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| Release Date: | April 28th, 2005 (UK) - April 29th, 2005 (US) |
| Runtime: | 110 minutes |
| Rated: | PG |
| Genres: | Comedy, Sci-Fi |
| Directed by: | Garth Jennings |
| Written by: | Douglas Adams (book & screenplay), Karey Kirkpatrick (screenplay) |
| Starring: | Martin Freeman, Mos Def, Sam Rockwell, Zooey Deschanel, Warwick Davis, John Malkovich, Bill Nighy, Anna Chancellor, Alan Rickman (voice), Stephen Fry (voice), Helen Mirren (voice) |
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 As I said in my review of the 1981 made-for-TV version of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, I completely geek-out to the work of Douglas Adams. Therefore, it goes without saying that despite the fact that impartiality is out of the question, I would be the toughest critic of the 2005 adaptation of Adams' masterpiece. It is with a heavy heart that I inform my readers that Garth Jennings' interpretation of Hitchhiker's is complete and utter tripe and does not deserve to be watched by anyone.
Had you going, didn't I?
2005 is going to be a good year for moviegoers. First off, we had Sin City given to us. On May 19th, the Star Wars prequel trilogy will hopefully be redeemed by the onslaught of Revenge of the Sith. And nestled snugly in between is this instant classic. However, be warned: this is not a completely direct translation of the book. Of course, I'll tell you why you shouldn't panic.
While most of the film will be familiar to fans of the book, there are plenty of new things to be found with this newest adaptation. First, the Vogons figure much more prominently into the grand scheme of things. Secondly, a major and brand-new character is introduced (Humma Kavula, played by Malkovich). And lastly, a small romantic subplot has been introduced for Arthur (Freeman) and Trillian (Deschanel). However, as I said above, don't panic: none of these changes affects the basic story. It also helps that Adams wrote all of these changes in himself. Screw you if you don't like it.
As far as the casting goes, it couldn't have been done better. Freeman is every bit the confused everyman that Arthur is supposed to be, Mos Def does excellently as the freewheeling Ford, and Deschanel is completely believable as the smart AND beautiful Trillian (whose portrayal by Sandra Dickinson was my only complaint with the original). But the two character highlights of the film are, of course, Zaphod (played to zonked-out and charismatic perfection by Rockwell) and Marvin (acted by Willow star and Leprechaun series veteran Davis and brilliantly voiced by Rickman, who employs his nasally droll vocals splendidly).
One other high spot is the voice of Stephen Fry as "The Guide". Each segment that featured passages from The Guide was hilarious and served as ingenious segueways to the next section of the film. The best implementation of The Guide is the opening narration of the movie, which is followed by a sidesplitting performance by a chorus of dolphins, who sing the song "So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish" as they depart the Earth to avoid being destroyed along with it.
And since I'm a total dork for all things Hitchhiker, I flipped when the original TV version of Marvin made a cameo. I also geeked when Simon Jones, the original Arthur, appeared as the holographic image who warns the gang not to land on Magrathea. And it was rather touching - and totally fitting - that the final frame of the film features the visage of Douglas Adams appearing as part of the Heart of Gold's infinite improbability drive. It's nostalgic awareness such as this that sets Hitchhiker's apart from every other adaptation and remake.
The only problem I can find with Hitchhiker's is that it isn't entirely accessible to non-fans of the book, which alienates most average moviegoers. But what do they know, anyway? The Guide says: "Not a whole Hell of a lot." Who can argue with that? |
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Chris Gaskey
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