Galaxy Quest: Deluxe Edition

Movie Grade: B

DVD Features Grade: A

Overall Grade: A-

It is odd now that I am twenty and all of the movies I remember seeing in the theater as a kid are coming up on their ten year anniversary or already passed it. Being ten when Galaxy Quest came out, I was in this one's target audience and remember loving it. Now Galaxy Quest is back and better than every, or as I like to call it, "pretty much the same." We get some more special features and it has been re-mastered. All you get in a re-mastered movie is updated version of something that will change only slightly and be out of date within two years anyway. This is also an obvious attempt to cash in on the new Star Trek reboot.

It has been about eighteen years since the Galaxy Quest tv show was canceled and the cast has seen better days. They have been reduced to conventions and store openings which are not favored by the group. The only exception being the show's lead Jason Nesmith (Tim Allen) who relishes in the glory of his cult following. After being put down by two critical teens at a convention Nesmith seems to have lost his enthusiasm. This all turns around when a group of aliens called Thermians led by Mathesar (Enrico Colantoni) mistake Nesmith for his on screen character Captain Peter Quincy Taggart. The Thermians need who they think is Taggart and his crew's help to defeat the evil Sarris (Robin Sachs) and save the remainder of their species.

Galaxy Quest might not be as captivating to someone in their twenties, but it is much cleverer. The entire film is a light-hearted mockery on Star Trek which could easily be lost on younger viewers who are less familiar with that series. Even down to the title, Galaxy Quest denotes the same thing as Star Trek. The many Star Trek fanatics out there will definitely appreciate the playful teasing of their beloved franchise. Things like Guy Fleegman (Sam Rockwell) who played an extra on the show was constantly afraid of dying because of his characters lack of importance was a nice touch, along with the excursion to a nearby planet where they find goblin-type aliens and Nesmith fights a rock monster. It very graciously poked fun at the camp value of the Star Trek clichés.

The special features are abundant and well executed with attention given to every aspect of the film. There are actually too many for specifics on them but here is a rundown of what they all cover. Historical Documents covers the creation of the idea for the film as a whole. Never Give Up, Never Surrender goes over what the characters were based on, and how the actors all felt about there parts and the film itself. Alien School is a seemingly

useless feature because it could have been compacted into Never Give Up, Never Surrender. The difference being that this feature goes over the creation of the Thermian race, which doesn't seem very complicated. They are just the ordinary humanoid aliens that show up in numerous sci-fi films.

Actors in Space tackles the touchy subject of the typecasting of the actors of both the original Star Trek as well as the actors participating in the film. It also has the least clever title on the DVD, but that is somewhat irrelevant. What is relevant is that it was the second worst feature on the DVD since the amount of screen time Justin Long received being that he is one of my least favorite actors in Hollywood. The first place spot in the worst feature race goes to Sigourney Weaver Raps. It is an incredibly upsetting feature because it is exactly what it sounds like. I can't even think of something witty to say about it. None of the Deleted Scenes were crucial to the storyline, but fans of the movie will find them enjoyable with the same amount of cheeky fun as the rest of the film.

Watching Galaxy Quest as an adult had its upsides, but didn't come close to the enjoyment it gives as a child. The film flaws seem debatable because its cheesiness could be intentional and some find it to be even more of homage to Star Trek and the entire sci-fi genre. It will obviously be a good choice for the kids, and any Trekker would be crazy to not get a kick out of all the references to not only the show and the actors, but the culture of Star Trek fanatics as a whole. The effects do look a little better, but it isn't something to buy another copy of the DVD if you already own it. If you are a die hard fan, the special features just might serve that purpose.

Movie Grade: B

DVD Features Grade: A

Overall Grade: A-