HHGTTG (at least one H is for Hate)

I didn't like it.

I loved the first 15 minutes or so, which seemed to me (given my backwards exposure to the canon) like a beautiful adaptation of a computer game that played such a large role in my childhood. (Because, in fact, it was.) And yes, the song before that is great. The destruction of the Earth was even fun to watch, and the improbability drive was very nicely depicted.

After that, the film sunk to mildly amusing, at best. I stopped laughing, though did continue to occasionally exhale sharply through my nostrils at things. I feel like all the ingredients were there, but they didn't really do much with it. There were long scenes of characters talking about funny things, but not showing it to us. There were longer scenes of Zaphod clowning around all by himself, which was kind of funny once and somewhat embarrassing thereafter. (Actually, every gag of note seemed to be repeated twice. At least.)

Mostly, I hated Trillian. It's been 20 years since I read the books so I don't really remember what her character was like, but I'm pretty sure she couldn't have resembled the humorless tart that was in this movie, all the charm sucked out of her in order to recast her as a typical Hollywood stock character, the level-headed woman among a band of man-child nitwits. Except for the parts when she was a squealing victim needing rescue. I hated every scene she was in... which was most of the film, past the opening. Alas.

Furthermore, the Trillian/Arthur lovey-dovey crap was far worse than I thought it would be (as one of my filmgoing companions pointed out, it seemed even more contrived than Trinity/Neo), and Trillian speaks one of those lines that makes me retroactively hate the entire movie. Actually, yes, I think that might have been the point when the film went from tolerable to despicable, really. I was openly hissing her after that. Oh my god I hated her. Filmwrecker!

Also tacked-on Brazil-style love-conquers-all bullshit "happy" ending. Well, whatever. I can't recommend this one.

Ugh... just writing this has made he feel angry. I don't think I felt this angry while watching the movie, but it's set up some sort of feedback loop. I should just give up movies. Or admit that I only like stupid movies that nobody else likes, and stop paying to see the other kind.

First, I will go to bed.

On the other hand

The theatrical trailer for "Serenity" looked hella cool, and I've never even seen the TV show it's based on. (Yes, I know you have the whole DVD collection and would be glad to loan it to me sometime, my happy cultist friends. Maybe later!)