Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy

2005-05-01

It finally came out. I?ve waited some time for that most extraordinary science fiction movie to hit the big screen. No, not that Lucas thing; I?m talking about The Hitchhiker?s Guide to the Galaxy.

I don?t get out to movies very often so it has to be a good one. The so-called ?Hitchhiker?s Trilogy? (all five books) are an incredible read. The author, the late Douglas Adams, was a very funny writer. He also wrote a couple of books involving a detective named Dirk Gently. If you get a chance, read these books (or else).

The movie itself is very well done. There is plot. There are wonderful special effects. There is character development, sort of (the main character goes from being pathetic to being mostly pathetic). More importantly, the movie stays fairly close to the book.

I always have concerns when a book is made into a movie. Books are very good at things like introspection that one cannot really see from the outside. Movies have to find ways to get around that and there is usually a bit of loss. Though there were tiny little things in this movie, it was not noticeable. If you are a fan of the books, you will not be disappointed.

Naturally, I can?t be objective about the quality of the movie from the point of view of a person who hasn?t read the books. However, I did listen to people talking as we all left the theatre. Those unfamiliar with the writings seemed to enjoy the movie as well. There is a lot of humor there, even if you haven?t read it before.

So, there you have it. Go see this movie.