April 11, 2005

Mostly Harmless
you might think that The Phantom Menace was a hopelessly misguided attempt to reinvent a much-loved franchise by people who, though well-intentioned, completely failed to understand what made the original popular - but that's just peanuts to the Hitchhiker's movie.
Oh dear.
posted by Skrik 19 years ago
  • Bad review, self contradictory and admittedly biased. Admits he has a problem with the Adams estate. Wants Milliways & Golgafrinchams in the movie even though they weren't in the first book. Crap review. This guy is trying hard to sabotage it before it comes out, hence this has been posted everywhere the last couple days. I'll make up my own mind. Adams said himself in the compendium that there was no definitive version, and each has been completely different. This guy likes the TV series. So did I 20 years ago, recently watched it again and realised how slow it was. Don't Panic.
  • You don't need to see the movie to know that it will suck hard. One word: iMarvin.
  • I only watched the TV series for Trillian's tits. The books are where it rocks.
  • Somehow I'm not very surprised. It certainly seems fitting considering the current standards of the mainstream motion picture market. People sure do seem to love their stupidity.
  • *reads review, cries*
  • The books in the trilogy were great, but I have a soft spot for the original radio series. There are some shows which actually take advantage of the medium, and I think HHGTTG was one of them.
  • Can you spot what has been removed from this scene, gentle reader, in order to shorten it? That's right. The jokes. The jokes have gone. The funny bits, the wit, the humour. The clever stuff that made it worth including in the first place. ah me.
  • They talked about this over at Metafilter and the thread has links to good reviews of the movie. I think it might be a bit early to make dire predictions.
  • I thought it was an excellent review. It avoided the major pitfalls of most fanboy reviews: a) thinking the movie should be made for them, not the general public and b) not understanding that film is a different medium from literature and that any successful adaptation will have to diverge from the book to work The reviewer gives us concrete evidence, through quotes, of why this movie sucks. I will probably see it anyway, but this guy makes a very convincing case.
  • I thought this guy was pretty spot on for a movie that looks like a dog's breakfast.
  • Negative review of a "controversial" film adaptation that hasn't even been released yet, film at 11.
  • Negative review of a "controversial" film adaptation that hasn't even been released yet, film at 11. I bet that film's shit, too
  • I'm a huge Hithhiker's fan, and though some of the things in that review introduce that old Star Wars Episode I fear into my heart, I'm going to pass judgment until I see it for myself.
  • Characters just happen to be where they need to be and have what they need to have, even if it makes no sense for them to be there or to have that. Hmmn...sounds familiar...
  • I guess the fact that the LOTR movies didn't completely and utterly suck got everyone's hopes up. You can put your hopes back in the fridge now. At least Adam's is dead now and doesn't have to see this.
  • Adams wrote it.
  • And approved Marvin's design.
  • I kinda think his screenplay had that ' humor ' thing in it. Then they took that out because it might confuse a lot of people.
  • I have two words: Mos. Def. I'm very eager for the movie. I think it looks good.
  • I think it's going to be OK. I'm definitely going. As as for people 'just happening to be where they need to be', well, why d'ya think Adams created the Infinite Improbability Drive? It's a fucking plot device. And yes, DA helped write it, so let's wait and see, shall we...
  • Will Tom Bombadil be in this one?
  • I'm hoping so - I loved that part! And his lovely wife.
  • Oh you pessimists. At least wait for rotton tomatoes to come out on it ;)
  • I saw it last night and was quite pleasantly surprised. Not great but certainly not terrible. and Zaphod = Bush, which was an interesting choice that actually sort of worked.
  • I really enjoyed it.