Review: Never Surrender, A Galaxy Quest Documentary

One of my family’s favorite movies is Galaxy Quest, starring Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Alan Rickman, Enrico Colontoni, Justin Long, Tony Shalhoub, Missi Pyle, Sam Rockwell, et al.

Directed by Dean Parisot, produced by Mark Johnson‎ and Charles Newirth, it was made by Spielberg’s fledgling production company‎, ‎DreamWorks Pictures‎.

I honestly don’t know how many times we’ve watched Galaxy Quest, now called a cult film. For years, my husband has included the line, “Never give up! Never surrender!” in his email signature line.

The whole family can probably do a quote-along party without help from anyone.

I say all this in order to tell you how much I loved Never Surrender: A Galaxy Quest Documentary, released in 2019 for the 20th anniversary of the film.

The documentary is a love letter from fans to the cast and crew of the movie as well as a love letter from the cast and crew to the loyal fans. In case you think Galaxy Quest is just another science fiction movie, let me assure you it’s much more than that.

That’s what the documentary sets out to prove from the opening scene which quotes from Pulitzer Prize winner David Mamet‘s book on Hollywood, published in 2007.

In his book, Mamet listed what he saw as the only perfect movies ever made. He lists only four:

1. The Godfather
2. A Place in the Sun
3. Dodsworth
4. Galaxy Quest.

That’s right. Galaxy Quest is number 4 on that list, and I believe it definitely deserves recognition as a perfect movie.

Why Galaxy Quest Is Beloved

The documentary tries to explain this phenomenon and also discusses how the film came into being, who was wanted for the director and the cast, why those people didn’t end up making this film, and what the movie production company, distributors, critics, and fans thought.

It’s no surprise that the powers-that-be were disappointed with the film. They just didn’t get what was so special about the film which went beyond the built-in humor of a canceled TV show whose actors were so typecast they couldn’t move beyond the low-budget science fiction series.

That humorous premise, coupled with character growth, heroism, and the selfless sacrifice the fictional TV cast is willing to make is why this show is so memorable. It’s frankly funny and emotionally touching, and it brings out the childlike wonder we all once had.

Great Writing

David Howard wrote the story, and he and Robert Gordon wrote the screenplay that perfectly depicts the loyal fans, the cast of the show who are just working actors trying to make a living, the lessons they learn, how they bond together to do what’s right and good, and their embracing the principle of “never give up, never surrender” makes this film a teachable moment for children.

It’s that rare commodity: a movie that appeals to children and adults, and pretty much for the same reasons. 

The Documentary

Like I said, if you love this movie, you’ll love this documentary with its interviews of critics, former Star Trek actors, and cast members. With the exception of Alan Rickman, who passed away in 2016, all of the main cast members take part in the documentary.

Rickman is shown in film clips which make you appreciate how brilliant he was. Like most fans, I can’t imagine anyone else as the movie’s characters. I think it will go down in Tim Allen’s personal history as his best movie.

Takeaway Truth

If you’re a Prime subscriber, add Never Surrender: A Galaxy Quest Documentary to your Watchlist. If you’re not, you can get it from Amazon.