Hi, everyone. "Moriarty" here with some Rumblings From The Lab...
Man, I read that now-infamous MJ Sampson review of HHGTTG when I got back from London, and I’m sorry... it smells to me like sour grapes from someone who wishes he had been in charge of the film. I know I didn’t see the final cut of the film, but what I saw, I liked enormously. I’ll see the finished picture next week, and I’ll have a better idea then what was done to it since that early test screening. I have trouble believing they ruined the film so completely considering how good it was at that point.
Besides... so far, Sampson’s decidedly in the minority. Most of the reviews we’ve gotten, or which have appeared elsewhere, have been very enthusiastic. Check this one out, for example:
Heh Harry,
First time etc etc,
Just back from a press screening of The Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy.
First and foremost let me start by saying that I have not read any of Douglas Adams books, I have never heard the old BBC radio show and have only ever seen one episode of the old television series.
To say I did not know what to expect going into this movie was an understatement. I was real worried that I wouldn't like the tone of it and was worried that there might be a bit too much style over content.
Boy was I wrong.
Ill give a quick plot summary before I get into specifics. Arthur Dent is rescued by his old friend Ford Prefect moments before the earth is demolished to make way for an intergalactic highway.They eventually end up aboard Zaphod Beeblebrox brand new ship on a mission to find the eternal question.
The opening musical credit sequence which kicks things off appropriately enough is spot on and so completely unexpected. Combined with the amazing voice over work of Stephen Fry I knew that I didn't have to worry about this being Garth Jennings directorial debut.
Martin Freemans introduction as Arthur Dent was surprising for me as it lead me to believe that infact I was watching Tim from the Office. That would be one of two complaints that I had about the movie. I felt that he could have done more with the role.
My second problem with the film was the romance between Athur and Trillian played by Zooey Deschanel. It felt a little forced and contrived and I really didn't feel that there was any chemistry between the two of them. This was something that I had read about before hand and I was hoping that it would be toned down but it is still pretty prevalent in the film
Now that I have the things that I didn't like about the film let me tell you what I did like
The V.O work in this film is the best I have heard in a long time.Stephen Fry is pitch perfect as the voice of the book. Alan Rickman's work on Marvin the depressed android is the best thing he has done in years. I want a life-sized Marvin and last but not least Simon Pegg's old boss Bill Bailey pops up for all of a minute of screen time as the voice of the whale but he did manage to raise quite a few laughs in that minute.
The art design in this movie took me by surprise and considering its budget it puts most Hollywood blockbusters to shame. It seems you get a lot more bang with your pound than with your buck.
Sam Rockwell is absolutely class in the role of Zaphod Beeblebrox. His entrance into the film is one of the best in along time. He has a swagger and a dim confidence that he has brought to his roles before but here just hits all the marks.
For those of you worried about Mos Def being cast in the role of Ford Prefect. I really don't think that you have much to be worried about. In my mind Mos is a very talented actor who is getting better with each role. He can raise a laugh by just using his eyes and was spot on with this childish innocence that Ford has when dealing with humans. "Need a hug" , "Don't Panic" and "Towel" are three of the most memorable quotes within the movie and trust me there are many and the reason that these three in particular stand out for me is because of the delivery that Mos delivers.
The one thing that really surprised me about the film was how much I found myself laughing out loud. Its a very funny movie. The great thing is that most of the humour is derived from character development rather than ridiculous situations etc as seems to be the case more and more these days.
So to sum up. Go and see this movie because I really want to go and see the restaurant on the other side of the universe!
If you use this call me Tim Bisley
I think fans are going to have a great time with this film as long as they don’t expect it to be a syllable-for-syllable translation of one particular permutation of HHGTTG. As with every different version before now, there are some major changes here to what’s come before, many of which were created by Adams himself. Regardless of the specific details, this film is true to the spirit of the work, and I think it’s a love letter to one of the most remarkable humorists of my lifetime. Can’t wait to see the finished print next week.
"Moriarty" out.
