Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy

Don't Panic

Or at least that is what they want you to think. The makers of this moovie should definitely be the ones to be panicking here. I cannot think there is much payoff here for anyone who hasn't read the book and even those people will be disappointed. "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" is a rush job to what appears to be an adaptation from the book of the same name.

The movie begins with Arthur Dent, an Englishmen, trying to stop a team of bulldozers from demolishing his house. It appears that a bypass will be built and apparently not bypassing his house. Arthur's alien friend, Ford Prefect (played by Mos Def), convinces Arthur to take a trip down with him to a local pub to tell him that the world is ending and in the meantime Arthur's house is destroyed.

Well Ford is right and the Earth is destroyed to make way for....wait for it...an intergalactic superhighway. Well seconds before the Earth's demise, Ford rescues the pair by hitchhiking on one of the ships sent to destroy the planet. Their adventure continues as they try to escape from the ship ran by the Vogons (pictured on the right) and find their way about the galaxy.

To understand the moovie you have to appreciate the books. To appreciate the moovie you just have to like crap because other than a few good special effects you have a very confusing storyline and are often left asking what just happened or what did he just say? Don't panic....right.

The Ups: Well it is close to the book...well closer than other adaptations I have seen. The actors were well casted and there was plenty of eye candy with the special effects. The moovie does have it's share of funny parts and a few laugh out loud situations occur.

The Downs: You start out at a huge disadvantage if you are unfamiliar with the book. Even people who read the book will have a hard time understanding what is exactly happening or why they are doing something a certain way at times (ex. Those damn towels they carry around all the time). I'm a firm believer that you shouldn't have to read the book to reach a certain level of appreciation for a moovie and that watching a moovie should entice some to read the book. Well this does neither.

Overall: I understand that most of the underexplained and vague humor in the moovie is the same type that made the book so good. However it simply does not work well in this format. It is not like The Big Lebowski where you can watch it several times and it is funnier each time because of some joke or situation you pick up on that you didn't before. There is no replay value here to allow a joke a second chance. If you are looking for a sci-fi moovie with elements of a comedy then this is a passable rental however the rest of you should move on.

Verdict: 2 loose cans of Beast Ice found rolling around your trunk from last weekend.