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Spoilers below.
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (PG)
Naturally, this being the film it was, and it being a preview and all, a lot of the audience were Hitchhikers fans. Especially the ones that cheered when “The Restaurant at the End of the Universe” was mentioned at the end. And the fact we all clapped at the end.
Bluntly, this film was fantastic for the most part, but crap in moments. The whole added plot about Humma, for example, was badly executed and completely pointless. The Deep Thought scene was in the wrong place, nothing like the book, and Helen Mirren isn’t Deep Thought. Sorry, people think I’m sexist when I say I think Deep Thought is male, but it is! The book says “a voice rich, resonant and deep”. OK, it’s the deep bit which suggests male to me, but I wasn’t impressed by it. And it wasn’t in that nice office.
I’ll get the moaning over first, and praise all the good bits later. So - casting. Martin Freeman was excellent as Arthur Dent. I couldn’t picture it before I saw it. Zooey Deschanel improved after being kidnapped. But Sam Rockwell (Zaphod) and Mos Def (Ford Prefect) were awful choices. They were both OK, but neither were stunning as their parts. Obviously, this could depend on what you think they’re like. I’ve only read the books (deliberately) so I don’t know if they’re like the TV or Radio versions. Everyone else, marvellous. Stephen Fry was excellent as expected, Marvin was so depressed, and don’t Bill Nighy and John Malkovich look similar?
Anyhow, on to the film proper. It’s very well done, the attention to detail is astounding, and very Douglas Adams like. I mean a vogon Fire Exit sign… The scenes inside Magrathea were lovely, and I’m going to sit at the front on Monday so I can immerse myself. IMAX version please! The music was excellent (apart from thefilmworks usual crappy sound system going wrong half way through) and, to be honest, I enjoyed it thoroughly.
As usual with films I really love, I find it impossible to say all I love about it, just highlight the bad bits. So sorry, all I can say is that it was excellent. 9/10, one missing for the points highlighted above.
So long, and thanks for all the fish.
This review first appeared here, and appears courtesy of me.