5/8/2005: Views: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy 2005, dir. Garth Jennings
(Original TV mini-series is also available at Amazon.com)
It's good when they get it right. Hitchhiker's Guide has the right cast, the right script, and the right blend of silliness and state of the art effects.
It isn't surprising the screenplay is good: it was written by Douglas Adams, the guy who created the Hitchhiker's empire, even though he died in 2001. He's also credited as co-executive producer. It seems Adams had plans to make the movie since 1982, and it's been in "development hell" until now.
Not a lot has changed since the story debuted on British radio in 1974: it opens with hapless everyman Arthur Dent waking up to discover his house is about to be demolished for a highway bypass, minutes before Earth is about to be demolished for a hyperspace bypass. Arthur is rescued by his friend Ford Prefect, who turns out to be from another planet, and hilarity ensues.
They hitch a ride on a passing spaceship and at the mercy of creepy Vogons ("Resistance is useless"), and soon end up on the fabulous Heart of Gold spaceship, which has been stolen by the two-headed, three-armed president of the galaxy Zaphod Beeblebrox, who talks at times very much like Bill Clinton, and his earthling companion Trillian, whom Arthur had met at a party recently, and liked.
Martin Freeman ("The Office") plays Arthur, and Mos Def is every bit as good as Ford Prefect as he was playing Vivien Thomas in Something the Lord Made. Sam Rockwell and Zooey Deschanel are each ideal as Zaphod and Trillian respectively. John Malkovich appears as a religious leader on wheels in a segment that wasn't in any of the prior incarnations - Adams wrote it specifically for the 
movie. Bill Nighy (the aging pop star in Love Actually) is simply wonderful as fjord designer Slartibartfast on the legendary planet of Magrathea, which is every bit as fabulous as all the legends have said it is.
Of course, favorites from Sirius Cybernetics Corporation are also back: Marvin the Paranoid Android is as brilliant and miserable as ever and steals every scene he's in, not surprisingly since his voice is provided by Alan Rickman. The Guide itself is maybe not quite as good as it was in the TV miniseries - maybe it just seemed more high tech and must-have back in the pre-internet era. There is one glaring omission - the Guide's "mostly harmless" entry for Earth - but just about all the other gags and recurring themes are in place. The Vogons are suitably disgusting and creepy, but their poetry hasn't improved over the years.
Unlike other remakes that deny any reference to their predecessors, the new Hitchhiker's adds a really nice touch when we see the original TV Marvin standing in line at a Vogon bureaucracy center. Adams' likeness is also seen for a moment on Magrathea, and the end-credits begin with a simple but moving "To Douglas".
Aside from the various Hitchhiker's and Dirk Gently books, Douglas Adams left us with a fair bit of everyday items and vocabulary: the standard for web-based translation is Babel Fish, and notebook computers, PDAs, and cellphones have evolved into Guides of our own. He also wrote for "Dr. Who" and "Monty Python", appeared with the Stephen King/Dave Barry rock band at times, came up with the title for Pink Floyd's The Division Bell, and later worked for ecological causes. But it's Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy that depicts his genius best.. it's too bad he didn't live to see this new excellent version, it's the hoopiest.
And, in spite of my recent anti-sequel, anti-remake rant, the good news is that there will be at least one more Hitchhiker's volume for the big screen: the movie ends with our goony quartet of anti-heroes heading off to The Restaurant at the End of the Universe.. I wonder who the Dish of the Day will be.
Little-known fact: the Hitchhiker's theme song used for all versions is by the Eagles, surprisingly. It's on 1975's One of These Nights - click the link and listen to the WMP clip and then the Real.
Arthur wonders how to resist some Vogons; and Zaphod, Trillian, Marvin and Ford on the bridge of the Heart of Gold:
Humma Kavula travels down a table; and the Magrathea factory floor:
