Galaxy Quest (1999) - Conventions restrain Parisot's SF convention satire

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A space exploration shoots out of a giant TV set in space on this poster for Dean Parisot's Galaxy Quest

The stars of Star Trek-reminiscent sci-fi TV-series Galaxy Quest are worn down, when they get abducted by actual aliens, who wrongfully assess them to be actual space heroes.

 

Galaxy Quest is written by David Howard (Trek: The Movie (2018)) and Robert Gordon (Men in Black II (2002)) and directed by Dean Parisot (Home Fries (1998)).

The very funny premise is not translated into enough laughs in this witty space outing. Instead of leading the characters into some really grotesque scenes and some madness, Galaxy Quest sticks to corny, personal developments and its sci-fi plot, which runs out of motivation, when the space-locked stars get detailed survival advice from their cute teenage fanboy on earth (debuting Justin Long (Comet (2014))). Galaxy Quest is also visibly impressed with its own CGI effects, which feels dated.

Sigourney Weaver (You Again (2010)) is wasted in a bra. But there is some fun to be had in Galaxy Quest.

 

Related post:

 

Dean Parisot: Fun with Dick and Jane (2005) - Powerhouses Carrey and Leoni buoy Parisot's uneven farce

 

 

Watch  a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 45 mil. $

Box office: 90.6 mil. $

= Flop (returned 2.01 times its cost)

[Galaxy Quest was released 23 December (Canada) and runs 102 minutes. Harold Ramis was initially slated to direct but left due to lack of belief in Tim Allen (Toy Story 2 (1999)) as a lead. Allen was paid 2 mil. $ for his performance in the film. Shooting took place from April - August 1999 in Utah and California, including Los Angeles. The film opened #7 to a 7 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it spent a weekend at #5 two weeks later and grossed 71.5 mil. $ (78.9 % of the total gross). DreamWorks' CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg reportedly apologized personally to Parisot for failing to market the film properly. Roger Ebert gave it a 3/4 star review, translating to two notches over this one. Sequel talks have been persistent but have not resulted in anything. Parisot returned with 4 TV credits prior to his theatrical return, Fun with Dick and Jane (2005). Allen returned in Who Is Cletis Tout? (2001); Weaver in Company Man (2000); and Alan Rickman (Love Actually (2003)) with a voice performance in A Fish Tale (2000), then in Texas: In Demand (2000, video short) and with a physical theatrical performance in Blow Dry (2001). Galaxy Quest is certified fresh at 90 % with a 7.30/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Galaxy Quest?

Toy Story 3 (2010) - Unkrich's B.O. champion is an excellent family animation

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1 Film Excess win:

Best Animation 

1 Film Excess nomination:

Best Animation (won)

 

Woody, Buzz, old friends and new adorn this poster for Lee Unkrich's Toy Story 3

 

Toy owner and former boy Andy has now grown to age 18 and is going away to college, so that his toys Woody, Buzz and all the others face a radical change after years of neglect. As a result they wind up in a daycare center, which is run by a dictatorial teddy bear.

Toy Story 3, which at the time looked like the end of the beloved saga, is extremely satisfying. It balances fun, action, somewhat frightening scenes and real emotions to fit the trademark Pixar come-together experience. The film's theme is the inevitable major changes that life brings about.

The decision to release the film in 3D, - a first in the Toy Story series, - serves no real purpose for the film, (besides maximizing its gross, a major purpose in itself of course.) The many fun details make the film enjoyable for grownups as well, but the raves at the time of release in hindsight begin to look a little exaggerated: Toy Story 3 follows a solid formula well and is excellent family entertainment, - but that's about it.

It is written by Michael Arndt (Little Miss Sunshine (2006)) with story elements contributed by Andrew Stanton (John Carter (2012)), John Lasseter (Toy Story (1995)) and Ohioan master director Lee Unkrich (Finding Nemo (2003)).

 

Related post:

 

2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]

2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]

2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]

Watch a trailer for the film here

Cost: 200 mil. $

Box office: 1,066.9 mil. $

= Blockbuster

[Toy Story 3 premiered June 12 (Italy's Taormina Film Fest) and runs 103 minutes. Due to Disney's seven-picture deal with Pixar, the Toy Story sequel was set to be made without Pixar's cooperation by Disney's Circle 7 Animation, who wrote a script that involved Buzz getting sent to Asia, which was ultimately never used: At Disney's buying of Pixar in 2006, the sequel reverted to Pixar, and a new development of the film began. The film opened #1 to a 110.3 mil. $ first weekend, - the largest Pixar opening, largest June opening and second largest opening for an animated movie overall, - in North America, where it stayed #1 for another week and remained in the top 5 for a total of 7 weeks and grossed 415 mil. $ (38.9 % of the total gross). It is estimated that it sold more than 52 mil. tickets in the US. The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were Japan with 126.6 mil. $ (11.9 %) and the UK with 116.6 mil. $ (10.9 %). The film became the highest-grossing, in North America and worldwide, of 2010, the highest-grossing Pixar film, the highest-grossing animated film and the 3rd Disney release to break 1 billion $. It grossed more than the first two Toy Story movies combined. The film got nominated for 5 Oscars: Best Picture (the third animation to achieve this, following Beauty and the Beast and Up), lost to The King's Speech, Adapted Screenplay, lost to The Social Network, Sound Editing, lost to Inception, Best Original Song: Randy Newman's We Belong Together, which it won along with Best Animation, in front of How to Train Your Dragon and The Illusionist. The film was a favorite for many, named the film of the year by TIME Magazine and Quentin Tarantino among others. It was the best-selling home video release of 2010 in units sold with more than 10.9 mil. DVDs and Blu-rays sold in North America alone, adding 185.9 mil. $ to the film's revenues. Toy Story 3 is certified fresh at 99 % with an 8.9 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Toy Story 3?