The Movie

Review

This is by no means the worst movie ever made; not by a long way. But is was still a serious disappointment, and it can be summed up in one word: trite. You add bland, unfunny, superficial and finally, Disney.

Adam's vision has been utterly trivialised, with such amateurish script editing that most of the humour has gone, leaving single jokes where there were running gags, one-liners, where once was much more subtle humour.

Granted something had to go to squeeze in the story ... but much has been cut to make room for new material, which is not funny, not relevant, and adds little (if anything) to the plot.

It's hurts me to dismiss John Malkovich, a fine actor with superb timing; but his character was simply not required, and the price we paid in terms of lost story, was way to high.

Martin Freeman reprised his 'Office' role, with seemingly no understanding that deadpan and sad can work as a foil to over the top characters in a sitcom, but simply doesn't cut it as the lead in a feature film.

Adams could never write for women; sorry, but it's true. And whoever decided to build up the part of Trillion to become love interest and key role, should first have gone to someone who would dare to rewrite the character from top to toe. Zooey Deschanel, doing her best, was directed to play the part of a highly intelligent and sensible woman as a doe-eyed bimbo.

Zaphod was even more unfunny than his TV counterpart (is that really possible?), and Ford Prefect was simply inconsistent, never really developing a useful role.

Most of the 'off world' sets were feeble; on TV we had the BBC spending hundreds of pounds in failing to make a quarry look alien; here we have Disney spending millions to make an alien set look like a quarry.

And finally (I cannot go on!) they've added teletubbie-style sound effects; inappropriate squeeks and bells, just to keep that deep veneer of superficiality.

Cast

Bill Bailey as The Whale (voice)
Anna Chancellor as Questular Rontok
Warwick Davis as Marvin
Mos Def as Ford Prefect
Zooey Deschanel as Trillian
Su Elliot as Pub Customer
Martin Freeman as Arthur Dent
Stephen Fry as Narrator/The Guide (voice)
Richard Griffiths as Jeltz (voice)
Dominique Jackson as Fook
Simon Jones as Ghostly Image
Thomas Lennon as Eddie the Computer (voice)
Mark Longhurst as Bulldozer Driver
Kelly Macdonald as Reporter
John Malkovich as Humma Kavula
Ian McNeice as Kwaltz (voice)
Helen Mirren as Deep Thought (voice)
Bill Nighy as Slartibartfast
Steve Pemberton as Mr. Prosser
Alan Rickman as Marvin (voice)
Sam Rockwell as Zaphod Beeblebrox
Jack Stanley as Lunkwill
Mak Wilson as Vogon Interpreter (voice)
Albie Woodington as Barman

Production credits and details

• Based on the books by Douglas Adams
• Screenplay by Douglas Adams and Karey Kirkpatrick
• Executive producer: Douglas Adams, Derek Evans, Robbie Stamp
• Producers included Todd Arnow, Roger Birnbaum, Jonathan Glickman, Nick Goldsmith, and Jay Roach
• Original Music by Bernie Leadon and Joby Talbot
• Cinematography by Igor Jadue-Lillo
• Film Editing by Jerry Chater and Niven Howie
• Casting by Susie Figgis and Marcia Ross
• Production Design by Joel Collins
• Art Direction by Alan Cassie, Daniel May, Phil Simms, Andy Thomson and Frank Walsh
• Set Decoration by Kate Beckly
• Costume Design by Sammy Howarth and Sammy Sheldon

DVD Features

° Making Of Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy
° Additional Guide Entry
° Deleted Scenes
° Really Deleted Scenes
° Sing A Long
° Audio Commentaries
° Set Top Games Marvins Hangman
° Dont Crash Making Of

The Movie on DVD

Available from Amazon.