My history with the Hitchhiker’s Guide (hereafter referred to as the HHGttG) began when I was sixteen. My folks tasked me with delivering a car to my sister who was at Texas A&M. It was a twelve hour drive and my first road trip alone. I went to the library looking for some books on tape to keep me awake. And there it was. The complete thirteen hour BBC radio series, the HHGttG. Perfect! The only think I knew about it at that tender age was that it was supposed to be very funny. Thirteen hours later, I was a bona fide fan.

You can learn more about Douglas Adams, the creator of HHGttG, and the evolution of his work at DouglasAdams.com. There you will learn that the radio series came first (1978), then the books, and the rest followed. He was working on the screen play for the film in May of 2001 when he died of a sudden heart attack.

Now, on to the review!! Anytime I go into a movie based on some other material that I’ve already enjoyed, I adjust my expectations. If you go in expecting something less than the original but still entertaining, you’ll usually come out pleased. In this case I was much more than pleased.

HHGttG the movie did surprise me by encompassing only the first book, which was only the first few episodes of the radio series. But this is a good thing. By selecting less subject matter, the movie was able to get lots of good material in without feeling rushed.

The script did contain a fair amount of “expected” material all of which was done very well. Purists will argue, but I was very pleased. The thing that really made this movie for me was the physical humor. They added a good amount of yuks to make up for the things that just don’t translate from book (or even radio) to screen. A couple of these physical humor scenes had me stomping my feet I was laughing so hard… seriously. Tammy was very embarrassed.

The most important thing about this movie, whether you are a HHGttG virgin or a life-long fan, is that it captures the Douglas Adams spirit; the utterly bizarre, off-the-wall, and very Brittish style that makes any incarnation of the HHGttG so enjoyable. If you don’t “get it” then the author’s goal was achieved. If you laugh because (or even though) you don’t get it, then you have experienced the joy that was Douglas Adams.

On less ethereal terms, the movie is superb. Well written, well cast, well played. I love the special effects, especially the yarn vomit scene. And it was such a wonderful treat to see creatures created by Jim Henson’s Creature Shop. I was washed over with nostalgic memories of “The Dark Crystal” and “Labyrinth”.

There’s not much more I can say about this film. It’s one of those that you really have to see to understand. So, let me put my grins where my mouth is… umm… right… and just say that I’m giving it four out of five.