The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Directed by: Garth
Jennings
Starring: Martin Freeman, Mos Def, Sam Rockwell,
Zooey Deschanel, Alan Rickman
Review by : Li Rapkin
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If Douglas
Adams were still alive today, he'd probably still be writing
the film script to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
Adams was known for writing, re-writing, re-re-writing, sending
out, sending back, and occasionally burying in soft peat for
three months any given piece he was working on. He perfected
the art of procrastination, taking long baths and drinking
endless cups of tea as he listened to the whooshing
sound of passing deadlines. The books are a departure
from the original radio series, and the television series
is a departure from both. Therefore, there really isn't a
pure canon for the Hitchhiker's material. And yet...the
film bears about as much resemblance to the earlier material
as a porcupine does to a lemon wrapped 'round a large gold
brick. Ford Prefect is not American, Zaphod Beeblebrox is
not a redneck, and high production values can't save the film.
The script, in particular, is a disappointment as Adams's
original bitingly-satirical material is diluted by the most
predictable of Hollywood plot tropes. Chase scenes, boy rescues
girl, villains defeated, etc. There's not a whole lot of acting
going on, either.
That said...the
film starts off with an almost Monty Python-esque musical
number, "So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish." The soundtrack
also uses the main theme music from the television show, and
based on those criteria, I give it full soundtrack points.
Also, I can't find any fault with Alan
Rickman's voice work as Marvin; nor Bill
Nighy as Slartibartfast, and John Malkovich is appropriately
creepy as Humma Kavula. The Magrathean factory floor scene
is well-executed, although I would have liked to see the Magrathean
catalog also. The style of the actual Guide "book"
itself is a distinct departure from the style in the television
series; it looks a lot more like a web page, and the animation
style is very nouveau-retro. Fortunately, director Garth Jennings
did stick to the television series style of integrating the
Guide content into the narrative, so that extremely
important part of the film works. There are even a few easter
eggs for hardcore fans---the original Marvin prop in the background
of one scene, a cameo appearance by Simon Jones, and a planet
shaped like Douglas Adams's head in the Magrathean display
case. Overall, the spirit is willing, but the script is weak.
Li says "I'm going to have to find some friends who don't
know me."
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