Galaxy Quest - DTS (1999) Review

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(More customer reviews)In December of 1999, director Dean Parisot unleashed what is arguably the funniest sci-fi/comedy film of all time, "Galaxy Quest", which focuses upon the dissatisfied lives of five actors who had starred in a long-cancelled sci-fi television series of the same name. Jason Nesmith (Tim Allen) played ship's captain Commander Peter Quincey Taggart. Gwen DeMarco (Sigourney Weaver, who is no stranger to sci-fi with her roles in the "Alien" films) played Lt. Madison. Alexander Dane (Alan Rickman, also known for his roles as Hans Gruber in the 1988 film "Die Hard" and Professor Snape in the two "Harry Potter" films) played Dr. Lazarus. Fred Kwan (Tony Shalhoub) played ship's engineer Tech Sgt. Chen and Tommy Webber (Daryl Mitchell) played ship's pilot Laredo. Following the cancellation of the TV series, none of the actors had found descent acting jobs. Instead, they were relegated to appearing occasionally as their former "Galaxy Quest" characters at fan conventions and infrequent commercials. Especially frustrated is Alexander Dane, a trained Shakespearean actor who cannot escape the stigma of having said those immortal words, "By Grabthar's hammer, by the suns of Warvan, you shall be avenged!"
The film begins at a "Galaxy Quest" convention where the quintet is preparing to appear. Unbeknownst to them, not all of the conventioneers dressed as aliens are pretending. A group of uniformed "aliens" approach Jason (dressed as Commander Taggart) saying that they are in dire need of his assistance. Jason quickly agrees and assumes that the group is planning to pay him to appear as Commander Taggart at a fan-function. Following a night of drinking at his home, the "aliens" arrive in a limousine (per Jason's request) to escort him to their function. The "aliens", calling themselves Thermians, are Mathesar (Enrico Colantoni), Teb (Jed Rees) and Laliari (Missi Pyle). While en route to their function, Teb recites the lengthy history of Thermia to Jason, but Jason (who has a hangover) falls asleep. (Jason doesn't take the Thermians seriously; instead believing that they are simply "Galaxy Quest" fans.) Jason awakens to what he believes is a very elaborate set mimicking the NSEA Protector from the "Galaxy Quest" show. Mathesar (who always refers to Jason as Commander Taggart) tells him that the Thermians want him to negotiate a peace treaty with General Sarris (Robin Sachs). Instead, "Commander Taggart" orders the Thermians to fire upon Sarris' ship. Assuming that he has completed his performance, Jason tells Mathesar that he is ready to return home. Mathesar escorts him to an empty room and leaves. Jason, not understanding what is happening, is suddenly enveloped within a strange substance and raised to the ship's exterior where he sees millions of stars in deep space. He is suddenly shot from the ship, then finds himself standing next to his swimming pool at home. Jason finally realizes that the Thermians are real extraterrestrials, and that they mistakenly regard the "Galaxy Quest" show (which they received in deep space) as being historical fact.
The other four "Galaxy Quest" actors are busy filming a commercial for the opening of an electronics store and are disgusted because Jason isn't there. Jason arrives late and tells them about his experience with the Thermians, but they think he has lost his mind. Jason tells them that the Thermians want him to return and that he wants them to come also. They initially reject it, but change their minds when they mistakenly believe that it's a paying job. Gwen, Alexander, Fred and Tommy are whisked away to the Thermian's NSEA Protector, along with another actor named Guy Fleegman (Sam Rockwell), who had played a bit part on the original "Galaxy Quest" show. With that, the most important role for each of the washed up "Galaxy Quest" actors begins!
Dean Parisot, along with writers David Howard and Robert Gordon, created a brilliant and engaging spoof of the show "Star Trek", its conventions and trekkies with "Galaxy Quest". Tim Allen equated with William Shatner (Kirk), Alan Rickman with Leonard Nimoy (Spock), Sigourney Weaver with Nichelle Nichols (Uhura), Tony Shalhoub with James Doohan (Scotty) and Daryl Mitchell with George Takei (Sulu). Other sci-fi comedy spoof that predate "Galaxy Quest" (such as "Ice Pirates", "Pluto Nash" and "Spaceballs") are no where near as good, engaging or funny.
All of the actors in "Galaxy Quest" performed their roles exceptionally well. Two actor who played significant minor roles were Patrick Breen, who played the Thermian named Quelleck, and Jeremy Howard, who played the young and very helpful "Galaxy Quest" fan named Kyle.
I highly recommend purchasing "Galaxy Quest" on DVD, which has superior picture and sound quality, and includes several deleted scenes, trailers, biographies, the feature "On Location in Space" and production notes. "Galaxy Quest" is a film that can be watched many times while never becoming tiresome. Sit back and remember those immortal words, "Never give up! Never surrender!" as you are whisked away into the fantastic world of "Galaxy Quest"!

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Looney Tunes - Back in Action (Widescreen Edition) (2003) Review

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(More customer reviews)"Looney Tunes: Back In Action" is the perfect marriage of live action and animation. To complete this picturesque scenario, it takes a "humanized" all-star cast (Jenna Elfman, Brendan Fraser, Timothy Dalton, including others), along with some zany Looney Tunes charcters (yes, most of them are here, folks, from Bugs Bunny [that "wascallwy wabbit"] to Yosemite Sam), with all of the above combined to make one colossal motion picture for everyone aged seven to seventy. Everyone's out to recover an artifact that could wind up causing universal damage (a pricey gem known as "The Blue Monkey"). Its dastardly, evil "owner" (Steve Martin) wants to make certain the world is freed from all human existence, and prefers to "monkey around" with evolution, so to speak. It's a race against time, as our female assistant (Elfman), son of a movie star (Fraser), Bugs, Daffy Duck (and an all-star cast of "Tunes" attempt to free a senior movie star (Dalton) from the clutches of one mad scientist (Martin), who is the head of ACME Corporation. When I say "LT:BIA" is a "universal" motion picture, I am not just speaking in tongues, as the gang literally spans the globe to search for clues. This journey stretches from Las Vegas to Paris, France, to the wilds of Africa (FACTUAL NOTE: The Nevada Desert does not contain any species of various cacti - just shrubs of tumbleweed and tons of sand. The saguaro cactus plants were there to provide a backdrop for Wile E. Coyote and The Road Runner to make their spectacular entrances). All of the elements that were featured in the classic Warner Bros. cartoons are here: classic character lines (ex: "What's Up Doc", "What In Tarnation", etc.), various sight gags (ex: automated device running out of fuel inches before touching ground, the positioning of Daffy Duck's beak, etc.), including others not mentioned here. Bill Goldberg (another wrestler turned actor) gives a masterful performance as one of the bad guys as well. Even the brief cameo of Michael Jordan is worthy of a look-see. Also, besides the too-brief appearance of Speedy "The Fastest Mouse In All Mexico" Gonzales, the only thing really missing, is Speedy's slow-footed cousin Slowpoke Rodriguez. If only this journey included a visit to Mexico (including Speedy's and Slowpoke's mouse buddies), then "Looney Tunes: Back In Action" would have netted a five-star rating for sure. As it is, it earns all four stars for its directorial and animation qualities (not to mention a fine human and not-so-human main and supporting cast), which makes it a must-see motion picture. As Porky Pig would say: "TH-TH-THE-THAT'S ALL FOLKS!!!".

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LOONEY TUNES BACK IN ACTION - DVD Movie

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Spaceballs (1987) Review

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(More customer reviews)I love the film so it was a no-brainer to get it for the store, and my slight disappointment is offset with showing what a high storage capacity can do for this product.
The package comes with both the BD and the standard def discs and included are all of the special features we know from the 2005 release. So what's changed? Nothing except for the languages: Dubbed in DTS for six languages (including Castilian, German, Italian and French) and Mono or Dolby for three others, and subtitled in nine languages (incl. Danish, Swedish and Norwegian). None of the supplements have been upgraded but that DTS always sounds awesome during the main feature. The picture has not been cleaned up from the transfer so there is plenty of artifact, hair and random film discolorations. I enjoyed watching some of the same special features again, including the John Candy memorial and the Mel Brooks conversation. The ludiricous speed is just as lame as before.
The menu is a killer if your player is not tuned up (or older). It becomes painful when trying to watch those flubs sequences as there is no play all option. It is Spaceballs, it is Mel Brooks - so it makes it a worthwhile purchase if you did not already upgrade a few years ago to that special edition DVD (especially with both included here). I would normally rate this lower but there is so much here I had to go up one.

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The farce is with you in this "uproarious salute to science fiction" (The Hollywood Reporter) that teams comedy legend Mel Brooks with an all-star cast of cutups including John Candy (Splash), Rick Moranis (Ghostbusters) and Bill Pullman (Ruthless People)!When the evil Dark Helmet (Moranis) attempts to steal all the air from planet Druidia, a determined Druish Princess (Daphne Zuniga), a clueless rogue (Pullman) and a half-man/half-dog creature who's his own best friend (Candy) set out to stop him! But with the forces of darkness closing in on them at ludicrous speed, they'll need the help of a wise imp named Yogurt (Brooks) and the mystical power of "The Schwartz" to bring peaceand merchandising rightsto the entire galaxy!

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In the Army Now (1994) Review

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(More customer reviews)This film is typical of the Pauly Shore screwup comedy, but is definitely better than Bio-Dome. Pauly is the definite star of the film with the much less talented Andy Dick playing the sidekick. They join the Army reserve because it's easy money and they choose water purification as their army specialty as that is the least likely in their pea-sized brains to see combat (I bet you can't guess where this is going.)
Before long they are on a mission to Chad and off to war. Now let's ponder this for a moment...this is a Pauly Shore slapstick comedy about making potable water in Chad. As improbable as that sounds for a movie project, that's the bottom line, and before it's over Pauly becomes a war hero and gets the pretty girl with the crew cut.
While most of the movie was pretty lowbrow, there were a couple of things I really liked. My favorite character was Fred Ostroff, played by David Alan Grier, who is a paranoid dental student, and who has the consistently best lines (like the "emotional enema" line from which I took the title of my review) and humorous vignettes, most of which feature dental flossing technique demonstrations.
Far and away, though, my favorite bit in the movie is an ultra-obscure reference the writers slipped in to a very bad movie from 1980, "The Pumaman." Pauly Shore apes the brutish Vadinho when he seductively says to a starlet "I couldn't have done it without the inspirational guidance of my brother the Pumaman." This line won't make sense if you haven't seen "The Pumaman," but for those that have it is pure gold.
The movie is silly and will please fans of Shore and the brain-dead-stoner comedy genre. Three stars for the dentistry and Pumaman references.


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Pauly Shore is definitely not one of the few good men army recruitment has in mind for molding into a soldier. But that doesn't stop pacifist Pauly from signing up for a hitch in the reserves in order to cash in on all the great perks, including free room and board and a steady salary for doing minimal work. Now this man's army is putting Pauly to the test. And Pauly the military misfit is serving his country as only he can, and single-handedly putting the army on red alert. Clipped of his curls and scuttling from a scud base in the African desert, he's battling with everything from rules and regulations to power-hungry authority figures and would-be world dictators. Surrendering to the comic crisis of being a soldier who marches to the beat of a different drummer, G.I. Shore is on a mission that promises to score a direct hit.

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Galaxy Quest (1999) Review

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(More customer reviews)In December of 1999, director Dean Parisot unleashed what is arguably the funniest sci-fi/comedy film of all time, "Galaxy Quest", which focuses upon the dissatisfied lives of five actors who had starred in a long-cancelled sci-fi television series of the same name. Jason Nesmith (Tim Allen) played ship's captain Commander Peter Quincey Taggart. Gwen DeMarco (Sigourney Weaver, who is no stranger to sci-fi with her roles in the "Alien" films) played Lt. Madison. Alexander Dane (Alan Rickman, also known for his roles as Hans Gruber in the 1988 film "Die Hard" and Professor Snape in the two "Harry Potter" films) played Dr. Lazarus. Fred Kwan (Tony Shalhoub) played ship's engineer Tech Sgt. Chen and Tommy Webber (Daryl Mitchell) played ship's pilot Laredo. Following the cancellation of the TV series, none of the actors had found descent acting jobs. Instead, they were relegated to appearing occasionally as their former "Galaxy Quest" characters at fan conventions and infrequent commercials. Especially frustrated is Alexander Dane, a trained Shakespearean actor who cannot escape the stigma of having said those immortal words, "By Grabthar's hammer, by the suns of Warvan, you shall be avenged!"
The film begins at a "Galaxy Quest" convention where the quintet is preparing to appear. Unbeknownst to them, not all of the conventioneers dressed as aliens are pretending. A group of uniformed "aliens" approach Jason (dressed as Commander Taggart) saying that they are in dire need of his assistance. Jason quickly agrees and assumes that the group is planning to pay him to appear as Commander Taggart at a fan-function. Following a night of drinking at his home, the "aliens" arrive in a limousine (per Jason's request) to escort him to their function. The "aliens", calling themselves Thermians, are Mathesar (Enrico Colantoni), Teb (Jed Rees) and Laliari (Missi Pyle). While en route to their function, Teb recites the lengthy history of Thermia to Jason, but Jason (who has a hangover) falls asleep. (Jason doesn't take the Thermians seriously; instead believing that they are simply "Galaxy Quest" fans.) Jason awakens to what he believes is a very elaborate set mimicking the NSEA Protector from the "Galaxy Quest" show. Mathesar (who always refers to Jason as Commander Taggart) tells him that the Thermians want him to negotiate a peace treaty with General Sarris (Robin Sachs). Instead, "Commander Taggart" orders the Thermians to fire upon Sarris' ship. Assuming that he has completed his performance, Jason tells Mathesar that he is ready to return home. Mathesar escorts him to an empty room and leaves. Jason, not understanding what is happening, is suddenly enveloped within a strange substance and raised to the ship's exterior where he sees millions of stars in deep space. He is suddenly shot from the ship, then finds himself standing next to his swimming pool at home. Jason finally realizes that the Thermians are real extraterrestrials, and that they mistakenly regard the "Galaxy Quest" show (which they received in deep space) as being historical fact.
The other four "Galaxy Quest" actors are busy filming a commercial for the opening of an electronics store and are disgusted because Jason isn't there. Jason arrives late and tells them about his experience with the Thermians, but they think he has lost his mind. Jason tells them that the Thermians want him to return and that he wants them to come also. They initially reject it, but change their minds when they mistakenly believe that it's a paying job. Gwen, Alexander, Fred and Tommy are whisked away to the Thermian's NSEA Protector, along with another actor named Guy Fleegman (Sam Rockwell), who had played a bit part on the original "Galaxy Quest" show. With that, the most important role for each of the washed up "Galaxy Quest" actors begins!
Dean Parisot, along with writers David Howard and Robert Gordon, created a brilliant and engaging spoof of the show "Star Trek", its conventions and trekkies with "Galaxy Quest". Tim Allen equated with William Shatner (Kirk), Alan Rickman with Leonard Nimoy (Spock), Sigourney Weaver with Nichelle Nichols (Uhura), Tony Shalhoub with James Doohan (Scotty) and Daryl Mitchell with George Takei (Sulu). Other sci-fi comedy spoof that predate "Galaxy Quest" (such as "Ice Pirates", "Pluto Nash" and "Spaceballs") are no where near as good, engaging or funny.
All of the actors in "Galaxy Quest" performed their roles exceptionally well. Two actor who played significant minor roles were Patrick Breen, who played the Thermian named Quelleck, and Jeremy Howard, who played the young and very helpful "Galaxy Quest" fan named Kyle.
I highly recommend purchasing "Galaxy Quest" on DVD, which has superior picture and sound quality, and includes several deleted scenes, trailers, biographies, the feature "On Location in Space" and production notes. "Galaxy Quest" is a film that can be watched many times while never becoming tiresome. Sit back and remember those immortal words, "Never give up! Never surrender!" as you are whisked away into the fantastic world of "Galaxy Quest"!

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For four years, the courageous crew of the NSEA Protector - "Commander Peter Quincy Taggart" (Tim Allen), "Lt. Tawny Madison" (Sigourney Weaver) and "Dr. Lazarus" (Alan Rickman) - set off on thrilling and often dangerous missions in space . . . and then their series was canceled!
Now, twenty years later, aliens under attack have mistaken the Galaxy Quest television transmissions for "historical documents" and beamed up the crew of has-been actors to save the universe. With no script, no director and no clue, the actors must turn in the performances of their lives in this hilarious adventure Jeffery Lyons (NBC-TV) calls "The funniest, wittiest comedy of the year."

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