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The Hitchhiker's Guide to the
Galaxy
Release Date: April 29, 2005
Studio: Touchstone Pictures
Director: Garth Jennings
Screenwriter: Douglas Adams, Karey Kirkpatrick
Starring: Sam Rockwell, Mos Def, Zooey Deschanel, Martin Freeman,
Bill Nighy, Anna Chancellor, John Malkovich, Warwick Davis, Steve Pemberton,
Stephen Fry
Genre: Action, Comedy, Sci-Fi
MPAA Rating: PG (for thematic elements, action and mild language)
Official Website:
Hitchhikers.movies.com
Plot Summary: Don't Panic... Stick out your
thumb to join the most ordinary man in the world on an extraordinary adventure
across the universe in the hilarious comedy, "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the
Galaxy." Earthman Arthur Dent is having a very bad day. His house is about to be
bulldozed, he discovers that his best friend is an alien and to top things off,
Planet Earth is about to be demolished to make way for a hyperspace bypass.
Arthur's only chance for survival: hitch a ride on a passing spacecraft. For the
novice space traveler, the greatest adventure in the universe begins when the
world ends. Arthur sets out on a journey in which he finds that nothing is as it
seems: he learns that a towel is just the most useful thing in the universe,
finds the meaning of life, and discovers that everything he needs to know can be
found in one book: "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy."
Review by Peter Veugelaers © 2005
- Almost phony baloney
When Hollywood got their hands on the hilarious satire
Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, originally a 1978 BBC radio series, the
end result could be predictable. No surprises here. The movie is based on the
Douglas Adams’s novel of the same title, which produced a cult following among
young people during the 1980s. This lacklustre Walt Disney version, which was
co-written by Adams, is faithful to the plot of the original but that is where
comparisons end.
The Hollywood version pits Arthur Dent (an unconvincing
Martin Freeman) in the middle of a quanondrum: bulldozers are headed for his
house and then the earth is demolished to make way for a galaxy bypass. His
friend Ford Prefect (Mos Def) is from another planet, although Arthur does not
know that yet, while the earth is fodder for aliens called Vogons who are also
seeking revenge on galaxy ruler Zaphod Beeblebrox (Sam Rockwell). They escape
disaster and seek out what the question to life is, because the answer to the
mystery of the universe (‘42’) uttered by Deep Thought cannot be understood.
Hitchhikers tries hard to recreate the philosophical
and religious satire of the original. The witty humour from the original series
is fragmented, and is incoherently put with a sometimes lavish and imaginative
special effects story about thwarting disaster. This contrasts the regularly
funny and cohesive satire of the first version. The original was well rounded
and complimented its individual parts. The movie does not work because it fails
at acquiring that tone when it divides itself as a Hollywood blockbuster and
witty British comedy.
In this outing Hollywood opts for demythologising Adams’s
premise for a finale that smacks not of deep thought, or the spirited attitude
of the original, instead of an easy and contrived conclusion to life, the
universe and everything. Fans will get this, but others will be befuddled as to
what the series had achieved. Recommendation: go back to the source.
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5 Second Review:
Wahoo! Years in the making fans will be slightly
disappointed with some major plot changes, for those who haven't read the book
it may seem just a little bit out there. It tries to strike a balance and
does a fairly good job but not great.
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Teaser:
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Trailer:
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Internet Trailer:
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UK Trailer:
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TV Spot 1:
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TV Spot 2 - 'Galactic Review':
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Behind the Scenes 1 - ' About the Aliens':
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Behind the Scenes 2 - ' About the Guide':
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Behind the Scenes 3 - ' About the Robots':
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Clip 1 - 'We're Gonna Die':
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Clip 2 - 'Vogsphere Slaps':
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Clip 3 - 'Whale Scene':
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Clip 4 - 'Complete Dolphin Opening "Thanks for the Fish
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Zaphod Beeblebrox Music Video:
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