Mere seconds before the Earth is to be demolished by an alien construction crew, journeyman Arthur Dent is swept off the planet by his friend Ford Prefect, a researcher penning a new edition... Read allMere seconds before the Earth is to be demolished by an alien construction crew, journeyman Arthur Dent is swept off the planet by his friend Ford Prefect, a researcher penning a new edition of "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy."Mere seconds before the Earth is to be demolished by an alien construction crew, journeyman Arthur Dent is swept off the planet by his friend Ford Prefect, a researcher penning a new edition of "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy."
- Director
- Writers
- Douglas Adams(book)
- Karey Kirkpatrick(screenplay)
- Stars
Top credits
- Director
- Writers
- Douglas Adams(book)
- Karey Kirkpatrick(screenplay)
- Stars
- See more at IMDbPro
- Awards
- 1 win & 10 nominations
Videos15
Su Elliot
- Pub Customeras Pub Customer
- (as Su Eliott)
Stephen Fry
- Narratoras Narrator
- (voice)
- …
Ian McNeice
- Kwaltzas Kwaltz
- (voice)
- Director
- Writers
- Douglas Adams(book) (screenplay)
- Karey Kirkpatrick(screenplay)
- All cast & crew
Storyline
Everyone has bad mornings. You wake up late, you stub your toe, you burn the toast, but for a man named Arthur Dent, this goes far beyond a bad day. When he learns that a friend of his is actually an alien with advanced knowledge of Earth's impending destruction, he is transported off the Earth seconds before it is blown up to make way for a new hyperspace motorway. And as if that's not enough, throw in being wanted by the Police, Earth II, an insane electronic encyclopedia, no tea whatsoever, a chronically depressed robot and the search for the meaning of life, and you've got the greatest adventure off Earth. —radioactive
- Taglines
- Don't Panic
- Genres
- Certificate
- PG
- Parents guide
Did you know
- TriviaThe producers have stated that this movie was not a literal translation of the books (just as the books were not a literal translation of the original radio show), but all of the new ideas and characters came from Douglas Adams. The hired writer simply came aboard to improve structure and make the screenplay more coherent.
- GoofsWhen Arthur is speaking to Trillian (Zooey Deschanel) as she takes a shower, he briefly begins to address her by her real name (Zooey), then corrects himself.
- Crazy creditsThe film has effectively two title sequences. The first is part of the opening song, when the title appears out of a screenful of bubbles as the "So Long And Thanks For All The Fish" number gears up. The second is after the Vogon ships destroy the Earth and The Book is shown for the first time; as the original theme music of the radio show and miniseries plays, the book's spine rotates into view and reveals its, and the movie's, title.
- SoundtracksSo Long & Thanks for All the Fish
Written by Joby Talbot, Garth Jennings and Christopher Austin
Produced by Joby Talbot
Vocals Performed by Hilary Summers, Kemi Ominiyi & The R'SVP Voices
Top review
This movie is Mostly Harmless...
It's a known fact that the movie adaptation of Hitchhiker's has been up in the air for some years now. Passing from the hands of one director to the next (James Cameron, Spike Jonze and Jay Roach), it wasn't until the idea landed in front of Garth Jennings and Nick Goldsmith that things truly started to take shape.
Douglas Adams died from a heart attack in 2001, but after reading the books, watching the film and drawing a comparison, it's clear that Adams would've accepted this adaptation of the TV series of the computer game of the radio series wholeheartedly.
Martin Freeman is an inspired choice as the face of Arthur Dent. He's an everyman, his slightly vacant, permanently confused facial expression (which we've all come to recognise from his role in The Office), truly becoming from a man who's trying to make sense of what's Out There, which happens to be similar to, though on a slightly larger scale than what's Down Here. And stupider.
Admittedly, it would've been nice to see more English talent taking on the roles from Adams' well loved creation. Steven Fry is THE Guide, the quintessential voice of logic and good-humoured reasoning in the Universe. Bill Nighy makes a great Slartibartfast, coming across as the kindly, if a little absent minded, genius that I've always imagined. And Alan Rickman providing his nasal drones to Marvin the Paranoid Android worked to near perfection.
That's not to say that the American cast isn't great. Mos Def and Zooey Deschanel are excellent as Ford Prefect and Trillian, but it's obvious that it's Sam Rockwell who's having all the fun, relishing his role as the over-excitable, reminiscently hippie-rockstar Ex-President of the Galaxy, Zaphod Beeblebrox.
So all in all, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a great experience. Non-Adamites will love it, as will the die hard fans. It's such a shame that its creator had to bow out before his beloved creation came to life, but due to his input into the movie script (the character Humma Kavula, played by John Malkovich, was written by him especially for the movie), his enthusiasm still lives on.
Want to go to the Restaurant at the End of the Universe now, please.
Douglas Adams died from a heart attack in 2001, but after reading the books, watching the film and drawing a comparison, it's clear that Adams would've accepted this adaptation of the TV series of the computer game of the radio series wholeheartedly.
Martin Freeman is an inspired choice as the face of Arthur Dent. He's an everyman, his slightly vacant, permanently confused facial expression (which we've all come to recognise from his role in The Office), truly becoming from a man who's trying to make sense of what's Out There, which happens to be similar to, though on a slightly larger scale than what's Down Here. And stupider.
Admittedly, it would've been nice to see more English talent taking on the roles from Adams' well loved creation. Steven Fry is THE Guide, the quintessential voice of logic and good-humoured reasoning in the Universe. Bill Nighy makes a great Slartibartfast, coming across as the kindly, if a little absent minded, genius that I've always imagined. And Alan Rickman providing his nasal drones to Marvin the Paranoid Android worked to near perfection.
That's not to say that the American cast isn't great. Mos Def and Zooey Deschanel are excellent as Ford Prefect and Trillian, but it's obvious that it's Sam Rockwell who's having all the fun, relishing his role as the over-excitable, reminiscently hippie-rockstar Ex-President of the Galaxy, Zaphod Beeblebrox.
So all in all, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a great experience. Non-Adamites will love it, as will the die hard fans. It's such a shame that its creator had to bow out before his beloved creation came to life, but due to his input into the movie script (the character Humma Kavula, played by John Malkovich, was written by him especially for the movie), his enthusiasm still lives on.
Want to go to the Restaurant at the End of the Universe now, please.
helpful•235131
- Hitsuzen
- Apr 25, 2005
Details
Box office
- Budget
- $50,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $51,085,416
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $21,103,203
- May 1, 2005
- Gross worldwide
- $104,478,416
- Runtime
- 1h 49min
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 2.39 : 1
- 2.35 : 1
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