If there’s a trend to be had in Hollywood, or a franchise that strikes gold, you can make a fair wager that someone will try to spoof it. But did I say spoof? One of the surprising aspects of Galaxy Quest — celebrating its tenth anniversary, and loaded with goodies on a new DVD release on May 12 — is that it begins as a spoof, but ends by paying homage to the fan community of a little space-bound franchise that always seems to live long and prosper.

Lifting its premise from much of the legend that surrounds Star Trek and its principal cast, the film tells the story of a canceled '80s sci-fi show and the cast that just can’t get out from under the shadows of their famous alter-egos, or their adoring fans.

Alexander Dane (a perfectly cast Alan Rickman) loathes his legacy and longs to return to the theatrical stage where someone might take him seriously. Gwen DeMarco (Sigourney Weaver) just wants to move beyond the role of the dopey blonde bombshell. Jason Nesmith (Tim Allen), however, who played the iconic role of Cmdr. Peter Quincy Taggart, enjoys the accolades, and works the sci-fi convention circuit with the cheer of a kid, and the overcooked ego of a blowhard.

A trip to the bathroom kills Nesmith’s buzz as he overhears some fans laughing it up about the joke that has become his life. A visit from a cheery band of aliens, however, gets him back on his feet. See, these aliens (called Thermians) believe the TV show was the real thing. A villain threatens to destroy all that’s left of their home, and they require the service, and bravery, of their beloved commander and his crew.

You can snap together the implied parallels inside the first three minutes. But what could have easily turned into a biting indictment morphs into appreciation. The crew reassembles to board the ship these innocent Thermians have constructed, and each rises to the occasion. They’ve even brought along their own expendable “red shirt.”

Article Author: Travis Johnson

Travis Johnson is a freelance writer in Colorado Springs, and spends most of his time writing magazine features or grant proposals. He mostly blogs about the movies, and is hard at work writing his first novel.

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