 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'
(Mos Def, Martin Freeman, Zooey Deschanel, Sam Rockwell, Bill Nighy, John Malkovich, et al / PG / 103 mins / Touchstone Pictures)
Overview: Arthur Dent (Martin Freeman) realizes that his house is about to be demolished and learns from Ford Prefect (Mos Def), his friend (who is really an alien), that the whole Earth is going to be destroyed in order to build an intergalactic highway bypass. Luckily, they are able to escape by hitchhiking on a passing spaceship with their handy copy of the book The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
Verdict: Well, in truth, anyone unfamiliar with the novel will simply be lost, a hitchhiker just trying to get a ride out of the theater! The biggest problems with the film come with the liberties that Kirkpatrick has taken with the source material in an attempt to build a more traditional plot structure. The best way I can further explain it is like this: It's like 'The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou,' but with much less visual charm, it is a conceit with little to be conceited about!
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