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Back Shelf Beauties
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The Hitchhiker's Guide Break out your bikinis, buy some sunscreen (SPF 30, we don't want any nasty burns) and fire up the barbecue. The summer movie season has begun with a possible huge blockbuster. So, don't let the gentle breezes, cold nights, and blooming flowers fool you. If Hollywood says it's summer, then IT'S SUMMER, whether you like it or not!!! Based on the popular book by the same name, Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy features Martin Freeman as Arthur Dent - a normal, somewhat milquetoast Brit whose home is about to be destroyed to aid the building of a new bypass. As Arthur tries to save his home, his friend, Ford (Mos Def), shows up with some explosive news. Ford is an alien, and he wants to save Arthur before the entire planet Earth is destroyed to make way for an intergalactic super highway (funny how these government agencies all work the same). Once they escape, Ford and Arthur embark on an adventure that has them being chased by the Vogons (the bureaucrats of the universe who destroyed Earth), meeting up with some surprising people from Arthur's past and searching for something very big. Can Arthur and Ford survive this adventure? Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy is a quirky, wacky comedy equally smart and silly with plenty of the Monty Python influence (not a stretch since the author did some work with the group). Director Garth Jennings allows characters created by writer Douglas Adams (with some help from co-screenwriter Karey Kirkpatrick) to be as goofy as they want to be (as goofy as me after an all night bender of Ben and Jerry's Chunky Monkey, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and Diet Cherry Coke), which leads to many laughs and a movie not all wrapped up in trying to find the meaning of life. Jennings keeps the pace up as the movie progresses, but, sometimes, it feels like Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy is a bit too wedded to the special effects and trying to pack everything in to avoid protests from fans of the book, who will be upset if their favorite part is not included. We are treated to many hilarious, imaginative and visually charming sequences where Ford and Arthur look for answers in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - a guidebook which serves as the repository of all knowledge (like an internet in your hands, without the porn, pop-up ads and misinformation), but we don't get too much character development. A little more exposition about events in Arthur's life that made him into the person is he is today or more flashbacks to show the relationship between Ford and Arthur would have been great. We get one of each of those, and they are very effective, but only whet our appetites for more information. Instead, Jennings and crew seem to be rushing to include as much from the book as they can. While Freeman is the star of the movie, the supporting cast steals the show out from under the leading man. Sam Rockwell is very funny as the cocky, kind of dumb President of the Universe, Zaphod Beeblebrox. It's a ridiculous character, but he never alienates the audience or lets the character become too dumb to watch. We are amused by his antics, not repulsed. Also, Alan Rickman, one of my favorite actors, provides the riotous voice of Marvin - a manically depressed robot. With some of the movie's funniest lines at the best moments, Rickman and Marvin are what you will be discussing and quoting as you leave the theater. He brilliantly makes Marvin into a sad sack who thinks the whole universe is against him when it's not ignoring him. Another voice to listen for is from Thomas Lennon as Eddie the Computer - a ship's computer sickeningly happy and chipper as it carries out your every command. I won't get into comparing the book and the movie, or nitpicking what was left out, since I try to judge movies based on what I see on the screen. Also, I don't read. Reading just ruins the end of the movie when they make a movie out of the book. What's the fun in that? Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy is rated PG, so you will want to be careful with younger children as the movie features the destruction of Earth, characters being chased and shot at, and some ugly space creatures. 3 ½ Waffles (Out Of 4) Copyright 2005 - WaffleMovies.com
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