This often riotous comedy parodies the Star Trek franchise with an adept mix of acerbity and admiration, then sharpens the entire package with fast-paced action and well-executed special effects.

"It's all fake -- just like me. It's difficult to explain. On our planet, we pretend, to entertain, Mathesar. I am so sorry. God, I am so sorry." - Jason Nesmith (Tim Allen), television star

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	"Gwen 'Tawny' Demarco (Sigourney Weaver) plays the buxom Lieutenant Madison." Click to enlarge.
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	Galaxy Quest

Along the way, there's even a bit of an inspirational message about hidden personal potential and the possibility of self-redemption. Thankfully, this is handled with a light, none-too-earnest touch.

As the film opens, things look bleak for the crew of the NSEA Protector -- a bunch of has-been actors.

Their TV series, "Galaxy Quest", was cancelled 18 years ago, and they spend their time attending conventions, superstore openings and other tacky events. Their fans adore them, but their careers are adrift.

Even the egotistical Jason (Tim Allen), who starred on "Galaxy Quest" as the Protector's commanding officer, Commander Taggart, is discomfited once he overhears youthful fans mocking him.

The other actors are saddled with inane supporting roles. For instance, Gwen (Sigourney Weaver) played the buxom Lt. Madison, whose only apparent function was to stand around and repeat whatever the starship's computer says.

Particularly unhappy is Alexander (Alan Rickman), a once-Shakespearean actor who played the half-reptilian Dr. Lazarus and now must endlessly recite taglines like "By Grabthar's hammer, by the suns of Warvan, you shall be avenged."

Jason: "Alexander! You're my advisor. Advise me!"

Alexander: "Hmmm. Well, you have to figure out what it wants. What's its motivation?"

Jason: "It's a damn rock monster. It doesn't have motivation!"

Alexander:"That's your problem. You were never serious about the craft."
     

Mixing the streams

Enter the Thermians, friendly aliens who think "Galaxy Quest" is all real and whose leader, Mathesar (Enrico Colantoni), appeals for "Taggart's" help to stop the brutal green-skinned conqueror Sarris (Robin Sachs).

At first, Jason is equally deluded, thinking the extraterrestrials are just costumed fans, but soon the terrified actor is speeding through space in a body-sized envelope of protective glop.

And not long thereafter, he and the rest of the "crew" are struggling to operate a real version of the NSEA Protector in a sweeping interstellar conflict.

Doing so requires drawing upon their experience on the show, including its many cliches, and contacting faithful fans on Earth who have in-depth knowledge of "Galaxy Quest" technical specs. It also means Jason must fend off a credible-looking rock monster (while losing his shirt) and run with Gwen through an entirely contrived gauntlet of mechanical obstacles.

Solid second-order performances

And sooner or later, explaining the thespian profession to Thermians proves a challenge in itself.

"It's all fake -- just like me," says an anguished Jason. But is it? Perhaps embracing the roles they'd once viewed so ambivalently -- by Grabthar's hammer! -- will be the crew's best hope for countering the belligerent Sarris, not to mention reviving their own careers.

As for the real-life actors of Galaxy Quest, Allen is quite credible playing Jason as a prima donna, but somewhat less so in showing him learn the importance of the ensemble method. Weaver skillfully portrays an actress stuck in a thankless role, while Rickman's aristocratic inflections and pained expressions are excellent.

So is the laconic performance of Tony Shalhoub, who plays Fred who in turn plays Tech Sergeant Chen, the NSEA Protector's unflappable engineer.

Lucky for Fred, all is not enmity in outer space. Fred's growing relationship with the highly attractive Laliari (Missi Pyle), a Thermian woman, adds an interesting spark of interspecies romance; after all, our alien allies look quite different when they don't turn on their "image generators."