The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

Scifind.co.uk rating - 4 - out of 5.

Reviewed By: Brian Edwards

Starring: Martin Freeman, Mos Def, Stephen Fry, Sam Rockwell,

Written By: Douglas Adams

This is the long awaited movie version of the BBC TV series of the book of the BBC radio series, oh and I should mention there should be a computer game in there somewhere.

Anyway the movie has already met some criticism the press and most of it centered around the fact that it is not true to the TV series/book/radio series. Well no in fact it isn't, it ha evolved in the way that each of these different media has already seen Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy already.

Story wise the film tells the story of Arthur Dent who survives the destruction of the earth by bureaucratic alien race the Vogons and ends up is a half arsed quest to find the question to the answer to life the universe and everything.

The basics of the story follow that of the radio series, the two big plot additions were the character Humma Kavula and the Point Of View gun, both of these elements were scripted by Douglas Adams.

Martin Freeman makes an impressive entry into the world of the leading man, though he is upstaged by Sam Rockwell's Zaphod Beeblebrox. Mos Defs portrayal of Ford Prefect is passable – but something is missing from the character and I hate to say it but I end up pining for David Dixon's Ford. Special effects are quite special, the best visual element is the Improbability Drive, the various outcomes of which are quite surreal and funny.

The book itself, voiced by Stephen Fry is the best thing of the film, just found in very small portions, indeed the DVD cut scenes show that very little more of the Book was recorded.

As for the special features the first disc of this 2 disc set contains the usual deleted scenes and commentary s, also it has (just) two very funnny 'really deleted scenes'. Dics 2 is just a feature length documentary about the making of.

Despite its faults, and the fact it begins with that silly song, the Hitchhiker's movie holds its own and we do look forward to there being a sequel – but verymuch doubt that there will be one.