Trek-fest of Champions

The wonderful premise behind "Galaxy Quest" is that the fictitious TV series of the same name (which is a dead ringer for "Star Trek" except that it was broadcast in the mid-70s instead of the mid-60s) has been intercepted by an alien race and interpreted as "historical documents". This startlingly impressionable species then models itself after the episodes, which they take as gospel. When trouble arrives in the form of a green scaly monster named Sirus, they turn to the cast of the series who are in the present day stuck back on Earth making guest appearances at "Quest" conventions.

There is such a plethora of "Star Trek" lore to parody that it's hard to imagine how writers David Howard and Robert Gordon knew where to begin. Somehow, however, they have managed to take all the best elements of that defining sci-fi series and lovingly spoof it in a way that is enjoyable for both hard-core fans as well as those who don't know a tricorder from a dilithium crystal.

Director Dean Parisot keeps the action and comedy coming at warp speed, hurtling plot holes that are as funny as the film itself. The most blatant being the fact that all the fictional devices in the series (the "birylium sphere", the "omega 13 device") really do exist and function as shown in the series!

Heading off the uniformly hysterical ensemble cast is Tim Allen, fitting perfectly into the role of the Captain James T. Kirk-clone, Commander Peter Q. Taggart. In a beautiful sci-fi in-joke, Sigourney Weaver plays Lt. Tawny Madison, an actress who resents the fact that she was essentially window-dressing the original series - this coming from the mother of all "Alien" conquerors. Alan Rickman's dry wit and Tony Shalhoub's Bob Newhart-esque gift for the stutter round out the crew of the NSEA Protector as they begrudgingly accept "the roles of a lifetime" and do battle with Sirus.

Here is that rare film parody that Mel Brooks used to have a monopoly on, which both loves and understands its subject and its fans. And with fans like this, it wouldn't be at all surprising if "Galaxy Quest", the movie, develops a much deserved cult following all its own.