Sigourney Weaver in "Galaxy Quest."

MOVIE INFORMATION

With 10 as a must-see, Jack gives this film a: Stars: Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver and Alan Rickman Director: Dean Parisot Rated: Rated PG, with cartoonish violence Length: 104 min

ROCHESTERCRITIQUE

Having seen this film, how would you rate it? 10 5 9 4 8 3 7 2 6 1

(Dec. 24, 1999) -- What if a troubled race of aliens in a distant galaxy picked up the signals of reruns of a "Star Trek"-type sci-fi TV show -- and assume the shows are "historical documents"? What if the aliens -- the Thermians -- decide to beam the TV space warriors into their galaxy, to help them battle their mortal enemy?

That's the clever concept behind "Galaxy Quest," a funny new comedy in which out-of-work space-show actors are forced to do it "for real."

Part "Star Trek" parody and wish-fulfillment comedy, "Galaxy Quest" largely sustains its one-joke premise through the appealing chemistry of its cast:

Tim Allen, captain of the ship in the long-cancelled "Galaxy Quest" TV series, doing an on-the-money imitation of William Shatner's famous ego (but not his melodramatic stop-start verbal style).

Sigourney Weaver, sporting a startling blond hairdo and enhanced breasts, is the ship communicator who whines constantly about her limited duty -- repeating messages from the ship computer. Her amusing performance is 180 degrees removed from Weaver's more famous sci-fi role, Ripley of "Alien" fame.

Alan Rickman as a former Shakespearian actor forced to don a ridiculous alien skull cap to play the character clearly modeled after Mr. Spock.

Tony Shalhoub, perhaps funniest of all, as the ship's engineer. Diverging from the "Star Trek" model, he isn't a hyper Scottie. Instead, he's hilariously mellow and obviously stoned -- and eager to explore a romance with a Thermian, even though she turns into a giant, slimy octypus when she's aroused.

Sam Rockwell as a struggling actor who's only claim to fame is a brief spot as "Crewman No. 5" in one episode. He was killed before the first commercial. Now he's on a real mission -- and fears the same thing will happen.

Enrico Colantoni as the white-faced, mild-mannered leader of the Thermians. Though he and his fellow aliens have assumed human shape, they haven't quite mastered our way of walking.

Director Dean Parisot leaps forward in his second feature (his first was "Home Fries") by letting the jokes arise naturally and keeping an energetic pace. His film also accurately portrays the clap-trap look of the original (bogus) "Galaxy Quest" TV set, the campy idiocy and rampant confusion of a sci-fi fan convention and the "real-life" look of the Thermian galaxy.