# By Grabthar's hammer **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** movies\ **Created:** [March 11, 2026, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/by-grabthars-hammer/1028358 "2026-03-11T05:05:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2026, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/by-grabthars-hammer/1028358/1 "2026-03-11T05:05:18Z")
The first time you watched Galaxy Quest, either in a theatre or at home, when Laredo is easing the NSEA Protector out of the space dock and it begins to drift to the left, did YOU try some body English to assist him as you were watching the movie? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2026, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/by-grabthars-hammer/1028358/2 "2026-03-11T05:11:35Z")
I’m like, ‘Dude. It’s not that difficult.’ ---
**Author:** ![Mongoose3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3e96dc/32.png) [@Mongoose3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mongoose3)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2026, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/by-grabthars-hammer/1028358/3 "2026-03-11T06:51:30Z")
Oh, thought this post would be announcing some great savings. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2026, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/by-grabthars-hammer/1028358/4 "2026-03-11T07:34:31Z")
> [@Ranger\_Jeff](#): > > The first time you watched Galaxy Quest, either in a theatre or at home, when Laredo is easing the NSEA Protector out of the space dock and it begins to drift to the left, did YOU try some body English to assist him as you were watching the movie? Come again? ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2026, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/by-grabthars-hammer/1028358/5 "2026-03-11T07:38:11Z")
More just mental vibes and tensing up, rather than actually moving my body. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2026, 8:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/by-grabthars-hammer/1028358/6 "2026-03-11T08:00:26Z")
I don’t remember if I did or not, but I totally understand the impetus. ---
**Author:** ![Nyvaak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Nyvaak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nyvaak)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2026, 8:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/by-grabthars-hammer/1028358/7 "2026-03-11T08:00:40Z")
The first time I watched, I gritted my teeth and grimaced so hard I could barely see. In subsequent viewings I’ve had to make an effort not to do that again, so I can enjoy the humor of the “body English” all the other characters employ. Spectacular movie ! ---
**Author:** ![Banksiaman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banksiaman/32/3334_2.png) [@Banksiaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banksiaman)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2026, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/by-grabthars-hammer/1028358/8 "2026-03-11T12:33:17Z")
I definitely winced at the side-swipe. Not sure I did that once through several _Fast & Furious_. ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2026, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/by-grabthars-hammer/1028358/9 "2026-03-11T12:36:06Z")
I don’t recall whether I had actually performed the actual body English, but I certainly felt the urge to do so. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2026, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/by-grabthars-hammer/1028358/10 "2026-03-11T12:41:12Z")
It perfectly captured every teenager’s experience of backing Dad’s car out of the garage for the first time. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2026, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/by-grabthars-hammer/1028358/11 "2026-03-11T12:43:23Z")
This is certainly the best Star Trek movie and the best version of Three Amigos. I probably winced and leaned the first time I saw it – those sound effects…shudder! Oh, that’s not right! ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2026, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/by-grabthars-hammer/1028358/12 "2026-03-11T14:39:55Z")
That’s gonna leave a mark! The fact that everyone just remained quiet and calm makes it funnier. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2026, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/by-grabthars-hammer/1028358/13 "2026-03-11T16:34:20Z")
The scene under discussion: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/1UUVjM26JoY/maxresdefault.jpg "GALAXY QUEST: Laredo Takes Her Out (Remastered To 4K/48fps UHD)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UUVjM26JoY&t=133) ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2026, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/by-grabthars-hammer/1028358/14 "2026-03-11T16:47:11Z")
I definitely did. I saw it in the theater when it first came out. I know I saw a lot of the audience leaning too. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2026, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/by-grabthars-hammer/1028358/15 "2026-03-11T16:56:38Z")
I was thinking “how can the main hull be scraping against the wall when the ship has those big, curving parts farther back?” ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2026, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/by-grabthars-hammer/1028358/16 "2026-03-11T16:58:15Z")
Movie physics. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2026, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/by-grabthars-hammer/1028358/17 "2026-03-11T17:05:39Z")
Me, too. This isn’t some weird metaphysical concept. All the effects folk had to do was a simple model to see how that was wrong. Kid, it IS that kind of movie! or it should be. By Grabthar’s Hammer, I will avenge physics! ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2026, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/by-grabthars-hammer/1028358/18 "2026-03-11T17:20:34Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > This isn’t some weird metaphysical concept. All the effects folk had to do was a simple model to see how that was wrong. I sort of feel like this was intentional in _Galaxy Quest_, to poke fun at all the movies where the shapes and positions of things like spaceships don’t make sense. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2026, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/by-grabthars-hammer/1028358/19 "2026-03-11T17:22:49Z")
> What is this thing? I mean, it serves no useful purpose for there to be a bunch of chompy, crushy things in the middle of a hallway. No, I mean we shouldn’t have to do this, it makes no logical sense, why is it here? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2026, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/by-grabthars-hammer/1028358/20 "2026-03-11T17:24:31Z")
That episode was badly written! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/by-grabthars-hammer/1028358.md?page=2)