Am I alone in thinking that the film was rubbish? I am recovering, gentle reader, from watching the film in almost solitary splendour (cinema 90% empty). Why?
I was literally slack-jawed at the awfulness of the opening musical number - I thought the technology for making choral travesties like that had been buried decades ago. Zaphod was merely irritating instead of being irritating and funny. The appearance of Marvin (the paranoid android) was disappointing, although his voice was good. Arthur Dent was gormless rather than bemused (although I suppose we should be thankful they didn't cast Hugh Grant), and as for his inappropriate love interest, why does Hollywood always require a happy ending?
On a positive note, the Vogons looked quite good, and the film Trillian was a good deal less irritating than the radio or TV Trillian.
Douglas Adams must be spinning in his grave. The film would have been better buried in soft peat and recycled as Vogon firelighters...
I was literally slack-jawed at the awfulness of the opening musical number - I thought the technology for making choral travesties like that had been buried decades ago. Zaphod was merely irritating instead of being irritating and funny. The appearance of Marvin (the paranoid android) was disappointing, although his voice was good. Arthur Dent was gormless rather than bemused (although I suppose we should be thankful they didn't cast Hugh Grant), and as for his inappropriate love interest, why does Hollywood always require a happy ending?
On a positive note, the Vogons looked quite good, and the film Trillian was a good deal less irritating than the radio or TV Trillian.
Douglas Adams must be spinning in his grave. The film would have been better buried in soft peat and recycled as Vogon firelighters...
I get the idea that this will be a rental...when it comes out. Think I would have to shoot up about 80 mils of Oxycontin.... You know, the manufactured "time released" morphine peddled by Purdue Pharma. No I'm just kidding, I'm not that stupid. That sh__ will mess you up real bad.
Anyway,
Sounds like a bad Star Trek trip to me... eh...
I'm in New York and trying to deal with the yankee accent...
AND the disrespectful attitude. 
I miss the South
Anyway,
Sounds like a bad Star Trek trip to me... eh...
I'm in New York and trying to deal with the yankee accent...
AND the disrespectful attitude. I miss the South
EC8010: Yes I agree much of what you said
Wasn't the Heart of Gold supposed to have black panels with black controls that lit up? Black on Black? Or was that another of DA's spaceships? I made the control panel of one of my amps to look like this and was very disappointed with how they (mis)interpreted this in the film.
I thought Arthur Dent and Ford Prefect were well cast, but Trillion was made to be more of a Holywood Heroine than the bimbo I took her for in the book. Zaphod Beeblebrox was a casting and special effects disaster in my opinion.
But I thought the Vogons were brilliant and in this area the film producers made much more of the characters than DA did; for the better I think. Developing the slavish beaurocracy of the Vogons was an improvement on the book/radio. Were it not for the Vogons I would have no hestitation in writing off this film as a waste of time. But for the Vogons alone, it's worth going to see.
John H
Wasn't the Heart of Gold supposed to have black panels with black controls that lit up? Black on Black? Or was that another of DA's spaceships? I made the control panel of one of my amps to look like this and was very disappointed with how they (mis)interpreted this in the film.
I thought Arthur Dent and Ford Prefect were well cast, but Trillion was made to be more of a Holywood Heroine than the bimbo I took her for in the book. Zaphod Beeblebrox was a casting and special effects disaster in my opinion.
But I thought the Vogons were brilliant and in this area the film producers made much more of the characters than DA did; for the better I think. Developing the slavish beaurocracy of the Vogons was an improvement on the book/radio. Were it not for the Vogons I would have no hestitation in writing off this film as a waste of time. But for the Vogons alone, it's worth going to see.
John H
I tend to try and separate any expectations of a film when I have read the book, because I know it is impossible to cram an entire book into 2 hours...
Yeah there were differences (and a few modifications), and a quite a lot of the books humour was missing (probably as others have said, because it would go over the heads of a vast majority of the audience)....
I quite enjoyed it for what it was but then I can enjoy a flim that others would be appaled at because there is no plot and the acting is woefull.... I think the secret is try not to have expectations, and suspend any disbelief
Tony.
Yeah there were differences (and a few modifications), and a quite a lot of the books humour was missing (probably as others have said, because it would go over the heads of a vast majority of the audience)....
I quite enjoyed it for what it was
but then I can enjoy a flim that others would be appaled at because there is no plot and the acting is woefull.... I think the secret is try not to have expectations, and suspend any disbelief Tony.
I think your expectations are so low that this already is a severe criticism of this movie.
I think low expectations is an apology for the nincompoopism that was displayed in bringing this story to the screen.
There are examples when the movie can hold its own. Even without reading the book, that movie was neither funny, nor had a plot, nor was interesting.
I have never read "fightclub" "cider house rules", "caine mutiny", "african queen" - because I do not feel the need, those movies are complete in itself. An example how things can be done.
The same goes "pride and prejudice" and "emma", "bladerunner" (p.k.d. do androids..) - all three i have read. Thats just a few examples.
HGTG movie is an unmitigated stinker, and douglas is rotating in his grave..
audio-kraut said:
No worries Audio-Kraut I respect your opinion, though personally I think sometimes people get so tied up (or hung up) about things (and it isn't just movies) that it can become impossible to enjoy otherwise enjoyable things. I knew a lot of people at uni who couldn't enjoy a movie if it had the slightest technical errors. WGAF is all I can say
(although I must admit sometimes saying in a movie, that something is a crock.... but only if it is being passed off as being real in today’s world)...I know people who haven't read the book who really enjoyed the movie.... Yeah it isn't true to the book (some of the funnier stuff was left out the plot was changed, some details were changed completely etc, etc), but if you hadn't read the book would that have mattered??? Is the fact that you have read the book tainting your opinion of the movie?? Not saying it is just raising the possibility
I enjoyed it, and I've read the book, and I've seen the TV series.... I wouldn't rate it as a great movie, but I do rate it as enjoyable, but then maybe I'm just strange
Tony.
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