Movie Review:

Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

by Lynn B

In 1978, a British radio program with witty satire set in a space-age arena, cracked everyone up. It became a series of books by Douglas Adams and was an enormous hit world-wide. It was a T.V. series. Now, it’s a movie.

Regular Brit guy Arthur Dent (Martin Freeman of TV’s “The Office”) is about to have his house demolished for a freeway extension but he’s rescued by alien friend/observer Ford Prefect (Mos Def) who knows that, in minutes, the earth will be blown up to make way for a hyperspace express project headed by some huge, ugly aliens called the Vogons. Once in space and guided by the helpful Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Arthur and Ford are reunited with Arthur’s would-be girlfriend Trillian (Zooey Deschanel) who left him for the President of the Galaxy (Sam Rockwell) because he had a cool spaceship and wanted to travel.

Together the odd group travels the universe in search of the meaning of life or…something. On the way, they find a cool POV gun that, when fired, makes the victim see the point of view of the person shooting the gun. Way cool! Finally, Arthur wins his girl back, earth is replaced by a new model and the gang is off to the Restaurant at the End of the Universe.

Say what? Sound weird? You bet, but very colorful, creative and fun if, unlike me, you don’t need a cohesive story and well-developed characters in your films.

I read the first book ages ago and found it very clever but can’t say I remember every detail. However, I love the Brit comic masters Monty Python and much of the film is in the same zany spirit. Problem is, the movie bounces around in a frantic fashion that creates a series of often unlinked comedy sketches and very few plot threads pay off. The gadgets, aliens and witty dialogue are fun but most of the actors either chew the spaceship scenery (Sam Rockwell as a Texas-talkin’, swaggering President, is way bigger than life), they kind of fade into the woodwork (lead actor Freeman) or they pop in and out with little explanation (John Malkovich as a wacky religious guru). Mos Def is fine in his role but often mumbles his lines so he’s hard to understand.

Technical work is excellent; the Vogons by Jim Henson’s creature makers, are wonderful, huge, ugly dudes that rival Star Wars’ Jabba the Hut. The incredible construction floor where whole planets are made is amazing to look at.

I’m told there are tons of inside jokes for fans of the books or TV show like a cameo appearance by Douglas Adams and Simon Jones who was the original Arthur Dent. Overall, I’d say this will be a cult film for the fans of the “Guide” and will be either criticized or cherished for years. For the rest of us, it’s an eye-poppin’ hodge podge with some funny moments and some clever observations on the state of humanity.

This movie is rated PG

Official Movie Web Site - http://hitchhikers.movies.go.com/

Pictures courtesy of and copyright Touchstone Pictures 2005