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Andrew Boulton

Andrew Boulton

The Adminator
I think I'm about to OD on Hitch-Hiker...

Saw the film the other day. The review that said they'd taken all the jokes out was a slight exageration, but not slight enough. Unfortunately I'm sad enough to know it off by heart, so I noticed. They just about redeemed themselves by sticking the TV Marvin in a crowd scene, though!

Talking of which, BBC2 start repeating the TV series tonight.

Best of all, the 4th radio series starts in about 10 minutes! If you missed it, you can catch it here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/hitchhikers/
 
Did you just say "I've seen it - it's rubbish?" I liked it and I've read the books 42 times, give or take. Great special effects, although the Vogons scared my nephew. I laughed, I cried, I laughed again...

Froody movie!

Dameon
 
I also saw it this weekend with my 19 yo son. We agreed that it was well done with special affects.
But I thought the humor was not up to what I rembered from the book.
 
I saw it on Sat. Bought back great memories, since the TV series came on the same time I started playing Trav. Even though I had not seen it/read the books for 20 years, all the old phrases like "bug blatter beast of Traal" and "pan galactic gargleblaster" came flooding back. I just wanted to cheer when they showed the book being opened in space, to the old music from the TV series.
Downsides: what was the PC idea in changing Ford to a black man? Why couldn't we tell what Ford was saying? I didn't like the guy who played Arthur Dent. They should have cloned the original, with his high pitched whining to Ford asking all the time what was going on.
Shame they didn't have another $20 million in the budget to show the restaurant at the end of the universe...
 
It was good. Not great. It was good.
The biggest problem I had with it was Ford Prefect. I didn't have any problems with them selecting a black man for Ford. I just wish he could have been better. He was not... enough. Very much lacking in wit, or something. He needed to be more a "fast talker". I can't put my finger on it exactly, but he was lacking in Fordness.
Alan Rickman was OK as Marvin, but he should have spoke a little slower, sounding more depressed.

And, Im in love with Zooey.
 
Not really interested in the movie. I may watch it on TV.

I heard the first part of the new radio series on Radio 4 last night too. For those who don't know, they've just started running a radio adaptation of the last two books featuring the original radio cast.

I just don't find it funny. I used to. I remember crying with laughter at a scene in one of the books where Marvin convinces an 'intelligent' tank to blow the floor out from under itself and consequently fall hundreds of feet to it's demise.
I recently re-read the first two books and I barely broke a smile. Same with the radio show last night and frankly, I don't see the movie being any different.

I dunno. It's a great idea. I just don't get it (anymore).

Crow
 
Originally posted by Scarecrow:
I just don't find it funny. I used to. I remember crying with laughter at a scene in one of the books where Marvin convinces an 'intelligent' tank to blow the floor out from under itself and consequently fall hundreds of feet to it's demise.
I recently re-read the first two books and I barely broke a smile. Same with the radio show last night and frankly, I don't see the movie being any different.

I dunno. It's a great idea. I just don't get it (anymore).
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Same here. I did manage to raise the odd chuckle or two, but no tears. Damn, I hope I'm not growing up!
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"Did you just say "I've seen it - it's rubbish?""

It was...okay.

It looked great. Most of the cast was fine (Rickman made a great Marvin, Rockwell was a good Zaphod, the rest were okay except Mos Def - not 'cos he's black and American, just 'cos he played Ford *wrong*). I can't exactly put my finger on the problem, except...it's like a cover version. Sometimes, when bands cover a song, they play it *almost* like the original, but just slightly different, so that it actually *highlights* the differences if you know the original version. Also, there are loads of bits - dialogue, visuals, etc - which make sense if you know the original story but which aren't explained in the film, so would be totally incomprehensible to a new audience.
 
Originally posted by Maspy:

The biggest problem I had with it was Ford Prefect. I didn't have any problems with them selecting a black man for Ford. I just wish he could have been better. He was not... enough. Very much lacking in wit, or something. He needed to be more a "fast talker".
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Thats it!
I was trying to remember what it was about the humor that was lacking from the book.
It was the Ford character!
The movie did not do the fast talking Ford Justice. They just fed him lines and he spoke them; not very convincingly, but he spoke them.
That was were the lack was for me.
 
The lack of any explanation of the importance didn't help.

"Did you just say "I've seen it - it's rubbish?" "

Doh. I only just realised the reference...
 
Originally posted by Bromgrev:
Same here. I did manage to raise the odd chuckle or two, but no tears. Damn, I hope I'm not growing up!
file_28.gif
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I think the problem is the difference between the books and first two radio series. I found the radio series great, but the books to be progressively less funny.
To be fair though, I recently listened to the last series (Tertiary Phase with the Cricket robots?) on CD and found it to be much better second time around.
 
I do, but the film didn't say why I should.

Zooey was okay as Trillian, but there didn't seem to be any chemistry with Arthur.
 
Actually, there isn't any chemistry with Trillian and Arthur in the book. She takes off at the restaurant at the end of the universe with a thunder god if I remember right. I might be remembering wrongly. And there are just soooooo many uses of a towel that they could have made a whole movie out of it!

Dameon
 
"Actually, there isn't any chemistry with Trillian and Arthur in the book."

Oh, I know, but that's one of the things they added...except they seem to have forgotten to tell the actors.

"And there are just soooooo many uses of a towel"

Pity they cut out the Guide's explanation.
 
I actually did not like the film. The Special Effects were well done but for someone who simply loves the book there was too much that they cut...I guess I will have to wait for the Peter Jackson version...
 
Eh, my attitudes toward tHGttG are neutral. I laughed in some places, leaned off to one side nearing sleep in some, and squirmed in others. At least it wasn't completely terrible.


However, considering the nasty stuff Peter Jackson did to tFotR (especially to tRotK), I'd ask that he be kept away from any other adaptations of books I like.
 
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