GALAXY QUEST (1999) **1/2 The next Trekkie you see may save your life, and that of every other living entity in the universe. So show some respect. This is tremendous satire, and they couldn't have done it without the actors. The actors of the actors. They um, ….the thing is that you need a lot of them, to play the several different parts. Alan Rickman probably wins, as the Shakespearean with three feet in the gallows gutter of depression over his most successful role. The smilingly lovable and idiotic (good) aliens couldn't possibly have been better cast than Enrico Colantoni and Robin Sachs. Tony Shalhoub adds a transdimensional neo-Cheech & Chong element, which is clearly indispensable to any space flick. Signourney Weaver on Alien credibility and cleavage, which…well, after seeing all these bimbos pretending to be serious actors all these years, it's funny to see that the reverse strategy works even better. Tim Allen as William Shatner, you get the idea. And that goofy King of the Trekkies kid, so resplendent in his awkward inanity as to attain the totemhood of all that distinguishes a skin blemish from its milieu. He's the hero, dammit, that's how radical this is! Actually, if some celestial culture got ahold of this-and thought it really represented us -they might well get an idea that we're even a little better than we actually are. It's strange how often theatrical depictions leave us wishing that the real thing was half as good. Is it because actors are that much better than the rest of us, or because they're even better than most of us at being fake? Who cares?! Full speed ahead, never give up, never surrender!
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