Stars: Martin Freeman, Mos Def, Sam Rockwell, Zooey Deschanel, Stephen Fry

Director: Garth Jennings

Summary: Arthur Dent's day couldn't get much worse. Not only is his home about to be demolished, but Earth itself is to be obliterated in order to make way for an intergalactic highway. Luckily Arthur is saved from almost certain death by his friend Ford Prefect, who is actually an alien...

The long-awaited film version of Douglas Adams' THE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY, based on his five-book series, is a funny, wacky, highly creative ride through a bizarre universe. Martin Freeman (Tim from THE OFFICE) stars as Arthur Dent, a British everyman suddenly thrust into intergalactic intrigue when the earth is destroyed by the Vogons to make room for an interspatial highway. Arthur travels the skyways with good friend Ford Prefect (Mos Def), an alien writer for an electronic encyclopedia called THE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY. Things get downright dangerous--and absolutely hysterical--when Arthur and Ford thumb a ride with the president of the universe, two-headed Zaphod Beeblebrox (a wild and crazy Sam Rockwell); earthling Tricia McMillan (Zooey Deschanel), whom Arthur once had a thing for back in England; and a perpetually depressed robot named Marvin (voiced by Alan Rickman, played by Warwick Davis). With much of the galaxy after them, the motley crew makes its way toward a super-computer that just might be able to provide them with the ultimate question; they already know the answer. Based on a second-draft script written by Adams himself, who died shortly thereafter, H2G2 is a winning film that rightfully earns its place in the storied HITCHHIKER'S lore. And for an extra little bonus, make sure to sit through all of the credits.

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Average User Rating:

Reviewed by: cooljimbop
Posted on October 8, 2005 2:33 PM

As a fan of the book I was surprised how different in parts this film is. Several new storylines are introduced, which I found distanced me from the plot. Fans of the book may get the humour more, but have laughed at all the jokes before anyway. The casting ranges from good (Mos Def surprisingly) to not so good (Martin Freeman). It is definitely enjoyable and warm and fuzzy but you can't help feeling it could be so much better. Approach with a pinch of salt, it definitely has appeal, but to who I don't know.

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Don't panic! After twenty years stuck in development (a mere blink compared to how long it takes to find the answer to life, the universe, and everything), The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxyhas finally been turned into a movie. Following the radio play, TV series, commemorative towel, and books, this latest installment in the sci-fi-comedy franchise is based on the screenplay and detailed notes by Douglas Adams. For those unfamiliar with the story, everyman Arthur Dent (Martin Freeman) wakes up one morning to discover that his house is set to be demolished to make room for a bypass. Little does he know the entire planet Earth is also set to be destroyed for an interplanetary bypass by the Vogons, a hideous and bureaucratic race of aliens realized in the film by Jim Henson's Creature Shop. Whisked off the planet by his best friend, alien-in-disguise Ford Prefect (Mos Def), Dent embarks on a goofy jaunt across the galaxy accompanied by his trusty Hitchhiker's Guide, which looks like a really fancy PDA. The guide itself provides some of the funniest bits of the movie, little animated shorts that explain the ludicrous life forms and extraterrestrial phenomena our heroes encounter. Along the way Arthur meets the two-headed party animal/president of the galaxy Zaphod Beeblebrox (Sam Rockwell) and develops an unrequited crush on fellow earthling Trillian (Zooey Deschanel). The creatures and sets are inspired and answer to the sci-fi fan's primal need to see lots and lots of cool stuff. Where the story stumbles is in the telling--as books, the Hitchhiker's Guide was foremost about goofy and brilliant ideas that raised questions about our place in the universe while getting a laugh. The movie has enough trouble figuring out how to get the characters from one fantastical location to the next that Adams's funniest concepts often feel left in the dust. While the reverence the filmmakers felt toward Adams's legacy is apparent, one wonders what we could have expected had the creator of this science fiction universe lived to see it with his own eyes. --Ryan Boudinot, Amazon.com

Aspect Ratio:	2.35 Wide Screen
Main Language:	English
Region:	Region 2
Special 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
Subtitles:	English
Year:	2005
Release Date:	September 5, 2005
Runtime:	104 minutes
Certification:
Catalogue Number:	B U A 0003701
Keywords:	Guide, Galaxy, Comedy, Two, General, Fiction, Science, Horror, Discs, Sci, Fi, Hitchhiker's
Genre:	Science Fiction