The film is not very much like the book, but then the book wasn't very much like the radio series and the radio series was different to the TV series, so that's not exactly surprising. The basics of the story remain faithful to Douglas Adams' book - the Earth is destroyed by Vogons to make way for an interstellar bypass, Arthur Dent is rescued (in his pyjamas) by his friend Ford Prefect, who turns out to be not from Guildford but from Betelgeuse, they hitch a ride on the Vogon ship, get chucked into space and rescued under highly improbable circumstances by Trillian and Zaphod Beeblebrox- the two headed president of the galaxy who is looking for the ultimate question to life the universe and everything, the answer to which is 42. There are a few white mice, some dolphins and architect called Slaartibartfast. So far, so good.

In order to fit all this into a 1.5 hour story line with obligatory romantic angle, the Vogons' part is expanded and the chemistry between Arthur and Trillian is stepped up. On the whole, it works rather well. The bits set on Vogsphere are suitably silly and the ending is nice and tidy whilst being open ended enough for a sequel, if necessary.

Martin Freeman's Arthur Dent bumbles along in a state of befuddlement, (even if, for the sake of the ending, he takes to his hitchhiking lifestyle a little too well). Mos Def is a good, hyperactive Ford Prefect. Sam Rockwell's Zaphod is maddeningly hip, although the way his second head can only appear by flipping up from under his chin is a little distressing - he can't for example, have a proper argument with himself. Trillian is bright and capable and the Vogons are really disgusting (a cross between a mouldy carpet and Fungus the bogeyman). John Malkovich plays Hamma Kavula who gets to be a creepy villain as well as having a huge build up to a bad punchline. The star of the show is Marvin the Paranoid Android (voiced by Alan Rickman) who is maniacally depressed and completely hilarious. Fans of the BBC TV series should watch out for the original Marvin, who makes a cameo appearance.

It's no easy task to translate the intelligent and eccentric humour of the books into the big screen, especially as most of the jokes are in the narration. The film manages to capture the essence of it by using a lot of the original dialogue and having the book appear as a voice over (by Stephen Fry, of course). They even kept the thoughts of the whale and the bowl of petunias. It's a shame that Douglas Adams wasn't around to see the finished product. The brief glimpse of his likeness and the dedication at the end are a poignant testimony to his absence.

Unfortunately, this is a film that can't really win. Those who've read the books will be puzzled by the coherence of the plot; those who haven't will be puzzled by the lack of it. The special effects are good and there's at least 2 good cups of tea in it. Go see it. At least that way you'll know what people are talking about. And please do sit through the credits, or you'll miss the bit about how careless talk costs lives.

Jeev Mantotta 06/05/05

See also Douglas Adams's Official Website