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By
WAYNE KLEIN
This is the way the world
ends. This is the way the world ends. Not with a
bang but an intergalactic freeway bypass. The
intergalactic freeway is going to run through our
neighborhood. The only problem is that Earth has
to be destroyed to clear the way for it. All
apologies given, the world is destroyed but not
before Ford Prefect (Mos Def) a visiting alien
provides the last ride out for Arthur Dent (Martin
Freeman). The rest of humanity isn't quite as
lucky. Dent goes on a rollicking adventure with
Prefect and his copy of the ultimate travel guide
the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
Along the way Dent meets Trillian (Zooey
Deschanel) another human that he develops the hots
for, Zaphod Beeblebrox (the very funny Sam
Rockwell) who makes Earthling party animals appear
to be stoic teetotalers. Probably the most
unnerving person he meets in his journey is Humma
Kavula a weird religious leader that worships the
giant nose that sneezed the universe into being.
Luckily we have the dry and morose wit of the
perpetually depressed/paranoid Marvin the android.
What more could you possibly want? Singing
dolphins?
Douglas Adams original book wasn't much of a
novel. Instead it was a series of loosely
connected episodes or vignettes with Dent and his
compatriots at the middle of the action. As a
satire "Hitchhiker's Guide" works surprisingly
well in this well made film. Yes, it's different
from the book. Just as the book was different from
the radio play and the TV adaptation and that's
just as Adams intended it. Prior to joining the
big G, Adams wrote the screenplay leaving detailed
notes about what he wanted to see in the movie.
Director Garth Jennings is largely faithful to
those notes and where they made departures it made
narrative sense to do so.
Featuring the usual assortment of stunning visual
effects, creature effects and tea the film lives
up to the potential that Adams envisioned. If it's
possible to capture the spirit of such an absurd
novel, Jennings has done so with remarkable
accuracy. Add in the DVD extras including deleted
scenes, fake deleted scenes, a sing along of "So
Long & Thanks for the Fish" performed by (yes!)
singing dolphins, "Hitchhiker" is a grand
adventure. It also comes along at a perfect time
to take the stuffing out of those pretentious
science fiction movies of the last couple of years
that wanted to make you "think."
We also get a decent featurette on the making of
the film, two commentary tracks featuring
Executive Producer Sean Salle and a separate track
with the actors and the film's producer. Finally
there's a game -- "Marvin's Hangman" which will
provide entertainment for those who choose to
remain drunk during the entire movie. I hope that
we see sequels. We still have to eat at "The
Restaurant at the End of the Universe" to see the
menu and at the very least discover the secret of
the universe. |
