The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

Arthur Dent has had better days. He wakes up in the morning to discover that his house is scheduled for demolition to make way for a bypass, a friend of his comes out to him that he's really an alien stuck on Earth, and said planet is then demolished by intergalactic bureaucrats to make way for a bigger bypass. And from there, things go downhill, uphill, through the hill, and on occasion, skip the hill altogether and pop over to the pub for a pint.

It being Towel Day, this felt appropriate. The film, based on Douglas Adams' delightful, hilarious, charming, and generally awesome book of the same name (part of a trilogy of five) is a bit of a love/hate movie (from what I've seen, at least). And while it's true that it isn't quite as choke-from-laughter hilarious as the book, or includes nearly as much detail, I still hold it in a special place in my heart. It does, I believe, capture the spirit of the book quite well, and makes for a good watch (as does the BBC mini-series from back in the 80s, give that one a look as well).

To start, the characters are all portrayed quite well. Martin Freemen nails the always confused, trying his best Arthur Dent, as does Stephen Fry as the voice of the guide (it's a match-made-in-heaven with that one). Mos Def (an actor I seem to like more than others) works well as Ford Prefect, ditto Zooey Deschanel as Trillian. Sam Rockwell plays Zaphod Beeblebrox as more of an idiot than a generally spaced out dude (got the slight asshole part down though), but he's still good and funny enough. Finally, Alan Rickman as poor, depressed Marvin is excellent, he really gets that sad (yet strangely lovable) ultraintelligent robot down.

I'd also like to point out the wonderful effects of this movie. This is one of the few modern movies that stuck almost entirely to practical effects and makeup for the creatures, and it shows well. The Vogons are hulking brutes and the ship corridors (from the cold Vogon Construction Fleet ship to the sleek and modern Heart of Gold) all look like they should. It really makes them all feel much more real, much more there, and adds an extra layer of charm to the whole thing.

Now, this being a comedy, how funny one finds it varies from person to person. I personally though it was all quite amusing, from the stuff out of the book to the new additions to the story. Speaking of which, the movie does depart from the book in several places (as has every incarnation of the story, from the radio series to the BBC show to the comic book. It's natural), and I think all the new material fits in well. The addition of another antagonist (Humma Kavula, a minor character mentioned once in the books) gives the thing a little extra drive, as well as lets the movie show off some cool new locations. And every new addition has that definite Adams feel, which makes sense since he made most of the changes himself (as he was working on the script before he died). Still, it's a definite matter of opinion as to whether or not they work for you.

Overall I really like this movie (it was on my Top 25 for a while), and always enjoy watching it. It's one of those definite 'feel good' movies, one that's just so delightfully out there that it always cheers me up when I'm feeling. If you haven't already, give it a go (and that goes double if you haven't read the book. Seriously, it's one of the funniest ever written, you won't regret reading it).

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbGNcoB2Y4I