The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

[Manic Webb]

I've had this crazy Marvin avatar for the past few months, so it sort of goes without saying that I saw this movie on opening day.

I walked into the theatre with my towel wrapped around my neck and everything (read the book to find out the significance of towels). My expectations were fairly low, so I wouldn't let myself be disappointed by looking for the greatest movie ever created. Don't get me wrong; the books made me giggle, but I wasn't rolling on the floor with each page I turned.

I was disappointed that I was the only person there with a towel. Then a family of four (a father, 3 daughters) came in covered with towels, and I was happy.

It wasn't the funniest movie I'd ever seen, but it was good enough for me to enjoy myself. It was a great mix of comedy and fantasy. By that, I mean the visuals were fantastic, and the end of the movie was just such a nice thing to watch.

I'd seen the [spoiler]opening dolphin[/spoiler] sequence online last week, and I thought it was terrible. However, when they ran the credits through it, it felt more like an opening sequence, and was quite enjoyable. Ah, I never enjoy online clips as much as I enjoy the same scene when I see it in context.

It was a good, fun movie. Nothing mind-blowing, but enjoyable. There are more moments that'll have you smiling and chuckling than cackling like a crazy person.

I don't feel like I wasted my money, if that counts for anything.

I've been hearing complaints that Zaphod Beeblebrox (President of the Galaxy) parallels with G.W. Bush. It didn't bother me at all. Not because I'm anti-Bush ('cause I was a big fan of Clinton, and I loved seeing him get made fun of). I just think we need to stop taking politics so seriously in places where we shouldn't be taking them seriously at all. It's a movie that takes place in outerspace. To quote Trillian, "we're on a spaceship, Arthur!"

[boxybrown305]

[COLOR=DarkRed]I'm very interested in seeing this movie. The books were good, and there looks to be some good effects in the movie. I wonder if they're planning on making a [B]Restaurant at the End of the Universe[/B]...[/COLOR]

[Nomad]

I'm really looking forward to seeing this movie tomorrow (not opening day like others because I hate opening days because of the crowds). The movie and the book won't be exactly the same but what can you expect when Hollywood gets their hands on a good book? I know alot of people who went today though, and they also had their towels, you gotta have your towel where ever you go you know, and I'd have been with my towel also but, stated before, I don't do opening days lol.

With some of the things they left out, I don't think this movie will be as good as I thought I would have been, but I'll have to judge that when I see it. I re-read the first two books (HHGG, The Retaurant at the End of the Universe) last week to refresh my memory on everything.

Can't really say anything else at the moment. Probably will reply/edit when I see the movie.

[Manic Webb]

Actually, original author Douglas Adam wrote the script shortly before passing away, with touch-ups done by another person. He added quite a few extra scenes, characters, and subplots, himself. Changes from the book are pretty much expected, as Mr. Adams made a habit of changing the story everytime he wrote it. The book was different from the original radio show, which was different from the TV series, ect.

[Dagger]

I'm going to watch this tonight. The TV promo made me a little wary (it seemed more like the trailer for a low-budget action flick than something based on a Douglas Adams book), but so far the reviews seem to be surprisingly positive. So I'm looking forward to seeing how the movie turns out.

~Dagger~

[r2vq]

[quote name='Dagger']it seemed more like the trailer for a low-budget action flick than something based on a Douglas Adams book[/quote]

I saw the movie the day it came out. I skipped school to see it.

Mind you, I've been a big H2G2 fan since I read the trilogy in five parts so this post might be biased.

----

The Graphics were beautiful. Except maybe the unrealistic feel Zaphods extra limbs gave at times.
[B]Dagger-dono[/B] the extent at which the Jim Henson puppets were controlled were closer to realistic than anything I've seen in the past. Also, the Guide itself was more beautiful than I could have dreamed.
The scenes Arthur shares with Slartibartfast were my favourite. Almost made me more so of an environmentalist.

The script, as Manic Webb stated, was written by Douglas Adams himself. It stayed true to the original spirit of the series and any changes that were made only proved to improve the story.

Unfortunately many of the jokes were cut out, namely my favourite: BEWARE THE LEOPARD.

A few other things I would say are a negative would be the "love" relationship they stuck in, and the lack of digital watch jokes. (Honestly, I think Arthur fit with that girl from [I]So Long and Thanks for All the Fish[/I])

My other complaints are as near to nothing as makes no odds. ;)

5/5
Sue me I'm biased. XP

[quote]The book was different from the original radio show, which was different from the TV series, ect.[/quote]
So that nobody gets confused the [b]Radio Show[/b] (in 1977?) came first, then the [b]Book[/b] (in 1979), then the [b]TV Series[/b] (in 1981). The appearance of the TV Series scared me...

Edit: Actually, since Last night I've been listening to the most recent addition to the radio show. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Tertiary Phase (2005) and I can't wait for the Quandary and Quintessential Phases coming out on May 3 2005. ^^
MP3 Trailier - [url]http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/hitchhikers/media/hitchhikers_trail2.ram[/url]

-ArV

[Kamuro]

I don't usually like seeing movies created after books. Books are so detailed and intimate its hard to bring that to the movie screen. They always seem to take the best parts out during the transition and its disappointing to see one of your favorite books in a completely different light. However, I heard this movie was pretty good. Since I've read the books I have been weary to see the movie, but I hope to check it out soon.

[Nomad]

[COLOR=DimGray][SIZE=1]I just got home from the movie. I thought it was excellent (with the exception of the omittions of most of the jokes I loved and information you'd need to fully understand things). The addition of the new things/people/situations were great, with the exception of why the mice where played by children, didn't really understand that.

I loved how the Guide was organized and how it was made to look. The graphics of this movie where better than I had imagined and the Jim Henson animatronics. The Vogons looked realistic enough to actually believe it was actually there talking to the actors.

Another thing I like is the 'cameo' like appearances in the movie. (Don't know whether to add spoiler tags so I'll do it anyway).[/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=1][SPOILER]I liked how they used the original Marvin robot in the scene where Arthur, Zaphod and Ford where going to rescue Trillian from the Vogons. I thought it was the original, but I had doubts until the ending credits when they credited the use of it.

I also like how they used the original Arthur actor (Simon Jones) as the Ghostly Voice who greats the crew as they arrive on Magrathea and tells them the missles are being launched at them.[/SPOILER][/SIZE]

[SIZE=1][COLOR=DimGray]These little things make me happy. Reading the books and/or seeing the series and/or listening to the radio show helps alot when watching this movie, but overall I'd see the movie over and over again. I give it a 5 out of 5. *thumbs up*[/COLOR][/SIZE]

[r2vq]

[QUOTE=Nomad][SPOILER]I liked how they used the original Marvin robot in the scene where Arthur, Zaphod and Ford where going to rescue Trillian from the Vogons. I thought it was the original, but I had doubts until the ending credits when they credited the use of it.

I also like how they used the original Arthur actor (Simon Jones) as the Ghostly Voice who greats the crew as they arrive on Magrathea and tells them the missles are being launched at them.[/SPOILER][/SIZE]
[/QUOTE]

I noticed both of those. The latter was my favourite part of the entire movie. I just love the original actors for the series, and how all the little things they put in for the devoted fans were a delight to see.

It's a strange little thrill seeing [spoiler]Arthur watching Arthur[/spoiler]. Though, I doubt cameos need spoilers.

After a little searching, I found a picture with [spoiler]both Marvins[/spoiler] beside each other taken during production. It was cute. ^^

To Nomad and anyone else that's seen this movie. I didn't stay for the credits, was there a gag I missed halfway/after the credits? If there was could you describe it? With spoiler tags if necessary.

-ArV

[Nomad]

[COLOR=DarkGreen][SIZE=1]Don't know if I need spoilers so I'll put it anyway. :D.[/SIZE][/COLOR]

[COLOR=DarkOliveGreen][SIZE=1][SPOILER]After the first ending song (So Long & Thanks for all the Fish), the guide entry on pointless comments is shown. If you've read the book it's where Arthur says something about his life and when Slartibartfast asks him what he said Arthur states 'Oh, nothing.'. Then we see the comment being taken into a time warp thing where it goes to a spot where two alien races are fighting. The two leaders are talking, when all of a sudden they fall silent. Then Arthur's comment drifts across the table and is heard by the two. In their native tounges his comment is an insult (or something, don't remember), so the two fight for a long time, then they find out the comment came from earth so the two join up and go after earth.

After alot of traveling they reach earth, and they've miscalculated the size of themselves and are eaten by a small dog.

In the movie, the comment is when Arthur says something about his towel. And the two aliens race directly toward earth instead of fighting each other for a while.

And that's all that was in the credits.[/SPOILER][/SIZE][/COLOR]

[COLOR=DarkGreen][SIZE=1]I think that should cover it. If I missed something or said something incorrectly I'm sure someone will correct me. :)[/SIZE][/COLOR]

[Lord Dante]

Movie comes out over here soon. it looks good, especially the trailer i've seen where they "demolish" the earth.

[Dagger]

I enjoyed the film. It wasn't anything life-changing, but it was less awkward than I had expected (although the romantic parts made me want to throw things--I kind of loved to hate Trillian in the book, and toning down her character in the movie really didn't do anything for me).

In any case, Mos Def was brilliant. Definitely the best actor in the entire cast.

~Dagger~

[Syk3]

I saw the movie with my mom and brother on Friday since we didn't have school. I thought it was.. a good movie, I suppose. I mean, it was interesting and kept my attention, so I liked it, but I think that I was expecting a little more from it. And in my opinion, the trailer made it look a lot more fantastic than what really delivered.

The movie tended to skip around a bit more than I would have liked, I think. They were going from one place to another and I wasn't quite understanding why, so I guess the transitions could have been done a little better, since I could tell that they were just taking particular parts from the book. I also think that the character could have been a little more surprised at what was going on, and some of the jokes weren't that funny. But that's just me. :/

[Fairy Dust]

I saw the Hitchhikers guide to the Galaxy last Saturday! I really enjoy it!

I'd advise you - and anyone enjoyed the film and is a fan of HG2G you should try to hunt down the original radio series, if you liked the film you'll love this.

Also, if you go to
[URL=http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/hitchhikers/game.shtml ]http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/hitchhikers/game.shtml [/URL]
You can play the old 1980's infocom adventure that Douglas Adams co-wrote, I find it really addictive :animestun

[Xander Harris]

I felt it needed a little less
Galaxy Quest, and a little more Monty Python. The cynicism and irreverence
seemed to be lost a bit in the translation... however, we can't complain too
much, since Douglas Adams wrote most of the screenplay before his death. I
liked several of the things they added, like the gun, actually going to the
nose planet, and the things that hit people whenever they had an idea.

It was a good movie, and funny, but yeah, I think that I personally would
have liked it even more had the Disney moments been eliminated.

That said, apart from what I thought the movie should have been, and just
taking it at face value, I thought the love story and the actual character
development (it's rare that a movie has more than the book lol) weren't that
bad. Like I said, the movie felt like Galaxy Quest, and I liked it on the
same level as that movie. But the edges were too rounded, the jokes too
padded, drawn out and clean, and the flavor too sweet to put it in the same
ballpark as something like Happy Gilmore or Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

It was a fun movie, but not a masterpiece. The special effects, however,
were topnotch. I really loved the scene with the planets under
construction. For once, special effects actually felt special again for a
very brief moment.

[Gavin]

[SIZE=1]I went to see Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy on Saturday night with my family, I read the books a few months back and found them to be very funny, but the movie to me just seemed to lack that certain something to make it as funny. We were late getting into the cinema so I missed probably the first three or four minutes, but I really doubt that seeing the [spoiler]dolphin sequence[/spoiler] would have changed my mind.

Even though Adam's wrote part of the script before he passed aware, I still feel that it wasn't as good as the book version. Several things about they characters irked me a bit too, [spoiler]what was with Zaphod's second head being under the first one ?[/spoiler] Alan Rickman was the perfect voice for Marvin and I really did enjoy his lines in the film, his overall look for the film was great. Stephen Fry as the voice of the Guide was quite good, his seemed to lend an air of genuine intelligence to it.

Good film, not as good as the books in my opinion, but definitely worth a go.[/SIZE]