h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Well, I am going to buy all the books again anyway. But my impression was that Marvin was like the Eyore-Robot. Even funnier than sleek for that. Only my opinion then. Like the cheesey Darleks and vacuum cleaner bots of Dr. Who, their clunkiness made them, somehow, to me at least, much more approachable.

I don't think I will see the movie now. I want my fantasies intact. haha

I saw the original TV series only 2 years ago, funny that it was filmed the year I was born (i could be wrong on that!, it was the early eighties wasn't it?) I brought a friend to the cinema with me that had never even heard of the hitchhikers guide (yes I know, what rock was she living under?!) I loved the TV series, so true to the books and just so effortlessly funny! I had so many problems with the movie, The song with the dolphins at the start, I was cringing! It was terrible! Then they screwed up arthers protest at having his house demolished, in the TV series and book, Ford has a witty conversation with the supervisor of the demolition crew which results in the supervisor actually lying down in front of the JCB! Just giving the workers a load of beer was silly. How did they cast the actress that played Trillian, was it, to use a Fr. Ted -ism "collect tweleve crisp packets" and play the part of Trillian??? My friend really enjoyed the movie, I left disappointed. I can't deny that I laughed at parts of it. I love Aland Rickman so it was great to hear him as Marvin.

I think you're comparing the movie to the tv series too much, EE. They can't 'screw up' something in the movie because it's completely different and not *supposed* to be exactly like the tv series. They just did it differently. You may not agree with what they did, but it was just a different shot at the same general concepts. I very much enjoyed the movie - and I thought Trillian was a *huge* improvement on whats-her-name from the tv series.

The TV Trillian was far too ditzy and blonde.

I only saw the TV version twice (and that was last year due to fact that I broke up with boyfriend and ex-boyfriends father has it on DVD!)(thats another story altogether!) and I've read the book so many times now its scary. I just really didn't think that either Trillian did Trillian in the book any justice. Thing 50 had it spot on a few postings ago, about the hollywood influence, i think that scared me off scared me off. Saying that I do realise that some things had to be changed to fit the story into a movie time frame.

I must admit that I loved the loyalty - continuity of the actors (some of them) in the BBC tv show show with whom Douglas actually did the radio show or went to school with him - like Zaphod. I am so scared that this Zaphod will be glam and not the odd partner to Ford that I am seeking from reading those marvelous books.

And I am slowly realizing that I am in love with Douglas' mind and self and another movie does not necessarily mean a single thing to me.

Does anyone know what Jane - Douglas' wife thinks about this site or the movie? I would treasure her views for she knew hium better than anyone.

Love to Jane and Polly. May you thrive and survive! Hugs all round! I am singing to you two from my heart. Always.

I liked the movie Zaphod, he portrays the insane idiocy suggested in the books/radio play a lot better than Mark Wing-Davey... although Mark *did* have a much better handle on the cool aspect.

Sam Rockwell does a wonderful turn as Zaphod.
When I saw and heard the dolphin song, I thought the film looks promising... however it developed into a terribly average film... What I and about half of Hitchhikers fans like about the book/TV show/Radio play, is that it is a reflection on the sheer absurdity of life in all its glorious mundane-ity... What the film gave us was an absurdly mundane film. Yes, it had it's moments and some good performances from just about everyone apart from Martin Freeman and whoever played Trillian, who both gave the most vacuous and empty performances... They make Keanu Reeves talents seem suddenly more comparable with the likes of DeNiro [in his great performances in the previous century].

Jokes and funny moments were lost to the tidying up of the Hitchhikers story to make more fitting the bog-standard plot-system of movies and some of course were lost because they would be incomprehensible to the USians or in the case of "God disappears in a puff of logic" deeply offensive.

If you watch carefully in it, you'll notice a lot of things still from the book/radio/tv series. For example, they didn't forget the Jeweled Scintillating Crabs or Deer they mention with the entry on vogons.

All in all, its a good movie. Very british in feel to it, Very 21st century, and worth watching.

I understood that this film was meant to be a new version, not the same as the earlier versions (which were each slightly different). Overall I thought it was great, with enough of the old favourite combined with some new features to make it good watching.

Yes, there were some aspects I thought should have stayed in e.g. Deep Thought was all a bit superficial & Arther trying to get his cup of tea from the ship's computer.
However, some great innovations & I felt that modern techniques weren't used for the sake of gimmicks, but were really effective in creating the atmosphere.

I didn't like Marvin at first, but actually I think it worked well, looking like a jolly Japanese toy, but moving & sounding depressed.

marvin (or rather images of marvin) do appear in the film twice.
look at the microphone that drops out of the ceiling of the vogon spacecraft, look at the profile really closely.
If that's not old style marvin i'm a dutchman.

I would... but that would mean watching the film again.