HHGTTG Redux

Well, I finally did it - I went to see the new Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy movie. I'm glad I did, too. Not necessarily because I was thoroughly impressed with the quality and faithfulness, but because I would've been unhappy to not have seen a serious attempt at it.

Not to talk it down too much, there were some good images that add to my own impressions from the book(s). The Vogons gave form to what had only been vague outlines in the past. The Magrathea episode was a little better than the book, I thought. Assorted bits and pieces are either good or neutral throughout.

On the other hand, it is still a British movie. I don't mean that it has British actors - I mean that it has the old British way of doing space movies, which to me means not worrying that it doesn't appear believable. I realize that movies are not reality, but sometimes I like to suspend my disbelief to get into it, and I was thoroughly not able to do that with this movie. The movie was dedicated to Douglas Adams - I hope he would have been happy with it. I will continue to hope that a movie tailored (and yet challenging) to my imagination will yet be made in my time.

If you're a fan, you should probably go see it - if not, it's piece-meal approach to the book may leave you in the dark as to what certain things mean. Frankly, I don't think you'd get it. Just my two cents' (or $4.75, it was at the cheap theatre, after all).