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

I realise it has been released here (Australia) earlier than most places so i won't reveal too much of the plot

As someone old enough to have listened to the radio series, bought the records and read all the books I really enjoyed it and thought they dealt very well with finding a balance between what was in the book and what would work in the movie.

The cast is fantastic, although i did have an Office moment right at the start, and there are plenty of book references for fans.

Most importantly, they will have to make a sequel or 3. Oh, and i want one of those bread knifes !

So, i'd be interested to hear what other people thought, and someone was going to start one of these threads, so it may as well be me

I forgot to say that i don't like the dolphin song much.

Who *would* like the dolphin song? It felt a bit like a farce at the start, which isn't a bad thing, but the song was pretty dreadful! But that's not important, it's a much better film than the opening credits! I loved all the inter-references with the book, radio and TV series - watch out for the 'old' Marvin and the most gratuitous use of the word 'Belgium' in a screenplay I didn't feel that it did complete justice, of course, and there were a couple of bits which left me thinking "Now if only they'd done it like *this* instead" but that's only to be expected really, and they're more than made up for by the myriad bits where I thought "That's perfect!" Anyway, I've just gotten back from seeing it so I don't have much distance from it, but for those about to see it - I wish I could be seeing it for the first time again with you!

http://www.sunherald.com/mld/sunherald/entertainment/11507928.htm

Don't read the link if you want to remain in slight suspence untill you actually see the film.

Oh, and the casting was pretty spot-on I thought; I was a little unsure about both Arthur and Ford to begin with (particularly Ford's accent) but it quickly began to feel just about right. The diversions from the storyline (without wanting to say too much, of *course* there were diversions! As Douglas said, this film 'specifically contradicts the first book') were *mostly* fitted in well, and did the job of making the film vaguely comprehensible and coherent for non-fanatics (whatever they might be!) But I can't say much more until the rest of the world catches up - come on, what's keeping you??

I also thought the casting was good.Thankfully the original music also got a run


Trillian in shorts

Damn, i missed the old Marvin. I suspect there are a lot of little things that could be picked up on repeated viewings.

Well, I had sinking feelings from the start.

What's with the stupid "so long, and thanks for all the fish" cheesy song at the beginning? I was beginning to think I'd missed the first three movies, and that this one was going to be based on the forth book.

I thought Martin Freeman was okay. Not great, but he did the job. Ford was alright too. The guy who played Zaphod was awful. He was just too zany. Zaphod is an intelligent character that appears stupid when he wants to, but this guy played him as if he was thick the whole time......

Alan Rickman was good as Marvin, but I think he would have made a better Slartibartfast than Bill Nighy... why couldn't they have got Stephen Moore to do it? Stephen Fry was okay as the book, but lets face it no one can replace Peter Jones. I think the voice of the book in the Tertiary Phase would have been a better choice for the movie.

My biggest problem though was with the editing. The new scenes seemed to go on for ages, whilst the scenes that actually come from the book were cut short. All the gags were there, but they seemed to be missing their punch lines. In the airlock, Ford agrees they're going to die and then goes onto say "No, wait whats this... (fiddles with something) ... oh no it's nothing" without Arthur really even noticing never mind getting excited that Ford may have found a way out only to find he was joking. Not much is made of Vogon poetry either. The entry from the book is there, but Ford and Arthurs experience of it lacks detail, again it just feels rushed.

Similarly with Deep Thought. They ask the question, and Deep Thought replys yes I can do it but you'll have to come back in seven and a half million years. Yes, the joke is there but where's the build up? It loses it's impact and simply becomes unfunny. I mean how much extra time would it have added to the film to do it properly? "Seven... and a half....", "What, not till next week?", "Million..... years....."

Deep Thought in general was a real disappointment. Deep Thought is supposed to be this spectacular computer with that deep resonating voice. But in the film he, sorry she, is voiced by a woman. And they've given her a really pathetic girly voice at that.

The party scene where Arthur first meets Trillian went on too long. As did the time they spent rescuing Trillian from the Vogons on Vogsphere.

I liked the scenes where the improbability drive was activated. Althought the Heart of Gold itself was wrong. It's supposed to look like a sleek running shoe.

It didn't really follow the book at all. But then I didn't expect it to, and that's not a problem. Every version of HitchHikers contradicted the one before it so why should this version be any different.

Overall, I have to say it's a thumbs down from me. Not inpressed.

How can you have missed the old Marvin? He was on screen from at least three camera angles, and had a huge close up at one point!!

BTW, if anyone's reading this who hasn't seen the movie yet, when you go remember to take your red/blue 3D glasses with you!!

Also did anyone else think the picture quality was really poor? What did they record it on, VHS or something? Maybe it was just the print my cinema had.

Thinking about it, I agree with you to a point about the editing Hoo, mainly because I did like the way those scenes have been done before. I disagree with you about Deep Thought though, I didn't think that there was much problem with the voice, besides the initial surprise on hearing it. And the picture quality was fine for me, but whether that's because you had a bad print or because I don't have high enough standards, I really couldn't say

I don't know, I just think that the way they did Deep Thought doesn't match at all the description in the book.

As to the picture, it probably is just me, I have particularly high standards when it comes to audio/video.....

The more I think about it the more I can't believe that the dolphin song didn't end up on the cutting room floor.

I mean, just what were they thinking?

definately the low point for mine.

I must have seen Marvin but not realised

Yes, i also liked the improbability drive stuff

Let me just say up front that I haven't seen it yet, but it occured to me....

Do you think it might have been a little more bang-on, if DNA was still around, or is it how you feel he would have gone with it (considering the change in file tech), inconsiistencies and all?

SC

ummm, make that "film tech"!

SC

I'm probably the only person in the world that loved the dolphin song at the beginning (but even more so at the end since I'm a fan of Neil Hannon) and I felt that the exodus of the dolphins started the film well - they are supposed to be a more intelligent species, after all.

I did feel a cheer welling up inside me when the original music played, however (hastily stifled of course - Brits don't do that kind of thing at the movies!) and I was almost apoplectic at seeing the 'original' Marvin - my son's arm must be black and blue (look, look.. it's MARVIN!!) - poor kid had never seen him before and didn't know what all the fuss was about!

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Not so sure on this one. Arthur is supposed to be pathetic and whiny, and I thought that MF carried this off well.

As for Ford... at first I thought it was Cat from Red Dwarf! He took a while to stop jangling my nerves, but once I got past that he was pretty good.

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Not sure he was being thick all the time, more that he was unendingly egocentric; there were occasional flashes of cunning intelligence. I liked the explanation for the 2 heads - that too much intelligence is a hindrance to being galactic president. This is probably the reason he was portrayed as thick - political comment couched in sci-fi comedy, anyone?

Alan Rickman being cast as the voice of Marvin was inspired. I can't stress enough how perfect his intonation of Marvin's familiar complaints were, and I have to disagree with Hoovooloo about Bill Nighy's Slartibartfast - I thought he was great, too; wonderful simpering and subservience to the pan-galactic beings. The main problem, caracter-wise, for me was Trillian. I don't feel that there was enough contrast; she was almost the straight-guy for the rest of the cast to bounce off.

As for Stephen Fry, his "voice of the book" was very close to what I remember from the TV series in terms of inflection and stress, and he just has one of those voices for me that is a pleasure to listen to anyway.

The new scenes were, IMO, well mixed with the old. One of the funniest parts of the film was the characters being smacked in the face by spade-like creatures(?) for having an idea.

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I agree with Hoovooloo to a point here. It wasn't so much a problem with the joke not working for me as the link between Deep Thought's response (I'll design a new computer) and the reason the earth was created. This would not have twigged with non-HHGTTG followers (i.e. my 12 year old son who has never been exposed to it before) until Slartibartfast takes Arthur to the construction yards - which I thought were breath-takingly done, by the way.

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Improbability Drive effects were wonderful - "Ford, I think I'm a sofa" - and I don't really see a problem with the shape of the ship being changed...

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I think you just hit the nail on the head here, Hoovooloo. DNA never told the story the exact same way twice in any medium. I went along knowing that there would be differences and prepared to embrace them if the film at least kept most of the spirit and entertained me which, IMHO, it did.

<< I felt that the exodus of the dolphins started the film well >>

I don't disagree there, I just think they made too much of it. I mean if they *really* wanted to include the dolphin song, surely it should have been the opening to the fourth movie? What are they now going to use for the into to So long, and thanks for all the fish?

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Ah, I'm not the only one then!!!

To me though, this puts the nail in the coffin for the dolphin song. It felt like the movie started twice. There was the dolphin theme tune, then the intro, then another theme tune. It would have been much better if it had opened straight to the movie, then hit you with the original theme tune. As you said, the original theme really gets the excitment going but sadly it only brings you back to normal after the cringworthy depression the dolphin song puts you in.

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I never said I didn't like Bill Nighy, he was pretty good. I just think Alan Rickman would have done the job better..... which would have also left open the voice of Marvin for Stephen Moore to step into his familar shoes.

<< One of the funniest parts of the film was the characters being smacked in the face by spade-like creatures(?) for having an idea. >>

No way, I'm sorry I have to disagree here. This was second only to the dolphin song as the worst scene in the film.......

I know DNA never told the story the same way in any medium, but with the film there was so much new stuff added that key scenes were either missing or cut short in order to make time for them. I just didn't seem to have the same feel as previous versions.

I think my favourite thing from the movie was seeing Ford use his towel a lot. To me in the book and the radio, a lot is made of the usefullness of towels but neither Ford or Arthur really use them that much. I know I said I hated the spade-creature scene, but seeing Ford struggle and capture it with his towel was good.

Quite enjoyed it, but was very disappointed. Eight of us went, and we all felt the same way. Too much of the original, beautifully written material was just left out to make way for, well, not much really. The original radio series would keep me in stitches for the first 3 or 4 listenings, but the film averaged about one small chuckle every ten minutes or so. They took all the jokes out - it's just not very funny any more.

I don't think it's a bad film, but they had the greatest story ever written to start with. It's a bit like taking a few threads from the Bayeux Tapestry and making them into a dishcloth.

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I would like to think that yes, if DNA had still been around that the crew wouldn't have lost their way so much. But without knowing how closely they stuck to DNAs script for the movie we'll never know.

I've just read the review that moke_paranoidandroid linked to in post 4, and I agree completely. As I've said, the bit the completely kills the film for me is that all the word play is gone. The jokes are there but the punchlines have been removed.