As a big fan of the books, I can not wait for this movie. By watching the trailer, it seems like the movie will stick closely to the books. Pretty funny stuff. Here's the trailer if you haven't seen it:

http://www.ugo.com/channels/filmtv/features/hitchhikersguide/exclusive.asp#

I'll be seeing this movie on Thursday. Opinions, anyone?

Edit: April 29 release date WHAT? It looks like the Australian release may be a day earlier than the American one.

I'll be seeing this one on Friday. I read the book a couple of weeks ago and cannot wait for the movie.

I'm planning on seeing this this weekend. Quick question though- Is this just the first book, or is it some kind of conglomeration of all five? I thought that it was going to be the beginning of a series, but an interview I heard on NPR the other day made it sound like it included plot pieces from later books.

Its just the first book. I actually got to see it last night with my friend and it was great. I thought they did a good job incorporating the english humor with a predominantly american cast. The Vogosphere scene is a great addition too. I think people are going to like it.

It stays almost perfectly to the book's plot. And whenever they shorten something up, it is still very good. They don't really skip anything. I am just glad that Adams was able to write the first screenplay, otherwise I am not so sure it would be nearly as well done.

So yeah, I saw it last night.

I quite liked it. Nice three-star sort of movie. Although my brother, being a big fan of the book, didn't like it as much. I guess it helps having never really got into the book.

Edit: Night before last, apparently. How time does fly.

I thought it was excellent! Anyone who is a fan of the book and was disappointed should remember that it was a radio play before becoming a book, and that Douglas Adams himself loved to change up the story to fit whatever medium it was to be presented in. I felt it captured the spirit and essence of Adams work very well personally. A lot of British reviewers have been criticizing Mos Def's preformance, which I feel smacks of racism, as he was great in his role. Jim Henson's creature shop did a fabulous job with the Vogons, Magrithea was awesome, and Alan Rickman was brilliant! Not a perfect film, but no complaints from me!

The only thing that I thought could have been done better was how they changed the construction seen from Ford confusing the construction worker to him just bringing beer. I thought that it was a hilarious scene in the book and would have been pretty funny in the movie as well.

I suggest a travel on over to the "F*** Ebert" thread. Its really quite entertaining.

Hitchhiker's Guide is a flick to be reccomended. I liked it. It made me laugh and when it didnt it made me smile. It's too long and chaotic. At times boring. The plot is far too convuluted. But, I liked it. As one who hasnt ever read a page of the so-beloved novels i wouldnt know how well it translated. But, basing my opinion on the film version, well, there isnt anything else like it. When you're sitting at home and wanting a movie to see check this one ouut

B-

I've been reading some of Adams' other books, and it appears that much of the movie that wasn't taken directly from "The Hitchhiker's..." was taken from other works by Adams. From what I understand the television show was likewise mixed between particular bits.

And a sequel to this film could be very fulfilling. Although Adams (R.I.P.) can no longer write the first screenplay, if there is someone who stays true to the books involved, there could very easily be another very entertaining movie based on his books. "The Restaurant at the End of the Universe" would be a good place to start.

Having read the entire book series years ago and then coming across the audio-cassette version, I went into the movie version after seeing the trailers with some interest. The movie's focus when it used the animated features of the book came closest to the books and audio-cassette tone and charm as well as Marvin the Robot, the character I found the most closely relating to the original material source. As for the rest of the movie, the special effects were fine, but the President of the Universe with his two-headed pop-up head was distracting and annoying to me when compared to the television series. Both the book and the movie just didn't have the consistency, the vision that the audio-cassette version has. Perhaps the imagination remains the best way to experience Douglas Adam's cynical humor in this outlandish but fascinating universe of his.