THE trouble with glossy modern screen versions of much-loved pop cultural icons of yesteryear is that The Fans are never going to be happy. Just ask George Lucas.
So it comes as no surprise that a few highly critical, not to say damning, reviews of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy have already been posted on the internet (where else?).
But even if you do know all about the secret merits of towels, the existential angst of a whale and a bowl of petunias and the significance of the number 42, it's hard to see why you wouldn't be at least relieved about this glossy but faithful adaptation of Douglas Adams' vintage radio series/novel/television series.
And if all the above is a mystery to you, fear not, finding out should be a gas.
The day placid everyman Arthur Dent (Martin Freeman) finds out his house is to be flattened is also the day scheduled for the destruction of Earth. Luckily, Arthur's friend Ford Prefect (Mos Def) is not from Guildford at all but is a roving reporter for the intergalactic electronic guide book of the title which means he knows how to thumb a lift in space.
Picked up by the insanely narcissistic galactic president Zaphod Beeblebrox (Sam Rockwell) and a woman called Trillian (Zooey Deschanel), Arthur and Ford embark on the journey of a lifetime in the company of the ship's manically depressed robot Marvin (Alan Rickman). Their mission, such as it is, involves picking up a Point of View Gun (you fire at people and they understand the way you are thinking) and finding out the Ultimate Question given that the answer is, well, 42.
They also find out that Earth was run by mice, dolphins are more intelligent than humans and there's nothing like a pan-galactic gargleblaster to really clear the cobwebs.
Hiker-philes will be a little surprised to discover there's a new character - demi-bodied religious leader Humma Kavula (John Malkovich) - but it's a fine addition. And anyway, they should thank their lucky stars that first-time director Garth Jennings (of music video duo Hammer and Tongs) has retained the Guide's wonky graphics and old school text narrated by Stephen Fry.
Freeman is a fine choice as Arthur, believably(?!) crossing the universe in his pyjamas and dressing gown, and forms a satisfying buddy team with Mos Def. Rockwell is superbly irritating as Zaphod and Rickman perfect for the voice of Marvin.
The special effects never get in the way of the story and although some decisions may have been forced by budget constraints, it serves the film well by tapping into the Blue Peter ethics of classic British sci-fi from Doctor Who to Blake's Seven, Red Dwarf and, indeed, the television version of Hitchhiker's.
But. But, but but... there's something missing. There's a lack of emotional investment, a distance or remoteness that means the film is inexplicably less than the sum of its parts - as if Jennings did the maths and made the answer 41.
Beats the hell outta me...
See it at UCI, Odeon
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