Twenty years ago, a sci-fi show called GalaxyQuest aired and was embraced by generations of nerds, spawning a yearly convention. But it was just a job for the core cast of actors who have felt constrained by their roles ever since, with the glaring exception of Jason Nesmith (Tim Allen), the fictional ship's commander, who achieved a true stardom outside of the ensemble. When Jason is approached by the Thermians, a cuddly yet awkward group of aliens, he thinks it's just another moonlighting gig, unaware that they have modeled their entire culture on the stray transmissions of the show beamed into space. Jason and the crew of actors must lead the Thermians through a very real confrontation with a hostile despot (Robin Sachs), leaning way outside of their comfort zone.
As a send-up of Star Trek, it is pitch-perfect. If you had never heard of Star Trek and just watched it straight, it's still perfect. It works as a love letter, a critique, and a standalone. There are very, very few movies I consider faultless but this is one of them. Perfect cast (yes, even Tim Allen), perfect story, perfect amounts of humor and emotion. Everyone involved Got It but especially Tony Shaloub and Sam Rockwell. They are amazing. Infinite re-watchability.
It's currently streaming on (sigh) Max, but you should buy a copy because God only knows what's going to happen to that site in the near future.
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