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You're reading a really old version of matt-thornton's website. For example, if you're looking at the movie reviews... you'll notice that none of them are of recent films. Indeed, I leave them here for posterity's sake, but I doubt very much that they'll get updated anytime soon. So have a giggle.
You might, if you're lucky, find something recent from Matt at his blog matt's debates. Kernow bys vyken.
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
the one line review:
good film, not as good as book
the overview
Anyone I've spoken to who've seen this and not read the book thought it was a bunch of shite. I've read the book, and I thought it was OK. Good, but not great. As is usually the way with book-film conversions.
the plot:
Arthur Dent (Martin Freeman, of The Office fame) wakes up one morning to the continual struggle of people trying to demolish his house. Fortunately, on that day, his best, and probably, only, friend, Ford Prefect (Mos Def) rescues him from The Earth, before it is demolished by an alien warship.
They spend the rest of their life, floating through space with Trillian and Zaphod Beeblebrox aboard a stolen spaceship, looking for the answer to life. (Which, ironically, requires them to find the question, which results in the answer 42).
the verdict:
For the uninformed, the film is weird. The book is absolutely brilliant - it's totally weird, compeletely screwy (it's like Harry Potter meets Back to the Future... on prozac) but awesome. The film is a fairly faithful conversion, but as usual, big chunks are missed out and as a result the pace of the film often means you lose track of what's going on.
And since the book is actually a trilogy (in 4 parts), opting to leave the film at the end of the first book was a questionable decision. No doubt they'll be making the remaining films, but I can't help thinking they should have just made one really long film with all 4 books, rather than 3/4 separate films.
If you haven't read the book, I'd read it before watching. If you have, then it'll make no difference what I say, watch it!
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