Yeah, 'Galaxy Quest' Still Rocks

Those who know and love the film will no doubt mention its innate "watchability," but newcomers to the great comedy Galaxy Quest may find themselves most intrigued by the bizarre cast. Is that Tony Shalhoub and Sam Rockwell stealing every scene that isn't nailed down? And what's Sigourney Weaver doing in a broad comedy? And wasn't that Justin Long ... and there's Missi Pyle ... and Rainn Wilson! And how is the film so funny if Tim Allen is the lead? When did Alan Rickman become so funny? And (my favorite) who is that guy playing the babbly alien leader Mathesar? He's hilarious!

But the cast is not the reason that DreamWorks is re-releasing Galaxy Quest on DVD this week. Nope, it's because Dean Parisot's widely-adored Galaxy Quest is an obvious but very affectionate Star Trek satire, and what with the new Trek making all sort of waves this month, the Galaxy Quest re-release seemed like a pretty obvious idea. Clearly I believe that this fine farce deserves a spot on your DVD shelf, but is the new version actually worth the "double dip," or should you just stick with your current version?

Depends on how big a fan you are, I suppose, plus it's worth mentioning that the new DVD is standard (non-Blu-Ray) only -- but there are a few new goodies that the fans will probably enjoy. In addition to almost all of the extra features that were found on the original DVD release, the new edition delivers new stuff like Historical Documents: The Story of Galaxy Quest (18:14), Never Give Up, Never Surrender: The Intrepid Crew of the NSEA Protector (23:25), By Grabthar's Hammer: What Amazing Effects (7:17), and Alien School: Creating the Thermian Race (5:23), all of which feature extensive interview segments with director Dean Parisot, screenwriters David Howard and Bob Gordon, producer Mark Johnson, and cast members like Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Alan Rickman, Sam Rockwell, Tony Shalhoub, Enrcio Colantoni, Justin Long, etc. Also included is a bizarre but charming "birthday rap" from Ms. Weaver, and if you think this fantastic actress is kind of "icy," then you should find this clip and enjoy it ASAP.

The new interview segments are pretty excellent: Most of the massive cast is involved, they all seem to have a sincere affection for this crazy comedy, and the anecdotes from the set are rather amusing. Aside from these new extras, you'll also find a generous collection of featurettes, deleted scenes, trailers, etc.

Whether you head out to pick up the new DVD, grab your original disc off the shelf, or just dig the flick out of cable, Netflix, or online options ... this is one ridiculously "re-watchable" little comedy. On their own, the contributions of Sam Rockwell, Tony Shalhoub, and Enrico Colantoni are funnier than what most other comedies deliver in total.