Imagine a group of aliens, with no sense of irony, receiving TV signals from earth. They stumble across a Star Trek like 60’s TV soap opera, and believe it to be a historical document. So, when their culture is in danger, guess who is their only hope? Since Galaxy Quest (the fictitious TV series) came off the air, the crew of the starship Protector have been struggling for work, appearing at Sci-Fi conventions, and generally bitching about the fame of their commander. After one such convention, four (superbly alien) Thermians appear, and ask for the crew’s help. They’re transported off to a an actual starship, based on the TV set, and the adventure begins.
This is a cracking film that lampoons Trek and Trekkers (hopefully) without upsetting them, employs some impressive effects, and, for me, was a ’’must-buy’’ after seeing it at the cinema last year. Tim Allen, as the Commander is superb, and his Kirk-like antics with implausible monsters, ripped shirt battles on earth-like planets, and seduction of space nymphs are true to the 60’s Trek era. The science officer, chief engineer, and the extra (who’s claim to fame was being killed on an alien planet at the start of an episode) also demonstrate the Trek parallels. Sigorney Weaver, who plays the communications office, brings the female interest into the story. I found an amusing quote from her regarding the making of the film - Apparently, after donning a blonde wig, her IQ dropped several points! The DVD contains around 10 minutes of deleted scenes, which go some way to explaining why Gwen’s bra becomes exposed mid-scene and how the berillium sphere works.
The disc also contains the theatrical trailers and some brief biography stuff. Not the most feature-packed of DVDs around, although the menu is quite slick. I was hoping for some more material, such as the out-takes, which must have been hilarious, but the brief making-of was worth a watch, and some of the effects work so much better on a widescreen DVD than on VHS. Picture and sound quality as as impressive as you’d expect from a high-quality, polished DVD. Whether you’re a fan of the Kirk & Spock Trek era, have an interest in cult Sci-Fi, find Trekkers a bunch of saddos, or are looking for something different to rent, give this a try!