7.7 | / 10 |
Users | 4.1 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.1 |
The stars of a 1980s sci-fi show--now eking out a living through re-runs and sci-fi conventions--are beamed aboard an alien spacecraft. Believing the cast’s heroic on-screen dramas are historical documents of real-life adventures, the band of aliens turn to the cast members for help in their quest to overcome the oppressive regime in their solar system.
Starring: Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Alan Rickman, Tony Shalhoub, Sam RockwellSci-Fi | 100% |
Comedy | 65% |
Adventure | 43% |
Action | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1, 1.85:1, 1.33:1
English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
Thermian: Dolby Digital 2.0
Thermian: Dolby Digital 2.0 @224 kbps
English, English SDH, French, Portuguese, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 5.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
We're actors, not astronauts.
"Star Trek" is practically a
genre
unto itself. Though cemented firmly in the realm of Science Fiction, the show has created a
wonderfully diverse universe inhabited by almost countless races and dozens of primary
characters,
the result hundreds upon hundreds of hours worth of source material across several television
shows and almost a dozen feature-length films from which to cull a collection of the best material
suitable for implementation into a carefully-orchestrated, laugh-out-loud funny, and completely
spot-on parody of Gene Roddenberry's classic series and satire of the real-world people, places,
and
things that exist as a result of the series' enormous following. Suffice it to say, no garden-variety
parody would do for a series that has lived long and prospered for over 40 years, and David
Howard's Galaxy Quest screenplay positively nails the material. From the
wonderfully-crafted characters that
embody the best "Star Trek" has to offer to the implementation of rabid fans and conventions as
a crucial element to the plot, Galaxy Quest boldly embodies not only the world of "Trek"
but the
entire universe surrounding it in a film that's both parody and satire, each perfectly executed.
WWKD (What Would Kirk Do)?
Galaxy Quest launches onto Blu-ray with a strong but visually dull 1080p, 2.35:1-framed transfer. After a window-boxed introductory that's meant to recapture the small-screen feel of the "Galaxy Quest" television show, the image opens up to a scope presentation for the remainder of the film. The scenes inside the "Galaxy Quest" convention take on a slightly hazy appearance, but subsequent material impresses a great deal more. Various shots that take place before the action switches to outer space often take on a crisp, deep, colorful, and sharp appearance that make for a solid, but not snazzy, image quality across the board. The bulk of the film, however, takes place inside the Protector where smooth metallic surfaces and a bland gray color scheme take away any opportunity for the film to visually impress. Combined with the plain gray, purple, and maroon crew uniforms, Galaxy Quest makes for one of the most visually uninteresting pictures in quite some time. Nevertheless, the transfer struts its stuff when it has the chance; the green aliens, led by Sarris, appear wonderfully detailed and textured; whether slime and sweat on their faces or various protrusions from both their clothing and their bodies, the enemy aliens make for the film's most impressive collection of visuals. Black levels are solid throughout, and flesh tones retain a neutral shade, save for the deliberately ghastly pale Thermians. Rounded out by a slight layer of natural film grain that's retained over the image, Galaxy Quest represents another high quality transfer from DreamWorks.
Galaxy Quest warps onto Blu-ray with an engaging Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack. Though the track is disappointingly front-heavy during the opening convention sequence, it doesn't take long for it to engage "warp speed" and evolve into a well-above-average listen. The track does well to mix powerful sound effects, fine directionality, and aggressive bass throughout the outer space sequences; weapons fire penetrates the listening area, ships swoop from front to back, and various explosions pack a hefty wallop. One of the film's signature scenes -- the "chompers" that famously represent lazy writing that serves not to further the technical realities of a fictional universe but instead create a situation for false but dramatic effect -- creates a sense of panic in the listening area as the thuds of each metallic collision seem to crush the entire soundstage while the sounds of hydraulics are heard moving all about the listening area. Additional and far more subtle effects -- the consistent hum of the Protector's engines in the calmer scenes, for instance -- often do well to create a decent sense of atmosphere throughout. David Newman's (The Spirit) excellent score enjoys a fine clarity through the entire range, and dialogue reproduction never falters throughout. Galaxy Quest doesn't feature the most robust or crystal-clear soundtrack out there, but it does make for a solid all-around listen.
Galaxy Quest beams up a nice collection of extras for this highly-anticipated Blu-ray release. Galactopedia is first, a feature that allows viewers to access information on various aspects of the film during playback. The "Galactopedia" was created by Michael and Denise Okuda of "Star Trek" fame. Historical Documents: The Story of 'Galaxy Quest' (480i, 18:13) features cast and crew speaking about the film's place in Science Fiction lore, the themes and tone of the film, the "Star Trek" and science fiction influences -- both in reality and in filmed entertainment -- that helped shape the film, the differences between "parody" and "homage," and more. Never Give Up, Never Surrender: The Intrepid Crew of the NSEA 'Protector' (480i, 23:27) features extensive cast and crew interview segments that examine both the performances of the actors and the characters they portray. By Grabthar's Hammer, What Amazing Effects (480i, 7:02) takes an all-too-brief look at the making of the film's makeup, sets, and special effects. Alien School: Creating the Thermian Race (480i, 5:22) is another short piece that looks at the role of the Thermians and the actors that portrayed them. Next up is Actors in Space (480i, 6:09), a fun supplement that looks at the performances of the cast and their portrayal of stereotypical actors identifiable for a singular role in Galaxy Quest. Sigourney Weaver Raps (480i, 1:59) features the actress performing a rap song with a couple of her Galaxy Quest co-stars. Also included are a collection of eight deleted scenes (480i, varied runtimes), a Thermian language audio track, and the film's theatrical trailer (1080p, 1:55).
Galaxy Quest is sheer perfection in its ability to both engender its own identity while at the same time playing with the vast "Star Trek" universe -- both on-screen and in the real world -- in its creation of the ultimate parody of the series and satire on the fans behind the obsession. Painting the cast, the characters they play, and their most ardent fans as heroes, Galaxy Quest betters the admittedly fun Trekkies by giving the fans their rightful due and painting them as perhaps slightly off-kilter but nevertheless worthwhile in their pursuit of knowledge in a world that exists only in media. As a Parody, they don't come any better, and the effort is headlined by a remarkable performance by Tim Allen that captures the very essence of "Star Trek" icon William Shatner to uncanny perfection. DreamWorks' Blu-ray release of this gem sports a superb technical presentation and a decent collection of extras. By Grabthar's hammer, Galaxy Quest comes highly recommended.
1999
1999
1999
1999
20th Anniversary Edition
1999
1999
20th Anniversary Never Give Up, Never Surrender Edition
1999
1999
1999
2005
1987
Unrated + Theatrical
2011
1986
1984
1980
1991
Anniversary Edition
1981
Budget Re-release
1987-1994
1966-1969
1982
1996
2020-2023
1998
1994
1989
2009-2011
The Remastered Collection
1978-1980
Iron Sky 2
2019
2009