The film version of the late Douglas Adams' best-selling science-fiction novel "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" is stranded in perilous territory. It might be too faithful an adaptation to appeal to those without at least a passing interest in — or familiarity with — the material.
And yet it's been changed so much that some die-hard fans may be turned off as well. (It should be noted, though, that such objections are ridiculous, considering that Adams wrote the script treatment upon which this film is based.)
So it may take an open mind to appreciate this modestly amusing and at times very clever movie, which is obviously not straight-forward science-fiction adventure, though it certainly has some of those elements. Instead, it's more of a parody filled with dry British humor (much of that delivered by Stephen Fry as the film's narrator-of-sorts).
And the result may not be perfect, but it's certainly a nice antidote to the action-over-ideas type of science-fiction we've been seeing. It's certainly more thoughtful, though it takes some reflection to realize just what the film is trying to say.
Most of the story is told from the perspective of Arthur Dent (Martin Freeman), an Earthman who's having one of the worst mornings of his life. A demolition crew has just shown up to tear down his house — to make way for a highway bypass.
And at the same time, his best friend, Ford Prefect (Mos Def) has shown up, claiming that the world is ending in less than an hour. As it turns out, that much is true. A Vogon Constructor Fleet is planning to destroy the planet to make way for an interstellar highway bypass.
But before they do, Ford manages to "thumb" a ride on one of the Vogon ships, saving himself and Arthur in the process. From there, they make their way onto the Heart of Gold, a experimental spaceship that's been stolen by Galactic President Zaphod Beeblebrox (Sam Rockwell).
The film is flabby in the middle section, and the love triangle involving Arthur, Zaphod and Trillian (Zoe Deschanel) feels a bit forced.
However, there are several enormously inventive visual sequences, which include stop-motion animation, puppetry (courtesy of the Henson Creature Shop) and even a dolphin musical number (you have to see it to believe it).
Screenwriter Karey Kirkpatrick ("Chicken Run") has done a good job of preserving the tone and flavor of Adams' unique writing style and humor, though he fails to properly explain the significance of having a towel, which is one of the book's highlights.
On the performance side, Rockwell appears to be having fun channeling both Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, and acid-voiced Alan Rickman steals scenes as the voice of the depressed robot Marvin.
(Speaking of which, fans of the 1981 BBC television version should keep an eye peeled for the original Marvin the Robot, which appears in a scene set of the Vogon home planet.)
"The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" is rated PG for scenes of sci-fi/action violence (laser blasts and explosive mayhem, as well as slapstick), mildly vulgar humor and suggestive references and scattered use of mild profanity (mostly religiously based). Running time: 108 minutes.
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