches to outer space often take on a crisp, deep, colorful, and sharp
appearance that make for a solid, but not snazzy, image quality across the board. The bulk of the
film, however, takes place inside the Protector where smooth metallic surfaces and a
bland gray color scheme take away any opportunity for the film to visually impress. Combined
with the plain gray, purple, and maroon crew uniforms, Galaxy Quest makes for one of
the most visually uninteresting pictures in quite some time. Nevertheless, the transfer struts its
stuff when it has the chance; the green aliens, led by Sarris, appear wonderfully detailed and
textured; whether slime and sweat on their faces or various protrusions from both their clothing
and their bodies, the enemy aliens make for the film's most impressive collection of visuals. Black
levels are solid throughout, and flesh tones retain a neutral shade, save for the deliberately
ghastly pale Thermians. Rounded out by a slight layer of natural film grain that's retained over
the
image, Galaxy Quest represents another high quality transfer from DreamWorks.
Galaxy Quest warps onto Blu-ray with an engaging Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless
soundtrack. Though the track is disappointingly front-heavy during the opening convention
sequence, it doesn't take long for it to engage "warp speed" and evolve into a well-above-average
listen.
The track does well to mix powerful sound effects, fine directionality, and aggressive bass
throughout the outer space sequences; weapons fire penetrates the listening area, ships swoop
from front to back, and various explosions pack a hefty wallop. One of the film's signature scenes
-- the "chompers" that famously represent lazy writing that serves not to further the technical
realities of a fictional universe but instead create a situation for false but dramatic effect --
creates a sense of panic in the listening area as the thuds of each metallic collision seem to crush
the entire soundstage while the sounds of hydraulics are heard moving all about the listening
area. Additional and far more subtle effects -- the consistent hum of the Protector's
engines in the calmer scenes, for instance -- often do well to create a decent sense of
atmosphere throughout. David Newman's (The Spirit) excellent
score enjoys a fine clarity through the entire range, and dialogue reproduction never falters
throughout. Galaxy Quest doesn't feature the most robust or crystal-clear soundtrack
out there, but it does make for a solid all-around listen.
Galaxy Quest beams up a nice collection of extras for this highly-anticipated Blu-ray
release.
Galactopedia is first, a feature that allows viewers to access information on various
aspects
of the film during playback. The "Galactopedia" was created by Michael and Denise Okuda of "Star Trek" fame.
Historical
Documents: The Story of 'Galaxy Quest' (480i, 18:13) features cast and crew speaking
about
the film's place in Science Fiction lore, the themes and tone of the film, the "Star Trek" and
science
fiction influences -- both in reality and in filmed entertainment -- that helped shape the film, the
differences between "parody" and "homage," and more. Never Give Up, Never Surrender:
The
Intrepid Crew of the NSEA 'Protector' (480i, 23:27) features extensive cast and crew
interview
segments that examine both the performances of the actors and the characters they portray.
By Grabthar's Hammer, What Amazing Effects (480i, 7:02) takes an all-too-brief look at
the making of the film's makeup, sets, and special effects. Alien School: Creating the
Thermian
Race (480i, 5:22) is another short piece that looks at the role of the Thermians and the
actors
that portrayed them. Next up is Actors in Space (480i, 6:09), a fun supplement that
looks at the performances of the cast and their portrayal of stereotypical actors identifiable for a
singular role in Galaxy Quest. Sigourney Weaver Raps (480i, 1:59) features
the actress performing a rap song with a couple of her Galaxy Quest co-stars. Also
included are a collection of eight deleted scenes (480i, varied runtimes), a Thermian language
audio track, and the film's theatrical trailer (1080p, 1:55).
Galaxy Quest is sheer perfection in its ability to both engender its own identity while at the
same time playing with the vast "Star Trek" universe -- both on-screen and in the real world -- in
its creation of the ultimate parody of the series and satire on the fans behind the obsession.
Painting the cast, the characters they play, and their most ardent fans as heroes, Galaxy
Quest betters the admittedly fun Trekkies by giving the fans their rightful due and
painting them as perhaps slightly off-kilter but nevertheless worthwhile in their pursuit of
knowledge in a world that exists only in media. As a Parody, they don't come any better, and the
effort is headlined by a remarkable performance by Tim Allen that captures the very essence of
"Star Trek" icon William Shatner to uncanny perfection. DreamWorks' Blu-ray release of this
gem sports a superb technical presentation and a decent collection of extras. By Grabthar's
hammer, Galaxy Quest comes highly recommended.
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