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The movie I’ve been waiting for almost as much as The Lord of the Rings. In fact, it’s almost as if somebody delved deep into my childhood and young adulthood passions and said “let’s make some Movies!”. I see that The Lion, the Witch and the wardrobe is coming this christmas, so I suppose it’s only a matter of time before The Famous Five, The Hobbit, Five children and It (oh) are made into movies…

Frances commented as I dissected the movie on the way home last night that “…[You] do get a bit excited about the Hitchhiker’s and Lord of the Rings“… Well, of course, I’m a geek and absolutely adored these books as a child and into adulthood. That they’re now being turned into big-budget movies is both exciting and scary, because there probably won’t be another remake of them so this is the one chance they get to do it.

So as I settled down to watch H2G2 last night I found the same trepidation going through my mind as when I settled down to watch Fellowship of the Ring all those years ago. I was still very much concerned about the casting as when I first heard the news, more so after I’d watched the trailer.

The thing that’s important to remember about all the H2G2 versions is that they’re all different. Radio version is different from the book, which is different from the TV show. To be honest, I’d be entirely and utterly shocked if Douglas Adams (DNA) hadn’t made some changes to keep the inconsistency nice and consistent. It’s just in the H2G2 way of doing things. But it’s also because of the different mediums: Radio is very different from television, which is different from movies, and all of which are very different from films. I’ve had protracted arguments about this with regard to LotR with other fans (I like the versions, and understand the reasons) - but many just don’t see anything other than a literal transposition of the book as appropriate.

So, yes, there is a plot device that’s been inserted to make it more consistent. Unfortunately, it spins off subplots and characters with such disdain that even I found it tricky to work out quite what they were doing. There was just no reasoning for some of the diversions. But it did hold together in a loose sort of way, and certainly Frances felt it was better than the radio series. But then, the joy to me of the radio series was the almost total lack of a plot, just a series of unfortunate and entirely random events occurring to poor old Arthur.

The casting was a mixed bag. Martin Freeman should have had more of a central role, as should Marvin, and especially The Book, which felt such a remote part of the film it was shocking (Steven Fry was an excellent casting choice). Sam Rockwell as Zaphod (playing him as some sort of Elvis/Surfer dude crossover) was excellent, but Mos Def as Ford Prefect and Zooey Deschanel as Trillian just felt like a let down.

DNA said that turning H2G2 into a movie was akin to “trying to grill a steak by having a succession of people blow on it“, and unfortunately the very essence of H2G2 was it’s cutting insights into the bizarreness of life, the universe and, er, everything. So many of the superbly crafted jokes, so well carried off in all the other versions, turned into letdowns. The build up to the local-planning-office joke is one of the best jokes from the first book, and it’s let down by an insipid punchline “it was in the cellar”. No mention of leopards. That some of the more insightful commentary on the nature of religion is cut down is probably due in no small part to Disney and a fear of upsetting large parts of America, but in doing so, so much of the essence of the story is lost.

Whilst the faults were many (no explanation of the slapping jokes, no return of the gun, not enough use of the book as a narrative and humour joke), and - in a nutshell - many of the things that this fan was hoping for being either missed, badly treated or simply messed up, it did have a lot to make up for it. The visuals were superb, I loved Marvin, the Vogans were brilliant, and Bill Nighy as Slartibartfarst was excellent. The plot might have been poorly construed and executed, leaving much missing or unexplained, but it made enough sense to carry the audience along with it.

In the words of Alex McLintock, a former colleague and serious DNA appreciator, the film was “Hitchhiker’s Lite”, and that summary very much sticks with me. It’s a good (not a great) film, it’s certainly an enjoyable way to spend a couple of hours. I do hope they go for a sequel, but quite what they’ll do with the plot there I don’t know.

All in all, if you really want a good laugh, and experience a wonderfully different view on the human situation - and to appreciate how hard it really is to find a good cup of tea in the Universe - read the books, or listen to the radio series. For there Douglas Adams’ work truly comes to light.