KATHY: I liked this, but not as much as I Liked the TV series. Basically everything was here but some of the original better jokes were missing. There were a couple of cameo performances - Arthur Dent appeared as a hologram and the original Marvin robot was in the queue of aliens in he Vogon waiting room - which were good to see but the rest of this film I found to be unexceptional. The main interest for me was to see how the film was made to someone else's perception of the original. The best part of the film for me was the journey of Arthur and Slartybartfast through the workshop(s) of Magrathea. In summary, this was an ordinary film, well worth seeing but not amusing in itself. 7 Out Of 10 PAUL: I (unlike someone not 1,000 miles away) was expecting the film to veer slightly off from the radio/TV series/books as each of those versions contradicted itself.
However it veered WILDLY off course. In fact the movie strays a little too much for my liking.
Dull set pieces involving new material wind up pushing some of the best comedy material out the way. The hilarious Babel Fish V's God argument is dropped for one.
Then there is the guide itself. On radio the guide always had an amusing tale to tell. On TV the guide did likewise with some hilarious animation. Alas here the guide (voiced brilliantly by Stephen Fry) becomes more of a narator than anything. And very few slices of the actual guide are used. Which is a pity as the few we are treated to are well done (I liked the animation).
Alan Rickman does a decent enough job handling Marvin's vocals. But I'm sorry there will only ever be ONE Marvin...Stephen Moore who played the character on Radio, Television AND audio book format is sorely missed here.
There is a LOT of good to be found in THHGTTG. The acting has nothing too hammy about it and the special effects are good. But alas there is too much that doesn't work here that the film cannot raise much above average. I left the cinema feeling with a sense that the film had been more about laying the framework for a franchise than being concerned about itself.
Wait for the DVD.
6/10
However it veered WILDLY off course. In fact the movie strays a little too much for my liking.
Dull set pieces involving new material wind up pushing some of the best comedy material out the way. The hilarious Babel Fish V's God argument is dropped for one.
Then there is the guide itself. On radio the guide always had an amusing tale to tell. On TV the guide did likewise with some hilarious animation. Alas here the guide (voiced brilliantly by Stephen Fry) becomes more of a narator than anything. And very few slices of the actual guide are used. Which is a pity as the few we are treated to are well done (I liked the animation).
Alan Rickman does a decent enough job handling Marvin's vocals. But I'm sorry there will only ever be ONE Marvin...Stephen Moore who played the character on Radio, Television AND audio book format is sorely missed here.
There is a LOT of good to be found in THHGTTG. The acting has nothing too hammy about it and the special effects are good. But alas there is too much that doesn't work here that the film cannot raise much above average. I left the cinema feeling with a sense that the film had been more about laying the framework for a franchise than being concerned about itself.
Wait for the DVD.
6/10
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