So here is where I try to write as much as I can and quickly as I can, so I can have Volume 2: The Adventure Begins for San Diego Comic Con 2025. I am not sure why I struggle so hard to write about movies I absolutely adore. This is a perfect example of an article that will pretty much write itself. I remember when I was in middle school and my good friend Matt Koch would have me over. We would hang out and play Dungeons & Dragons till four in the morning in his basement, and then the next morning, after his dad would make us breakfast, we would play Aerobiz on Super Nintendo, or watch old Doctor Who episodes and every so often, I believe the old BBC Hitchhiker’s Guide TV show would come on. And if I was not 10000% in a trance, it was the first time in my life that something spoke directly to my sense of humor, and since then, this book series is my Bible. So, as I have watched the original BBC version five hundred times, the idea that I was getting a big budget version was a gift I never knew I deserved. But enough of this, let’s get to one of my top tens.
How do I explain this movie to someone who has not heard anything about it? The simplest thing for me to say is, imagine you are traveling through the universe and are not sure where you are going and what you are doing. Well, there is a guide to help you figure that out: The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. A book that will tell you what you need to know when you need to know it. Well, sometimes maybe a bit too late, but for the most part, information about everything. Well, that is not the premise of the movie, which mimics the first Douglas Adams book, and follows the trials of Arthur Dent, played by the insanely impressive and awesome Martin Freeman. He has a pretty great buddy called Ford Perfect, and with him, they escape Earth and begin their adventure throughout the galaxy, by means of hitchhiking. That is all I will tell you about this great film because I love everything about it, and you need to watch it to learn more.
But let’s jump into the cast. The main character is Arthur Dent, played by Martin Freeman. I am proud to say that I have watched everything this man has starred in because I think he is brilliant. But to name a few movies/shows, let me start. He is Watson in Sherlock opposite Benedict Cumberbatch. How about Bilbo Baggins in the Hobbit trilogy. How about the original Jim in the UK Version of The Office. The original and technically Tim, not Jim. Everett Ross in the Marvel universe films. Okay, that is enough, but know he is not a big star yet when he makes this. How about Ford Perfect? He is played by the super-talented Mos Def or Yasiin Bey, not sure what he goes by now. He is a wonderful artist, starting his career as a rapper with Talib Kweli, forming Black Star. Great album and a ton of solo stuff. Has also starred in a bunch of films, my favorite being Be Kind Rewind with Jack Black. Let’s round out the cast, Trillian, the other Earth woman in the group. She is played by Zooey Deschanel. This is before (500) Days of Summer, and a few years before her amazing run as Jess on New Girl. Two more. Zaphod Beeblebrox, the President of the Galaxy, is played by Sam Rockwell. This is a bit after his awesome portrayal of the villain in Charlie’s Angels and Chuck Barris in Confessions of a Dangerous Mind. I saw both in the theater. You always knew he had charisma and he has a Supporting Actor Academy Award to prove it. The last I will mention is Marvin, the super-depressed android they have with them. It is played by Warrick Davis. Yup Willow and voiced by the late Alan Rickman, yup Severus Snape. The casting in this movie is like ten years before all of these people are untouchable and garner five times the salary.
Obviously, the screenplay is Douglas Adams’ baby, but Karey Kilpatrick was brought in to tweak what Douglas wrote originally for his film version of the screenplay. Karey is known as a pretty solid screenwriter and worked on Chuck Run and James and the Giant Peach. Solid work, keeping what the master wrote and adding a bit of his styling. The director is Garth Jennings. And this is his first major film. He has gone on to direct the two animated gems Sing and Sing 2, which both my daughters love, but nothing again at this scale. Another cool thing is that the Jim Henson Creature Shop worked on this film, so all the live-action scenes are real. No animated Vogons, and the Giant Marvin Android is legit really there.
The quotes for this flick are awesome.
“In the beginning, the universe was created. This made a lot of people angry and has widely been considered a bad move.” – the Book
“It must be Thursday. I never could get the hang of Thursdays.” – Arthur
“The best drink in existence is the Pan-Galactic Gargle Blaster, the effect of which is like having your brains smashed out with a slice of lemon… wrapped around a large gold brick.” – the Book
“Not that anyone cares what I say, but the restaurant is at the *other* end of the Universe.” – Marvin
I am not sure what more I could possibly say about this film. I love that it was produced by Disney. Cost about 40-50 million to make and made back about 100 million. So, regardless of what is said about this flick, it made money. One day, I hope that I get to see the part two of this gem. The Restaurant at the End of the Universe would be everyone’s favorite movie of the five. I just know it. Anyway, let me hit you with a few extra pieces of trivia. For years, this was with Ivan Reitman, and he was working really hard to get this flick made. He even had Dan Aykroyd or Bill Murray that he would have had play Ford Perfect. God, that would have been amazing to see. Anyway, I believe the story is that Dan Aykroyd shares a different script with Ivan Reitman that he decides to move forward with: Ghostbusters. What else can I add? How about Johnny Depp and Robert Downey Jr read to play Zaphod, but once Rockwell showed up, it was his. Okay, last bit of trivia. The entire Humma Kavula part was played by John Malkovich, which people did not like because it was not in the original book. That was written by Douglas Adams for the screenplay for the movie he wanted to be made. I loved it. Like usual, I will gladly give you four bucks if you don’t like it. Playing everywhere, like Apple TV and Amazon, but not Disney Plus. That is weird.
I don’t ask much, but please do me one favor. Read the book. It is the closest thing to my brain that I know. But the movie is very, very, very good as well. Not just as close to my brain.
