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What started off as an immensely popular BBC Radio show by Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy spawned into a TV mini series, stage play, books, video games, and now a big budget Hollywood film.  Unlucky Arthur Dent (Freeman) awakes one day to discover his house is about to be demolished to make way for an express motorway. Then he finds out his best friend Ford Prefect is, in fact, an alien. And, worst yet, that planet Earth is about to be destroyed as well for a space bypass. Dent and Prefect embark on an enjoyably odd intergalactic journey. Along the way they encounter a wide cast of zany characters including a mechanically depressed robot, President of the Universe (Rockwell) and John Malkovich as the creppy preacher, Humma Kavula. To guide them in their travels, Dent and Prefect use an animated book, aptly named the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.
Many things in the movie are ridiculous, but the dry wit of Adams‘ original story makes it impossible to take anything seriously in this film. Adam purists around the world may cry foul over the latest Hollywood version, as the screen version was created for cross-cultural appeal and therefore slightly “dumbed down”. However, the film retains enough of its original intentions to qualify for some decent comedic value. Be sure to check out hip hop legend Mos Def as Dent’s best friend, Ford Prefect. Starring: Martin Freeman Bill Bailey, Anna Chancellor, Mos Def
Director: Garth Jennings
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