Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy coming in April!

Darren Dirt · April 29, 2005, 05:39:14 PM

AGREED. I told myself "60% or higher, I'm there"

<--honest, I did, yesterday!

Mr. Analog · April 29, 2005, 10:29:32 PM

I think I'll go on Sunday, garr! how bad could it be?

Darren Dirt · April 29, 2005, 10:54:39 PM

Just got back from The Film. And what do I have to say?

In uncharacteristically brief terms, I've got a word for you:

Belgium.

...is not what I have to say.

Faithful. That's the word.*

By Zarquon, the filmmakers were froods and not Traal-beasts! Yee haw!

Homage to Douglas Adams a-plenty. Within a medium so hostile-to-uniqueness, this was a a very respectful handling of DNA's genius.

Dialogue that is (infamously) missing was actually not all that crucial (although I am looking forward to a re-read of the books, The Best Treatment Of The H2G2 Universe!)... and even the arthtrilzaph "love triangle" was not Starwarsesque painful but it was - shock! - actually interesting and totally helped (helped!) with character development so there is actually something to look forward to in the quite-likely sequel. But the film also stands on its own, so in that respect it even one-ups LOTR#1.

So IMHO I boldly declare that the post-DNA-death edits were "mostly harmless". Phew.

Ford was well played by Mos Def, although strangely I found him the most lacking in lines of significance... Trillian's increase in importance perhaps overshadowed Mr. Archetypal Party Animal, although his scenes with his sorta-cousin Zaphod were charming. The Vogons, as The Guide says, are "bad tempered, bureaucratic, officious and callous" - and in the film, the focus is definitely on "bureaucratic"; it stirred up a desire to rent "Brazil" again.

Oh, and of course MARVIN ROCKED - BUT THAT SHOULD BE NO SHOCK TO ANYONE. Windows startup sounds, meet your new daddy.

Warwick Davis was also excellent producing perfect "body language" to harmonize with Alan Rickman's deadpan delivery.

I think I will see it again, possibly, but due to money and time I'm not sure when (i.e. not this weekend)... and if I could pre-order the DVD I would do that right after hitting SUBMIT on this post.

So in a nutshell, just like with Sin City, some would give this 10/10, and some would just "not get it", or be all like "it's not as good as it could be" or "what they really should have done is..." but I personally think, as this Guide Fan is, Douglas would be pleased... and seeing as he was always such a procrastinator, he would also be astonished it actually got finished and released before the Vogon Constructor Fleet arrives... which is in 12 minutes, by the way.

PS: watch for the flawlessly-played cameo from the Original Arthur Dent (hint: think petunias and whales), and also right at the end we are even treated with the smiling visage of Mr. Adams himself! B)

Groovy, man!

-Dirt.

- - -

* The only down side is in all this is that I am actually agreeing with something this AICN review said:

Quote...while I didn't think [the test screening he saw] was the greatest thing since sliced bread, I thought the spirit of Douglas Adams was captured well.

And since, overall, I detest AICN's lack of objectivity... Well, I'm gonna say it.

Belgium.

Mr. Analog · April 30, 2005, 02:15:50 AM

Augh! What! Augh! Arrgh!

Please, stop now and re-listen to the radio drama! Hugs book collection...

If Zaphod isn't the party animal...

If Ford doesn't have something poigniant yet dry to day...

If Trillian isn't the ancilliary character...

Well, I just don't want to live in that universe, drinks Pan-Galactic Gargle Blaster.

Mr. Analog · May 04, 2005, 11:07:38 AM

Has anyone *not* seen this movie yet? I want to go this week.

Lazybones · May 06, 2005, 11:29:47 PM

Just saw it..

Never having read the books I am not sure what to think. It was entertaining but yet well not exactly I something I would add to my home collection.

After letting Sin City sink in I really enjoyed it much more. Totally different types of movies but if I was going to rate them I would give Sin City 8/10 and Hitchhiker a 6/10.

Saw it with raeofsunshine and she really enjoyed the movie. So maybe its just me.

Mr. Analog · May 07, 2005, 12:20:07 AM

Crap! I better go this week

Darren Dirt · June 15, 2016, 11:31:30 AM

Reflecting back, it wasn't as great as what it COULD have been, but it was not nearly as bad as some reviewers claimed it to be.

And it was more than 10 years ago! And DNA is gone now, so no future sequel could ever be co-written by him anyway, so enjoy his last big-screen work!

Or, instead of re-watching it, just watch THIS quite funny, amusingly edited, and slightly silly** review of the the HHGG film.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P50hOigJGis

**e.g. "mos ridiculous" ha ha

Mr. Analog · June 15, 2016, 11:43:00 AM

It has actually become one of my favorite versions of the telling over time

Darren Dirt · June 15, 2016, 01:37:21 PM

Spoiler

Don't

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That HHGG review I linked, just finishing it up and smiling non-stop!

The style with which this guy talks like... idk, it's like he's a brother or cousin of Cracked's Dan O'Brien or something. Which is of course GREAT.

...with the occasional and quite subtle intentional mis-speaking (For example, "Jem Hinson's Creature Shops" instead of "Jim Henson's Creature Shop" ... which is somehow really really funny stuff to me. But then I also enjoy pausing Archer to look up online all those esoteric references to persons or events that nobody watching animated comedies should know!)

I guess it's a rare thing that on the internet you can find a "reviewer" that is so unabashedly full of JOY. ("Be happy, not right" indeed!)

Good news, but wait there's more! https://www.youtube.com/user/chainsawsuitoriginal/search?query=movies+with+mikey

Spoiler

Panic.

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Spoiler

(mkay?)

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