Hey, we can sandbag the director and actors based on the trailer...I'm still going to see the movie though and then I'll form a new opinion. (Kind of like Star Wars in a way.)

Of course it is, but we can be quite the churlish bunch ; that's part of the fun of a forum that thrives on discussion...we like to get people riled up for no darn good reason! And if all we have to base a opinion on (even momentarily) is a two-minute trailer, by golly, we will use that as evidence to support a discussion either way. *Please note that all opinions are subject to change once the entire movie has been watched.* You know...I haven't even seen the trailer yet!

Hmm! Bad news..
Movie prewiev rewiev.

HHGTTG stands for Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. And it took me a little while to figure out, too.

It ain't looking good.

Because its funny: HHGTTG is to SciFi as Diskworld is to Fantasy.

The book in the book by the same title, is an electronic encyclopedia of galactic facts. It even has an entry for Earth, which reads: 'Mostly harmless'. Well the galaxy is an awfully big place and the Guide has limited room.

Of course you're absolutely right, Grep. I suppose I just was a little disappointed when seeing the trailers. But I'm definitely going to see it. And give it a chance. It's just that after I read LOTR, I couldn't wait to see the movies. And though they were very good, they somehow blurred my imagination. Whenever I read about Gandalf now, I see Sir Ian McKellen. I seem to have lost my initial view of Gandalf. And I suppose I'm a bit afraid that will happen with Arthur, Ford and Zaphod too.

Does anyone know when the film will come out on this side of the pond? (West Europe, I mean)

I saw a reveiw by a lady and a gentleman on the telly, the lady said it was by far the worst movie she'd ever seen, the guy on the other hand rather enjoyed it. Aparently it has a very 80's feel to it and the lady felt the fx, specially the creature features, where terribly done considering the films budget, the gentleman then argued it was done like that on purpose to help give it the 80's air to it. Who know's, not to disrespect out american members, but would have perfered seeing it done by the british, but that's just me and I tend to be a tad flakey..

A friend of mine saw it on Friday and said it wasn't much like the book or radio series but there were a couple of nice touches. Other than that she sighed and tutted all the way through. I think I shall wait for the dvd.

This all sounds very very very good, so I'm definitely going to see it when it does eventually come out here. Probably not until end of August here in Belgium.

Meanwhile, the BBC is re-broadcasting the TV-series.

Right, been there, done that. I will start with a small warning:

! WARNING - CONTAINS (a few, I tried to keep them to a minimum to let you enjoy the movie to the fullest but I think there are a few tiny little) SPOILERS !

That said, I would like to start by saying the story isn't quite the same as the books (or for that part the radio and TV-series. I hope you will forgive for comparing the movie to the book, and only to the book, since it is the only other version of the story I am familiar with). Then again, it was to be expected, and it fits in nicely with the tradition. In my view, no harm was done.

Now, a short overview of the characters:

Arthur - Lived up to my expectations. He is stupid, annoying, mad and sometimes even funny.

Ford - My biggest disappointment. Not in the least alien or even close to weird. Actually the most normal person in the movie if you ask me.

Zaphod - Ah well, what's to say? Is himself, and therefore raving mad. Perfectly enjoyable.

Tricia/Trillian - Not much to say, apart from: she was there. I personally could have done without the romance, but then again I had seen it coming (it is after all a movie), and it does not spoil the story.

Marvin - Oh joy, Marvin! They got everything right with this little fellow. He is of course terribly depressed throughout the whole film (great voice), just the way he should be, and has all the great lines. My favourite.

The Vogons - Ugly, fat and bureaucratic. Very good. The bulldozers didn't do it for me though.

Eddie - Ah, another joy. Eddie, the ship's computer. Only the ticker tape is missing.

Deep Thought - Hmmm. The voice was a great surprise, and I was slighty set back by the shape of the computer, but ah well, things aren't always what you would like them to be. And why children?

Slartibartfast -

The Guide - They overdid it with the introduction I think, but overall they managed to pick the best parts from the book.

Humma Kavula - Certainly one of the most alien beings. Well done, I say. And the joke with the gun is quite nice too.

Now I believe some of the funniest things in the movie are the running gags (Belgium, the satisfied hum of the doors, the towels), which are hard to understand when you haven't met any of the other lifeforms of the Guide series as the movie rushes on at a terrible speed. The Belgium joke got me in stitches (it is quite funny when you are in Belgium and you are the only one in the theatre who got the joke, while everyone else is wondering why their country is mentioned in an American blockbuster, without any apparent logic). Logic is what is missing from the whole storyline, and it's the kind of humour you have to like. Nevertheless, I highly recommend it.

Some of my favourite parts:

- All of Marvin's oneliners
- The humming doors
- Vogon Poetry
- Magrathea's factory floor
- The Earth Mark 2
- Arthur and the mice
- The Vogons' "one-hour lunch break"
- Marvin and the gun
- The completion of the life cyclus
- The joke about what the dog ate (thanks for the tip Grondy! )

Go see it when you have the chance, I say. It's worth it.