Galaxy Quest [Blu-ray]
by Dean Parisot
![Galaxy Quest [Blu-ray]](/images/Galaxy-Quest-Blu-ray-B002MU4NL8-L.jpg)
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Blu-ray details
Actor: Alan Rickman, Sam Rockwell, Sigourney Weaver, Tim Allen, Tony ShalhoubDirector: Dean Parisot
Brand: Paramount
Cinematographer: Jerzy Zielinski
Composer: David Newman
Blu-ray: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); Portuguese (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); English (Original Language); Spanish (Dubbed)
Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 2.35:1
Running Time: 101 minutes
Blu-ray Release Date: 2009-11-17
Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Paramount
Blu-ray Reviews of Galaxy Quest [Blu-ray]
Blu-ray Review: **Blu-Ray Specific Review** A Lovely Film Gets a Decent Blu-Ray
Summary: 4 Stars
Disclosure: I am a Trekkie. Dyed-in-the-wool, through and through. So I approach this film from that perspective.
The movie:
"Galaxy Quest" does the impossible - it makes me enjoy something with Tim Allen in it. I place this movie in that rarefied category of "spoof movies that are equally entertaining as spoofs and as stand-alones." By this, I mean that you could never have watched an episode of Star Trek (shame on you!) and still enjoy this as a science fiction movie. Other films in this category include "Hot Fuzz" (Buddy Cop pics) and "Shaun of the Dead" (Zombie flicks). We are given a plot revolving around the cast of a Star Trek-like show, a few decades after their run on TV. They are stuck in a dreary cycle of conventions and appearances cashing in on their previous fame. Then, something strange happens: real aliens approach them, asking them for their help in an interstellar war.
What is especially surprising is how emotional this movie made me. I think its loving depiction of fan devotion, mixed with the somewhat sad portrayal of middle-aged actors who are bitter over typecasting, really hit home for me. The happy ending was made all the more affecting. I was pretty much ready to check my brain and critical eye at the door by the time this movie was finished, however formulaic the resolution might be, objectively speaking.
The cast is very good and the humor is dead-on target. Allen is perfectly cast as a self-important blowhard with an undercurrent of insecurity. Sigourney Weaver is also a standout, demonstrating fine comic timing. The alien characters are charming and quirky. The effects are also surprisingly good, equal to some of the later Star Trek films!
The Blu-Ray:
The 1080p image presented on this disc is a definite uprade from the SD DVD, but it isn't exactly a "beat you over the head" HD image. It shows a bit of softness and a bit of Digital Noise Reduction (DNR). The movie was filmed in 1999, and this does look better than some images of that vintage ("Dark City" springs to mind as a DNR'ed mess from about the same year). It's just not a spectacular transfer, at the quality level of, say, 1999's "Fight Club." That said, the faces do not have the waxy look of the worst DNR, and certain shots show nice detail, especially in cloth. The effects shots also look very nice. The print is pretty clean, too. It's just somewhat evident that there was no major restoration work.
The soundtrack is a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 channel mix that does a fine job. Dialogue is never overpowered, and some of the battles and explosions contain booming bass and rear channel surround information. Most of the track is pretty front-loaded, however.
Extras include about an hour and 15 minutes worth of documentary features. The most interesting are a feature on the ILM effects (which were pretty good), as well as features on casting, production, and the like. Unfortunately, all the features are in SD. Only the included movie trailer is in HD. 12 minutes of deleted scenes round out the extras.
Bottom line: This is great family-friendly entertainment. At the inexpensive Blu-Ray price, if you don't own it, and you love either Star Trek or Sci-Fi in general, you really can't go wrong. It would have been nice to have had a fancier set and a slightly better transfer, but even with its SD features, this is better than most bare-bones releases of "less successful" movies.
I see this as a "love letter" of sorts to both Trekkies and the Trek cast and crew. I enjoy watching this more than the new Trek movie, for what it's worth. If you haven't seen it, you really should!
Description of Galaxy Quest [Blu-ray]
For four years, the courageous crew of the NSEA protector - "Commander Peter Quincy Taggart" (Tim Allen), "Lt. Tawny Madison (Sigourney Weaver) and "Dr.Lazarus" (Alan Rickman) - set off on a thrilling and often dangerous mission in space...and then their series was cancelled! Now, twenty years later, aliens under attack have mistaken the Galaxy Quest television transmissions for "historical documents" and beam up the crew of has-been actors to save the universe. With no script, no director and no clue, the actors must turn in the performances of their lives.You don't have to be a Star Trek fan to enjoy Galaxy Quest, but it certainly helps. A knowingly affectionate tribute to Trek and any other science fiction TV series of the 1960s and beyond, this crowd-pleasing comedy offers in-jokes at warp speed, hitting the bull's-eye for anyone who knows that (1) the starship captain always removes his shirt to display his manly physique; (2) any crew member not in the regular cast is dead meat; and (3) the heroes always stop the doomsday clock with one second to spare. So it is with Commander Taggart (Tim Allen) and the stalwart crew of the NSEA Protector, whose intergalactic exploits on TV have now been reduced to a dreary cycle of fan conventions and promotional appearances. That's when the Thermians arrive, begging to be saved from Sarris, the reptilian villain who threatens to destroy their home planet.
Can actors rise to the challenge and play their roles for real? The Thermians are counting on it, having studied the "historical documents" of the Galaxy Quest TV show, and their hero worship (not to mention their taste for Monte Cristo sandwiches) is ultimately proven worthy, with the help of some Galaxy geeks on planet Earth. And while Galaxy Quest serves up great special effects and impressive Stan Winston creatures, director Dean Parisot (Home Fries) is never condescending, lending warm acceptance to this gentle send-up of sci-fi TV and the phenomenon of fandom. Best of all is the splendid cast, including Sigourney Weaver as buxom blonde Gwen DeMarco; Alan Rickman as frustrated thespian Alexander Dane; Tony Shalhoub as dimwit Fred Kwan; Daryl Mitchell as former child-star Tommy Webber; and Enrico Colantoni as Thermian leader Mathesar, whose sing-song voice is a comedic coup de grâce. --Jeff Shannon
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