This movie had me asking myself ... was the book a piece of crap as well? - Lord Dot

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This movie had me asking myself ... was the book a piece of crap as well?

Posted by Lord Dot on May 1, 2005 at 11:31:53

In Reply to: Review: Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy posted by jbmcb on April 30, 2005 at 22:54:12:

I remembered enjoying the book quite a bit... but I was a child then. Even the core jokes in the movie barely squeezed out a smile from me. The only thing that got a real chuckle was the infinite improbability drive ... and that was just a chuckle.

So then the questions surface...

Was this ever really funny?
Is the humor of absurdity exceedingly time sensitive material?
Am I becoming an old fart?
Is it humor for children?
Was it the directing, actors, timing, script ...
Was it the random mix of quality special effects with strictly amateurish ones?

Even high profile actors like John Malkovich seemed to give wretchedly uninvolving performances. The character of Zaphod Beeblebrox (Sam Rockwell) became incredibly irritating after perhaps the second encounter. The character of Arthur Dent (Martin Freeman) was intended to present himself as an everyday human being awakening to the vast absurdity of the universe. Instead, he literally faded into the background becoming a cinematic black hole sucking up film footage and giving back ...nothing. His love interest? Same ghost like performance.

From the very beginning of the film, I knew I was in for a rough ride. The first stab at absurdity with an interminable synchronized swimming dolphin musical segment had me thinking that the intro was already finished and that the film may be building up to some very strange beast indeed, a kind of musical farce ... but then suddenly, the cheesy enormous Hitchhiker's Guide book in space sequence was upon us, complete with low budget animation sequences, ostensibly from the content of the guide, narrated by a series of head shakingly trite wise cracks.

And so it went on, one after another, the plot taking an aggressive run at each theme found in the book, only to leave the viewer stranded in mid air, not having had the time to absorb the humor of the situation, then tumbling into the cold water of the next contrivance.

D- my friends ... rent this one to watch while you're cleaning the kitchen or doing the laundry.

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Follow Ups Full Thread

Topic - Review: Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - jbmcb 22:54:12 04/30/05 (10)

I saw it with my son, - mvwine 08:25:24 05/04/05 (0)

The Flick Filosopher review is one of the best critical assessments. - Audiophilander 08:53:41 05/03/05 (0)

The movie is a disappointment............. - danj 21:34:30 05/02/05 (0)

Re: When it first came out on TV - Jeff Starrs 01:19:50 05/02/05 (0)

I should have walked out but was too lazy . . . . * - mr grits 21:36:20 05/01/05 (0)

Re: Review: Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Tom §. 20:31:49 05/01/05 (0)

Ebert and Roeper gave it... - mkuller 15:24:44 05/01/05 (0)

This movie had me asking myself ... was the book a piece of crap as well? - Lord Dot 11:31:53 05/01/05 (2)

(un)funny - jbmcb 13:11:39 05/01/05 (1)

Well stated; these were pretty much my impressions as well. - Audiophilander 11:54:27 05/02/05 (0)

Follow Ups

This movie had me asking myself ... was the book a piece of crap as well? - Lord Dot 11:31:53 05/01/05 (2)

(un)funny - jbmcb 13:11:39 05/01/05 (1)

Well stated; these were pretty much my impressions as well. - Audiophilander 11:54:27 05/02/05 (0)

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