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Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy DVD review (1 Viewer)

DaViD Boulet

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I've been away for a week on vacation and I had hoped to have had this DVD (R1) reviewed before I left...but I ran out of time (and still was stuck packing until 1am before my 7am flight!).

In any case...I plan to review the bonus content to night and hopefully get the HTF review posted tomorrow evening...after street date I know but I hope you guys will still want to give it a read and share some discussion.

BTW, I'll say right now that the picture quality was STUNNING and I couldn't believe I was watching a live-action Disney DVD...detailed and natural...very satisfying on a projection screen.
 

Ronald Epstein

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Guys,

I bought this blindly, and man am I regretting it!

Got 55 minutes through it I had to turn it off.

This film is just God-awful!

I'll watch the rest of it only if someone can
convince me this somehow gets better.
 

PatW

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Boy, am I glad I didn't blind buy this one. I loved the books when I read them a few years ago, but I never thought it would translate to the big screen without losing alot. This will be a rental for me first.
 

Ronald Epstein

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Look, this is just my opinion.

I have never read the books, so I have no
background on the material.

As someone that is seeing this fresh, I just
didn't get it. However, judging from those who
read the books and have posted here, the flm
obviously shows merit.
 

DaViD Boulet

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Ron,

you and I share the same opinion. My roomate and I ***TRIED*** to watch the entire film through together but we both had to can it about an hour in.

I finished it later on my own to get up to speed for the review but I found myself making liberal use of the FF on the remote...

still...I'm sure there are those out there who love it. I hope for them the great PQ and DTS audio make it a worthwhile purchase...

:D

Ok...off to watch the special features...
 

AlexF

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from people that i know that have seen it, it seems that you do really have to have some background in the books and/or radio series to really 'get' the movie.

i personally thought that it was a great adaption and movie. my girlfriend enjoyed it also. her friend hated it with a passion. go figure.
 

Patrick H.

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I've had very, very limited exposure to the whole 'Guide' phenomenon. I read the original book about ten years ago, and while I do remember enjoying it, my memory of it is pretty hazy. However, saw the film opening night with a responsive audience and had a blast. I think the wild differences in opinion over this one just boil down to humor being the most subjective of tastes. I myself look forward to picking up the DVD this weekend.
 

Shane Martin

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I didn't read the book or hear the radio series so I went into it blindly and loved the movie at the theater. I should have warned Ron or anyone against a blind buy because it is just REALLY REALLY QUIRKY.

I loved it myself and chuckled ALOT.

Different strokes on this film for sure.
 

TonyD

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i rented the series a few months ago, and thought it was ok.
i enjoyed it but nothing to write home about.

the movie was just too much crammed into it.

rockwell is usually greta but you could barely tell it was him and he was mediocre at best.

i love zooey deschannel(ugh) but it hardly seemed like i remember her being in the movie.

the depressed robot made no sense, what was the point.

the f/x were stellar, especially during the planet builder scenes.

the dvd is tops, image was beautiful. dts sound was immersing(god is that a word).

the button that takes you to random scenes in the movie was funny.

the movie was just lacking something.
 

Scott Kimball

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Uh oh...

I just blind bought it today. Still in the shrink wrap, though.

I did read the books years ago, and was told by a fan-friend that the flick was pretty good.

I'll have to think about this before I unwrap it.

-Scott
 

Kain_C

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I'll have to give it another chance, although I doubt my opinion of it will change. Being a fan of the books for many years, I had high expectations for this one. I share the other guy's sentiment that even Rockwell disappointed, which is a first. Mos Def could not disappoint as I figured he wouldn't be right for the role at all, and I was right.

I loathed this film. Failed to capture the charm or wit of the books at all.

I hate it because it'll be awhile before we get another attempt on the story.
 

Paul Hillenbrand

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Don't think I've ever read about peoples different reactions to a movie more, where some loved it so much and some hated it so much.

The Digital bits raved about the movie, so I went to see it.

My son 14, loved it. I hated it.

My son wanted me to buy the DVD, so I did and was hoping that I would see it in a better light. From the comments here, it doesn't look like I'll get into it.

The Digital Bits said that you really need to have read the book for the background and have a love for British humor to love this movie. Didn't read the book, but I thought I had a fondness for the humor.:rolleyes:Loved Monte Python movies!:D

Paul
 

Jason Hughes

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Try reading the book. It's a quick easy read. Might help your enjoyment of the movie as I thought it was really well cast (I've read the book several times, most recently after seeing the movie).

Overall, I liked the movie a lot...
 

GeoffBr

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For what it's worth, people seem to have a similar reaction to the books. They're so absurdist that people who try to hold on too tightly looking for the plot or a standard narrative flow often end up confused and frustrated instead of just enjoying the insanity as it comes.

Personally, I loved the books and liked the movie far more than I thought I would. It's a difficult thing to translate to the screen, and doesn't exactly match my preconceived mental images of either the settings or characters, but I thought the movie did a good job of conveying the basic humor and craziness of its original material (which, by the way, were not the books, but in fact the radio plays). Maybe not a grand slam, but definitely worth a view with an open mind.
 

Paul D G

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Reading the books certainly helps, but I wouldn't say it was a prerequisite. It would explain why people say "Belguim!" for no apparent reason, tho. :D

-paul
 

Nathan Phillips

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Douglas Adams is one of my heroes, and "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" is one of the things that made me want to be a writer. It is keyed in almost precisely to my sense of humor and worldview, and has been ever since I first read it when I was around ten. I love the radio show, the TV series, AND the movie, which I thought was damn near perfect. It had a couple of scenes that probably should have been rewritten, but the rest of it was so well-executed in my opinion that it more than compensated.

Paul's comment above is interesting to me because I seem to be the only person who loves Douglas Adams but cannot stand Monty Python, despite the connections to both DNA and Terry Gilliam (in part due to "Brazil," I initially wished Gilliam would direct this movie, but on seeing "Brothers Grimm" I'm glad he didn't, as he seems to have misplaced his personality).

Anyway, I want to complain about this DVD quickly. I agree that the picture quality is very good and this is my second favorite movie of the decade so far, so having great presentation is a big deal to me, BUT as mentioned above, the exclusion of Grant Gee's documentary, which I looked forward to all year, is hugely disappointing, especially since it is mentioned umpteen times in the audio commentaries.

And I can't believe they left off the trailers; I only ever got to see a few TV spots and the teaser, which fortunately is on the DVD of "The Village." The teaser is great, it was the only thing remotely worth the money I spent to see the miserably dull "Sideways," but I am curious to see more about how the film was marketed. Sigh.

But this is one movie I would gladly buy twice if they chose to take another stab at it. I'm just glad to see it on the shelf next to the DVD of the TV show.
 

Sam Favate

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It's not for everyone. I saw the movie twice in the theater (the second time because my wife is a big fan of the books). I enjoyed it, although it is far from one of my favorite movies of the year. I enjoyed its sense of humor, so I appreciated a lot of the writing in the movie, although I agree it is too jammed with material. Chances are if you enjoy the Monty Python sense of humor (Douglas Adams used to write for Flying Circus and his books and this movie share some of that) you will get a few laughs from the movie.
 

Michael Morris

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I've read the books and have never laughed harder when reading any book. I thought the movie was not even on the same level as the books in terms of plot or its comedic scenes. That being said I thought the movie was a fun movie in its own right. Taking it as a different entity only loosely based on the books it was a cute story and had some humorous parts. I thought Alan Rickman was perfect as the voice of Marvin. Just my 2 cents though. :)
 

Dave Poehlman

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I sat down and watched it last night... and I am conflicted. A film shouldn't have to depend on the book on which it's based for people to "get it". But, this one does. I love the books, but the film seems more like a supplement to them rather than a stand-alone film.

The effects were great, but the characters just seemed like they were going through the motions to me particularly Zooey Deschanel's Trillian. The film didn't seem to really try to flesh-out the characters too much or try to create any chemistry between them.

The puppetry on the Vogons was incredible. I at first thought they had to be CGI since their faces moved so fluidly with the dialogue. Thumbs up to the Henson crew. :emoji_thumbsup:

Throughout the film I kept thinking what someone who hadn't read the books would be thinking while watching it... more often than not, I came up with "WTF!?". :)

I'm happy I bought it, but I wouldn't recommend it unless you've read the books.

Oh, BTW, I would've liked to have seen a little tribute paid to the late Douglas Adams in the extras someplace. I was really surprised there wasn't a short bio, or maybe some interview clips. :thumbsdown:
 

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