Connect with us

Create

‘Galaxy Quest’ documentary will screen locally Nov. 26

Bill DeYoung

Published

on

The senior crew of "Galaxy Quest": Alan Rickman, left, Sigourney Weaver and Tim Allen. DreamWorks.

By Grabthar’s Hammer, Galaxy Quest will live on!

This year marks the 20th anniversary of what Star Trek fans ranked the 7th best film in that epic sci-fi series. The crew of the starship NSEA Protector races to save an alien race, the squid-like Thermians, from certain annihilation by an evil inter-galactic foe.

Galaxy Quest, however, is not a Star Trek movie. It is a comedy, an alternate universe in which the intrepid crew members are merely actors from a long-cancelled TV series, called into action by real aliens who believe their TV reruns to be “historical transmissions.”

The Protector has been re-created bolt-by-bolt by the aliens, using information gleaned from the broadcasts.

The actors, who have settled into a thankless routine of reprising their characters at store openings and fan conventions, can’t convince the Thermians that they aren’t real space adventurers. They don’t understand the science, or the mechanics, or anything about the job that’s laid out before them. In fact, they don’t even like each other much.

In the end, earthbound fans of the old Galaxy Quest series help save the day.

“Fandom is powered by fans who deeply care about the movies, shows, and games they love,” says Michael Chiang of Fandom, which has co-produced (with Screen Junkies) Never Surrender, a new documentary about the legacy of Galaxy Quest. “Galaxy Quest was the first film that put fans at the center of the action and really foretold the era we’re in now, where fans are the most powerful force in entertainment.”

Never Surrender is being shown in theaters, nationally, at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 26. In Pinellas County, it’ll screen at the Regal Park Place 16; Hillsborough theaters are Regal Citrus Park 20 (Tampa), Riverview 14 (Gibsonton) and AMC Woodlands Square 20 (Oldsmar).

Star Trek veteran George Takei was asked his thoughts on Galaxy Quest:

“I think it’s a chillingly realistic documentary,” he laughed. “The details in it, I recognized every one of them. It is a powerful piece of documentary filmmaking … I was rolling in the aisles. And Tim Allen had that Shatner-esque swagger down pat. And I roared when the shirt came off, and Sigourney rolls her eyes and says, ‘There goes that shirt again.’ … How often did we hear that on the set?”

The parallels to Star Trek are intentional and many, from Tim Allen’s preening captain, to the brilliant onboard alien played with deadpan panache by Alan Rickman, wearing enormous rubber ears, to the crew member known only as “Guy” who knows that, since he isn’t a full-time character, he’ll be the first to die when they beam down into some dicey situation. He’s played by Sam Rockwell, who would go on to win an Oscar for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.

Sigourney Weaver (echoes of Alien) stars as the crew’s token, buxom female. Emmy winner Tony Shaloub runs the engine room, and Rainn Wilson made his film debut here as one of the goofy but warm-hearted Thermians.

Justin Long – also in his first-ever movie – is the teenage fan whose knowledge of the (totally made-up) technology aids Allen and his crew in their time of need.

In the end, Galaxy Quest is a salute to those who believe whole-heartedly in the storytelling wallop of science fiction.

Never Surrender includes interviews with the filmmakers, the surviving actors and real fans (of both Star Trek and Galaxy Quest). Says Star Trek: The Next Generation star Brent Spiner in the Never Surrender trailer:

“What I mainly felt watching the film – and I felt it all the way through – was ‘Why didn’t we do this? We would’ve had such a big hit.’”

Galaxy Quest was indeed a box office hit, and has gone on to be a cult favorite. Talk of a sequel dissipated with Alan Rickman’s death in 2016, but fans – yes, there are lots and lots of them – still hold out hope for some sort of revival. As Allen’s character is fond of saying when the going gets tough: “Never give up … never surrender!”

 

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

By posting a comment, I have read, understand and agree to the Posting Guidelines.

The St. Pete Catalyst

The Catalyst honors its name by aggregating & curating the sparks that propel the St Pete engine.  It is a modern news platform, powered by community sourced content and augmented with directed coverage.  Bring your news, your perspective and your spark to the St Pete Catalyst and take your seat at the table.

Email us: spark@stpetecatalyst.com

Subscribe for Free

Share with friend

Enter the details of the person you want to share this article with.