At this point, Star Trek‘s legacy is indisputable, and the best thing about Paramount’s recent takeover is the promise that the incoming administration sees Trek as a key IP. That should hopefully mean further investment and more Star Trek movies and TV shows that both embrace the future and pay homage to the franchise’s past. Because, crucially, for fans of Star Trek, there is an idea of what the franchise should be. Brave new worlds and intrepid travel are one thing, but Star Trek has to feel like Star Trek, and that’s the same thing that sets the best sci-fi inspired by Trek apart.
Over the years, we’ve seen great parodies and pastiches of Star Trek, from The Orville to Black Mirror, and the best balance is found in affectionate homage, rather than aggressive deconstruction. Ironically, of course, that issue is one lots of old school Trek fans have levelled at some so-called “Nu Trek” shows. But if you want to see a perfect example of how to capture that balance, look no further than the beautifully observed sci-fi that released 26 years ago on this day – on December 25, 1999 – and became an instant cult classic: the wonderful Galaxy Quest.
Galaxy Quest Was So Great That Star Trek Actors Loved It Too
The true skill of Galaxy Quest is that it’s both an intricately observed Star Trek love letter, and an entirely accessible, wonderfully entertaining experience for even those least familiar with Trek lore. Tim Allen brings dialed up version of Shatner’s everyman charm as Jason Nesmith/Commander Peter Quincy, and the high-concept fish-out-of-water story is compelling in a very simple way. It never gets overshadowed by knowing winks to the camera, or impenetrable jargon. There’s also enough mischief in the pastiche that rewards Trekkies warmly.
Like The Orville later, Galaxy Quest knows that Star Trek was built on a lexicon of clichés and tropes – but the affection here is earnest, and it makes finding the comedy all the more successful. The “red shirts always die” homage is particularly successful, thanks to Sam Rockwell’s delightfully anxious performance. And of course, alongside him, Alan Rickman is perfectly cast as the aloof alien senior officer, and Sigourney Weaver is great as the complete antithesis of her sci-fi icon Ellen Ripley.
As a final validation of the movie’s Trek love, some key cast members from Star Trek: The Original Series and The Next Generation reflected their own appreciation for Galaxy Quest. In 2001, William Shatner mischievously gave StarTrek.com his assessment:
“I thought it was very funny, and I thought the audience that they portrayed was totally real, but the actors that they were pretending to be were totally unrecognizable. Certainly I don’t know what Tim Allen was doing. He seemed to be the head of a group of actors and for the life of me I was trying to understand who he was imitating.”
Similarly, George Takei’s take was playful: “I think it’s a chillingly realistic documentary. The details in it, I recognized every one of them. It is a powerful piece of documentary filmmaking. And I do believe that when we get kidnapped by aliens, it’s going to be the genuine, true ‘Star Trek’ fans who will save the day. … I was rolling in the aisles. And Tim Allen had that Shatner-esque swagger down pat.”
On the recommendation of Jonathan Frakes, Sir Patrick Stewart saw it and showered it with praise (via BBC archive): “No one laughed louder or longer in the cinema than I did, but the idea that the ship was saved — and all of our heroes in that movie were saved — simply by the fact that there were fans who did understand the scientific principles on which the ship worked was absolutely wonderful. And it was both funny and also touching in that it paid tribute to the dedication of these fans.”
Wil Wheaton also saw the film’s reflection of fandom as well-observed: “I loved Galaxy Quest. I thought it was brilliant satire, not only of Trek, but of fandom in general. The only thing I wish they had done was cast me in it, and have me play a freaky fanboy who keeps screaming at the actor who played ‘the kid’ about how awful it was that there was a kid on the spaceship. Alas. When I saw Galaxy Quest, I remembered how much fun I used to have at conventions, and I missed it. I missed the interaction with the fans.”
Galaxy Quest is currently not available to stream on a major platform, but can be streamed on AMC+ and MGM+.
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