From Chris Snellgrove
| Published
These days, filmmakers and audiences alike seem to be obsessed with crossovers, whether it’s Deadpool and Wolverine teaming up to save the multiverse or Superman teaming up with characters like Mr. Terrific and Guy Gardner to save the world. But would you believe that a film that came out almost 20 years ago is now the ultimate genre team-up, bringing together stars from Marvel, Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings? Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is now available to stream on Hulu and it might be the most entertaining way to immerse yourself in the literary world of sci-fi legend Douglas Adams.
Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (based on Adams’ book of the same name) is about a man who is warned by a friendly alien that Earth will soon be destroyed by other aliens. This leads both of them to the stars, where they quickly become embroiled in a galactic president’s mad quest for an answer to life’s ultimate question. The answer could be enough to save the galaxy. Assuming, of course, that our heroes manage to survive that long.
The film serves as a (relatively) faithful adaptation of the icon Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxyand it features a great cast including Lord of the rings Legend Martin Freeman as our unfortunate human protagonist. A few people join him Harry Potter Stars including Warwick Davis as a robot who happens to be voiced by Alan Rickman. Now an unforgettable Marvel villain Sam Rockwell plays the President of the Galaxy and the cast includes other big names like Zooey Deschanel, Helen Mirren, John Malkovich and Stephen Fry.
Despite this star-studded cast Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy grossed a modest $104.5 million at the box office on a budget of $45-50 million. There were originally loose plans for a sequel, which would essentially create a film franchise from Douglas Adams’ groundbreaking novel Science fiction Series. Unfortunately, Freeman later confirmed that the film’s meager box office receipts were not enough to justify a big-budget sequel.
As for the critics, they were somewhat divided Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. To Rotten tomatoesThe film has a critical rating of 60 percent, with critics generally complaining that the film could be funnier and that it may not be as accessible to those who have not read the book. Audiences now like the film a little better and it currently has a Popcornmeter rating of 65 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.
In other words, this is a film that’s barely “fresh” with critics and hasn’t wowed audiences enough to warrant a sequel. Then why do I recommend streaming? Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy? For one thing, the film feels fresher than ever. In a time of endless Marvel nonsense and audiences’ superhero fatigue, it’s great to see a big-budget genre film doing its own thing.
Plus, director Garth Jennings actually got what he paid for with this killer cast. Freeman brings the understated charm of an everyman, while Rockwell brings a great performance and even more laughs. Mos Def embodies suppleness and grace, while Fry embodies understated charm, and Deschanel…well, she embodies galactic girl-next-door charisma through and through.
Ultimately, the film has a lot of heart and often feels like an extension Doctor Who Episode in its representation of the completely fantastic as completely everyday. There is a Zen-like quality to much of the advice Ford Prefect gives Arthur Dent in the face of otherwise unimaginable disasters. By the end, you’ll feel a little like Dent himself: ready to take on the entire galaxy (with some astute remarks, of course).
In summary, Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is full of high-stakes plots and big-name actors, and the result is a team that’s bigger and better than most we’ve seen from Marvel or DC. Do you find this sci-fi classic as entertaining as we do, or will turning off the TV be your own response to life, the universe and everything? Of course, you won’t know until you stream the greatest adaptation of Douglas’ Adams’ stirring story yourself Hulu.
