The Hitchhikers Guide to the Universe

For those of you who haven’t ever seen the BBC show “The Hitchhikers Guide to the Universe,” it's like Monty Python for the intelligent or a funny Existentialist telling a good yarn. And just like Monty Python, you either get it & think it’s funny, or you don’t.

The movie combines the low budget appearance of the original show and some pretty good Hollywood effects. I found it a good fusion of the old and the new. The Muppets from Jim Henson Company really added a new dimension and quality to the film.

I was pleasantly surprised by Mos Def’s performance. For those of you not familiar with him, Mos is an actor/rapper who previous to this film was in Monster Ball. He’s not a comedian but has the great timing of one.

I do have to confess that I caused a bit of a scene in the theatre when the main characters go to the Vogon home world. To be honest, I was laughing close to hysterics! The Vogon are a race of dull, unimaginative, bureaucratic creatures. For me, it was like going to DFAIT headquarters (gov’t agency), except the forms are blue in the movie.

Hitchhiker drops off a bit in the middle, but makes up for it in the beginning and at the end. It’s definitely worth going to if you’re into quirky offbeat humor. You can also catch the original TV show on PBS (Sunday, 12:30AM, Ch.54 for the bay area).

My favorite line from the movie:
“The Ultimate Answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything is… 42”