Excellent retrospective of a great movie. I remember seeing this at Easter in the U.K. (in the year 2000)….I had a huge smile from start to finish. Thanks for a well researched piece. In a way “The Orville” is kind of a spiritual successor to Galaxy Quest, and even though it is now in it’s third and probably final season, and has pretty much dropped all of the humour that was the usp of the first season, there are many similarities and I love it too. (It’s certainly better than any current official Star Trek tv series)
@@jimd385/videos "probably final season" - Source? I don't think such a successful series is going anywhere. Also, they have not dropped the humor. Its still a fun series to watch, but they also tackle serious issues of our times too.
At the beginning of the movie I was thinking about how annoying the aliens were. At the end of the movie I was thinking about how I would die defending the Thermians.
I remember when seeing the promos for this film and saw the Thermians thinking oh look, they omitted the pointed ears of the Vulcan spoofs in this Star Trek spoof. How I underestimated what I was about to see.
Galaxy Quest could have been a mean-spirited jab at the Star Trek fandom, but instead was clearly a love letter. I think that's why it really reached the level of cult classic and still remains so heartfelt today. On one hand, I'm sad that it didn't get the instant fame that it deserved. A film like this should have been a massive critical, audience and financial hit. But on the other hand, I think that saved the film from being watered down by sequels that, honestly, probably wouldn't have had any more to say than the original did. Instead, Galaxy Quest got to stand alone as simply a great movie, with so much heart and loved poured into it by everybody involved.
Exactly. Patrick Stewart assumed it was mocking Trek; instead it was laughing along. Galaxy Quest is one of my favorite movies of all time. Fantastic script, fantastic film.
No one else could have nailed the over-the-top campy overacting of the original series scene, the bitterest sarcasm of the forced mall opening scene, AND the heartfelt pathos of the death scene WITH THE SAME LINE. Each absolutely works. That character is believable. Blows me away every single damn time. It could have been a total farce of a movie, yet it had this genuine emotional core. Provided by Rickman's absolute mastery of the craft.
The one scene i will always remember from Galaxy Quest is the scene where Tim Allen and Sigourney Weaver are trying to disable the automatic destruction sequence by pushing a blue button but the sequence doesn't stop. Just when they accept their fate and hug each other the countdown stops at 1 second because - "It always stops at 1 on the show." So of course the Thermians built it like that. Just thinking about it has me laughing again.
Love this too, as well as when he is hung over and looking for his shoes and he asks them to help them find it and they start looking at the ceiling. So many wonderful examples of great comedy in this movie.
One of my favorite lines was on the alien planet when Tawny Madison said, "Let's get out of here before one of those things kills Guy". I roll everytime I hear it.
I love Shalhoub's line after the rock creature and aliens were dumped out oft the ship. "I noticed that door was sticking a little, I'll get one of my guys up to fix it".
In my office, we have daily arguments about which is better, Wars, Trek, Babylon 5, Alien, 40K... But there's one thing all of us will always, always agree on, and that is that by Grabthar's Hammer, Galaxy Quest was amazing.
That scene where rickman gives the cheesy line in such a heartfelt and serious tone to his dying friend is simply one of the best moments in my cinema viewing experience. I don't get emotional about movies, but that scene really gets me.
I remember thinking about how the movie was poking massive amounts of fun at Star Trek fandom, and then the movie pulls the rug out from under us all and made it all real. Then I realized how incredibly brilliant the writing (not to mention the acting, vfx, etc.) was. Honestly, the best movie ever.
“Could you try not to hit - EVERY! SINGLE! ONE???!!!” My favorite line delivery of any movie. The kind that you can’t really script and is entirely dependent on the actor to present.
I personally used that exact line and delivery when I let my girlfriend drive us through the Aruban Back 40 on a side-by-side quad... she was going like a bat outta Hell, and seemed to hit every frigging rock somehow; much to the chagrin of my aching gonads...
So many great lines in it including that one. I grew up on TOS reruns when it was the only Trek game in town, so mine is Rickman saying "I see you managed to get your shirt off again". Genius.
I'm pretty sure that Shatner's quote was self-deprecating humor, not the incredible lack of self-reflection it may have appeared to be. I can hear it the tone he uses when he's making a joke. I can't hear it as him in his serious voice.
It’s impossible he’d have so little self awareness. Given what we know of his humor over the decades, it is impossible to take that quote as anything but a very funny joke.
If you want to see funny little movie, check out 'Free Enterprise'. Shatner is hilarious, especially when he performs a rap number ( No Tears For Caesar ) at the end. The story is good with loads of references to sci-fi movies, tv shows, etc. Definitely worth a watch.
Honestly I'm glad the movie was "censored" down to a PG rating. I was 7 years old when it came out, and a huge Star Trek fan as my dad was basically raising me on it. There's no way my mom would have let me watch an R rated movie at that point, but with a PG rating I got to watch it on repeat basically, growing up loving it just as much as I loved anything Star Trek. And I do really think it works as a charming family-friendly comedy. That said, now that I'm grown up, I certainly wouldn't mind seeing an R rated cut of the movie.
Would it have been such a disaster to your young 7 year old mind to hear Sigourney Weaver say "Well, fuck that!" when faced with a room inexplicably full of chompers? 🤔
I feel the same way. While it would have been interesting to see an R rated version of this film, it works so well as a PG movie. I also think it makes Galaxy Quest feel more like Star Trek since they're in a similar audience rating (at least with the Star Trek at the time).
I think that one f bomb at the chompers would have been perfect. Then again, I think that bleeps can be funnier than the actual words being censored sometimes.
@@a.noriega-gonzalez6801 what sbut spacebalks or fsnboys fsnboys is kind like this movi with it satircrl take on fandom culture and how it both affects and grows a frsnchise over time to even desires
8:51 - inspiration for the Thermian personality coming from "the creepily friendly demeanour of Jehovah's witnesses" 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 As someone who raised as a JW, that was hilariously ON POINT! I'll never be able to unsee that now whenever I re-watch GQ.
I was once told that Fundamentalist Christians are often the nicest people you can ever meet…. But they are always incredibly smug about it, it’s like they know something that the rest of us don’t 🤔
I remember back in 2007,when I was living in Copperas Cove,Tx,Jehovah's witnesses would come knock on the door early Saturday mornings and I wouldn't answer the door. LOL.Really didn't want to be bothered.
its a complete film. i’ve revisited the scene where alan rickman’s character indulges the fantasy of the dying theriam alien…as he held him in his arms…and even though the film is a comedy its one of the most moving and compassionate scenes…the acting was so beautiful for that moment and has brought me to tears…
i dont know if people give Tim Allen enough credit for his role in this film, he really did a fantastic job. its pretty much impossible for me to imagine baldwin in that role
I agree 100%. The only other actor that could possibly have worked was Kevin Kline in my opinion. But it's hard to imagine the movie being as good as it is without Tim Allen and what he brings to the film. He nailed it.
So many great moments in this movie. A perfect balance with the comedy. The funniest moment is the launching of the ship. One of the most heart-breaking moments in all of cinema is Nesmith explaining Mathazar that the show wasn't real. That truth was worse than any form of torture, amazing writing and acting. And Rickman / Dane delivering the Grabthar's Hammer line to the dying Quellick, a line that till then had been delivered cheesily or with distain. But in the moment he delivered it from the heart. Sachs / Sarris had presence and that made the heroes feel so much stronger when they overcame him. As much love as this film gets, it deserves more.
I got emotional watching this. I have such fond memories of the film, which perfectly portrays how ordinary people (one might even say broken people) can rise to the occasion when faced with extraordinary circumstances. I also love that you included commentary from various Star Trek actors. I, too, with Wil Wheaton had gotten to play the part he wished he had played. It would have been a glorious addition to the film! I'll be sharing this link on Twitter (when you release it publicly). Perhaps Frakes and the rest will see the great job you've done!
I know what you mean, but I think it would've been too on the nose, even for a movie that's obviously a tribute and parody of Star Trek (and other sci-fi).
My friends and I went to see Galaxy Quest during its first release, while we were attending an SF convention...certainly *that* audience thoroughly appreciated it! The casting, the music, every comedy and emotional beat: just perfect. I'm a little surprised you didn't have my absolute favorite moment: "You WILL go out there." "I *won't* and nothing you can say will make me." "'The Show Must Go On.'" "Damn you."
The only thing wrong with this retrospective is that I wish it had been twice as long. I love this movie SO MUCH. I've been a Trek fan since the 80s when I was about 12, and Galaxy Quest is simply the perfect cherry on top.
The lens it shone on Con Culture was far ahead of its time. And the heart this film has is immeasurable. I can not watch this movie with out weeping at the Grabthar's Hammer line. What a great vid man, thank you so much.
"I loved it as a kid and my appreciation for it has only grown with age." Same, I remember catching the adverts for this on TV when I was nine then convincing my Dad to take me to see this in the cinema. One of the most fun times we've both had seeing a movie for the first time. A month later when my Mum imported a US DVD copy we ended up watching it three times in the first week because my Mum and step-dad wanted to keep encouraging more people to watch it. Also aside from the Star Trek cast praising Galaxy Quest it was also given a shout-out by the Babylon 5 cast in their DVD commentaries. Unsurprisingly they also thought it was brilliant.
One line that still chills me to this day is when Sariss forces Jason to explain to Mathezar about how Galaxy Quest was make believe, especially when he says "HE DOESN'T UNDERSTAND...EXPLAIN TO HIM...AS IT HE WERE A CHILD!" To me that brought back memories of my parents having to explain to me about how something like Santa Claus or the Tooth Fairy did not exist. Granted I didn't have the same reaction Mathezar had but I'm sure there were a lot of children who felt that way. It just shown the raw emotion that I will always remember from this amazing movie, and I'm half tempted to watch it again. If for anything, so I can also laugh out loud at Tony Shaloub's hilarious homage to Scotty. "Just FYI" gets me all the time.
We quote this movie so often! "I have *one* job on this lousy ship. It's stupid but I'm going to do it!" Or saying, "I really need an omega-13 right now." It's in my top 5 movies of all time. Just perfection.
Rickmans most iconic role personally is still in dogma, but this is too one of his top, he was a treasure. And cole the thermian, wow he really makes the movie.
@@JoelMurphy77 my favourite too. Through thetr are goodmovoeslike red state,and tusk, good horror Through tusk is weird. But oddlyenough good johnny depp And jay and silentbob strikes back i find funny.
This is an amazing film, still holds it's own now. I didn't know they almost changed the Thermians, they are such a brilliant species, as in "what if we don't do your classic humanoid alien for once, please?" Great video for a great movie.
And, just like the original Star Trek series, it got off to a slow start, but when it finally got the recognition it deserved it became a cult classic.
One of my favorite scenes ended up on the cutting room floor. Tony Shaloub solves an engineering problem by Socratic questioning. It was hysterical. Shaloub's character was a brilliant 'Anti-Scotty',
Great video! Galaxy Quest, Ghostbusters, and Tremors are some of the best written and successfully produced films ever. Not a wasted moment, no throwaway dialogue, setups and payoffs everywhere, set pieces that are both fun and that further the plot, and excellent casting. So good.
The moment Rickman does the 'Grabthar's hammer' speech with sincerity, always brings a tear. Its a superb conclusion to a very funny story arc. But Rickman was brilliant
In terms of the rock monster in this movie, it was like the animators at ILM decided to make use of the scraped rock monster concept for the finale of Star Trek 5: The Final Frontier. Only visualizing the rock monster with CGI instead of a clunky and barely functioning costume.
I think it needed Sigourney Weaver to highlight the role. She's played characters more than capable, we know she can do more shows how limited many female roles can be because we know she's the one that can do the most.
I'm surprised that they were reluctant to take on Alan Rickman for a comedy because "he's a serious actor". Haven't they heard of Police Squad and The Naked Gun?? They're hilarious cause Leslie Nielsen is so serious. And a straight man is a famous comedic troup.
I always remember when Leslie Nielsen was on Saturday Night Live, and in his monologue he said "I was kind of surprised they invited me here. I've never considered myself a comedian. I just acted serious while funny things were happening around me." And that's the key to why Alan Rickman was perfect in this: he never acted like he knew it was funny, and that's exactly what made it funny. But it also made the point where he transitioned from it being a role he was tired of being stuck in, to it being one he embraced, feel so sincere.
I remember when this came out and I remember deciding not to see this in the theater, as the marketing was so terrible. When I did finally see it, I was disappointed I missed the theater experience.
Always has been one of my favorite films. "I used to be an actor once dammit, now look at me!" Always makes me laugh no matter how many times I see it.
In Toy Story 1, Tim Allen's Buzz Lightyear is a spaceman who has a delusion that he is regular person, Mrs. Nesbith. In Galaxy Quest, he plays regular person, Mr Jason Nesbith, who goes to space and thinks it's a delusion.
That moment when the Protector first leaves the space dock and everyone nervously looks at the ship veering dangerously off course, while the crew is still trying to pretend everything is absolutely fine, that's just pure comedy gold.
Galaxy Quest is one of the movies that I can rewatch fully knowing that Im gonna cry my eyes out by the end. It has a beautiful energy. I tear up just THINKING about the ending at the con!
I'll watch any video that extols the virtues of Galaxy Quest. Absolutely one of my favorite films. I nearly teared up at 19:50, even with just the scene in isolation.
This movie is incredible. It somehow manages to be both a fun parody and a loving homage. It's just something yo DO NOT SEE done well. It's got so much heart. I wish there was another film or 3 in in this series but maybe it's for the best. Wonderful retrospective. It's so quotable too.
By Grabthar's hammer...thank you Alan and the rest of the cast and crew for such a wonderful movie. I've lost count how many times I have watched this.
I don't know how many times I'd watched the film before realizing that Rickman's Alexander was STILL wearing his costume skullcap at home in the scene where he is talking to Gwen on the phone. If he really hated the character, Alexander would have ripped it off as soon as he got home - if not in the car on the way home. So this showed that he, too, was perhaps living in his glory-days, as well. I don't know if it was written into the script that way, or a decision by Rickman, but it was well done. If a series or another film IS done, I really hope they do it right, with good writing, an actual story, and not just 'throw something on the screen and make a bit of cash'. Thank you for the documentary, Rowan. You brought back a lot of wonderful memories...as well having to deal with parents and other family for arriving "late" because we went to see a movie on Christmas day! LOL
This is a brilliant retrospective. You nailed it. This has all the heart and humor of the movie itself. I also completely agree about the fact that this movie doesn't need a sequel. It's perfect the way it is and they need to leave it alone
One of the greatest comedies of all time. A situation that is completely ludicrous. A stellar cast that plays it dead-pan seriously. Everything about it is hilarious from the hate-hate relationship between the team members to the behaviour of the Thermians. It's up there with Life of Brian, Night at the Opera, Three Musketeers (1973). 10+ in every way.
It is not a comedy. Watch it again and pay attention. It's a great historical document. Just like the one about those poor people stranded on an island, all because of the first mate. I'm surprised there was nothing about how dangerous it would be to travel with that oh what's his name. He crashed his plane in a river. Another time he was in a plane that crashed in the ocean and had a round friend called Willison. You know what's his name, can never remember since he always used a new name. Different want people to know it was him on the ship plane car or space craft. He almost blew up an Apollo craf.... wait he did.
@@francisdhomer5910 Oh, my mistake. Thank you for correcting me. I know who you mean. When he was a little kid he made a wish that turned him into a grown up, and later on he was nearly conned into jumping into a volcano so that Meg Ryan's dad could make a lot of money. Some people,eh?
Galaxy Quest is one of my favorite movies of all time, right up there with Aliens. It's one of the few times where a clear parody completely shot past its mark and was not only as good as the thing it was making fun of, it actually managed to be better in many ways. The music is fantastic, the jokes and references are hilarious, the action is very well directed and acted, and even the drama and more serious parts of the movie are perfectly done.
I adored this film sooo much when it came out. One of just a handful of films I will happily re-watch over and over. My whole family are huge Star Trek fans and we all loved it.
There are so many wonderful scenes in this brilliant film, but for me an oft-overlooked gem is when Tim Allen and Sigourney Weaver are trying to shut off the self-destruct. At the moment where they think that they have failed, they each turn to the other and in that one moment try to confess their feelings, yet are interrupted by the realization that they have in fact succeeded and saved themselves. Those were two adults confronting their wish to recapture a lost moment...it was touching.
What a wonderful, wonderful actor Alan Rickman was absolutely stole every film he appeared in. And can we just take a moment to appreciate Brent Spiner's spot on Patrick Stewart impression!
My dad, a huge Trekkie, was too cheap to take us to many movies at the theater. However, he heard the word of mouth about this one and took the whole family to the dollar theater to see it. I remember being unenthusiastic going in, but coming out laughing and smiling. Truly a gem
There are lots of retrospectives on this film, and most of them praise Alan Rickman--and with good reason--but this film would not be the film we all love if not for Miss Weaver. Her facial reactions (thanks to the director for catching them) and eyerolls, the smart way she delivers her lines--even the mundane lines like when she explained to Jason why she had not killed the intercom when he motioned for her to do that, is just perfection. Even, near the end when she has her boobs out, she (as an actress) understood that the basis of her character (in the old TV show) had been created based on old films like Mission Stardust and Barbarella where the lead actresses had used their sexuality to attract male audiences. Having Gwen expose her bra was a nod to the male fandom that--Gwen knew--had made the TV show a hit, and given her all those convention dollars.
EXCELLENT Rowan, as always , thank you so much... what a great pleasure!!!! No question my favourite Star Trek movie and one of my all time favourite comedies, up there with Monty Python!!
I had this on VHS and watched it damned near every day. I absolutely adored Galaxy Quest. It was hilarious, it was exciting, it was touching. Definitely the best of parts of Star Trek and the fandom wrapped up into one fantastic package.
Must go water the garden now it's cooling down, I'll just check my youtube subscriptions. Ohhhh a Rowan video. Ohhh no Galaxy Quest. Well, I guess the garden can wait for another half hour....
Totally worth postponing everything I was doing to watch, a loving retrospective for a film that itself is a loving look at it's genre and it's fans. I love this film and have since I first saw it. It's my go-to if ever toxic fandom and cynicism creeep into my enjoyment of genre media. It never fails to remind me just why I love these things, what's so great about so many people coming together to love it. It's some kind of magic with the casting, the script, just how well done the effects are that it never feels like it has a mean edge but always says 'we get why you love it, we love it too'.
i remember watching this in theaters after my Dad had it recommended to him by his co-worker who knew that he appreciated TNG and Tool Time. I was 13, and to be honest, I was expecting a mediocre space film. I left feeling fulfilled, and felt so many memorable emotions, that to this day I continue to re-watch it every year or so.
In my opinion, Galaxy Quest is easily one of the best Star Trek movies yet made! It is one of the best, and most loving spoofs ever made! Only The Orville holds a candle to Galaxy Quest as a perfect Star Trek spoof! (Note: The Orville is still in production, and it is REALLY hitting its stride in Season 3, which is currently releasing as I type this comment)
I love this movie so much. Thank you for this retrospective. My sisters and I still quote this movie randomly just for the fun of it. One of our favorite moments is the red thingy, green thingy scene. Never fails to make me laugh.
It's good timing this vid came out today as I just saw Thor: Love and Thunder. If only the writer and director of THAT had an ounce of the skill of the people who created Galaxy Quest. They know how to do comedy, drama and sadness and keep the heart of all three intact to make one of the finest movies I have ever seen. On the flip side Disney allowed Taiki Waititi to dial the comedy and parody up to 11 totally destroying Thor as a serious character and reducing the heart wrenching moments to sound bites :(
Kevin Kline would have been amazing!! The irony of him saying no due to making Wild Wild West! I think Will Smith may have turned down The Matrix for the same film. Ouch!
Just watched this film, I can safely say it's one of the best movies I've ever watched. From a technical standpoint it was good for its time, but the writing is what makes it shine.
This is a good homage to the film, including the video of the interviews of the cast from the fan documentary. The problem with the Fan Documentary, was whoever edited the final cut, decided that the backing music was to be more prominent than the interviews with the actors, meaning the audio of the actors talking was overwhelmed by the backing music. The people who made the documentary copped A LOT of flack over that. Hence why I know that this took a fair bit of footage from the documentary, the overpowering background music. The quote from George Takai might be wrong (or I am), but the several scenes referring to that, is actually spoken by Alan Rickman's character. After leaving the planet and taggart is left, Rickman looks out and shouts "It's always about you isn't it !". Then when they successfully beam him on board after the rock fight, it was Rickman's character that says "I see you managed to get your shirt off !"
I watch the documentary with subtitles, because it's impossible to hear the actors speak most of the time over that deafening background muzak. I wish they'd release a new cut with it removed, or at the very least toned way down.
I actually watched it when my router decided to die on Tuesday night. My daughter who is 7 absolutely loved it. It's held up superbly. Good video mate.
At the time this movie was released I downloaded everything I watched. I was so impressed with this movie and loved it so much I immediately went out and purchased the DVD. That says a LOT :)
0:32 - Just a tiny correction; David Geffen hadn't had anything much to do with film-making up until that point in time. He was, however, a "big animal" in the music industry; among others, having founded the Geffen Records. Every time I hear that name, I automatically first think of Kurt Cobain and Nirvana. Katzenberg had rather been a well-established executive in the film industry; having previously worked for a decade as a chairman of Walt Disney Studios, being responsible for bringing Disney from a brink of bankruptcy in the early 1980s to the company's so-called "Disney Renaissance", starting in the late '80s.
14:30 What's hilarious is that removing the intensity of the action or removing swearing improves the films ability to spiritually satirize how Star Trek felt because the show and the films were very adult oriented without the need for it to be intense on the action most of the time, or have a lot of swearing. This is also ironic in some regards because not long after this, especially if we look at Abrams's Star Trek, STD, and and ST: Picard; the *actual* direction of Star Trek went the route the actors in some of these interviews wanted to go (adding in swearing and more focus on a gluttony of action), and was worse off for it. Talk about one gamble paying off, and the other not working out.
Gonna watch it know. No doubt it'll be an EPIC retrospective as always! UPDATE: Yup! Epic! And so was the movie itself! Gonna watch it sometime soon. Been a while 😄
