THE HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY. Funny and Smart

Watching The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, I couldn’t help but feel a certain similarity between Garth Jennings’ film (his directorial debut!) and the “comedy” starring Leslie Nielsen, since both films tackle the theme of cosmic absurdity in full force. However, just as Coca-Cola differs from Hoop Cola or Adidas from Adibos, there’s a vast difference in quality between these productions, with The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy clearly taking the crown. A difference as vast as the entire universe.

It’s not surprising that The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is conquering the world with a storm. This delightful, cinematic play with science fiction, set in a world of absurdity and irrationality, directly stems from the cult classic book by Douglas Adams, which in the 1980s captured the hearts of millions of readers (and before that, radio listeners of the drama series from which the book was later adapted). The unusual humor (which is very British, by the way), a gallery of colorful characters, and the metaphorical depiction of the shortcomings of our world, through the example of the entire galaxy – all of this can be found in the film. The author, who died suddenly in 2001 from a heart attack, never lived to see the realization of his book’s adaptation to the big screen, even though he fought to the last minute for it to happen.

Now, his dream has come true, allowing millions of viewers around the world to dive into a crazy, unexpected (and at times idiotic) adventure. It’s a world where anything is possible, and what we know from our daily lives turns out to be the perfect veil for another reality that surrounds us. A similar theme was explored in Men in Black, where cosmic creatures lived among us on Earth. In The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, however, the creator’s imagination stretches much further and, moreover, it’s funnier.

The story begins with the end of planet Earth, from which our main character flees, having been warned by his alien friend. Both of them escape, forming a highly synchronized duo, armed with a towel (!). Along the way through the cosmos, they are joined by a few other eccentrics, led by the extremely quirky Zaphod Beeblebrox, the President of the Galaxy (played brilliantly by Sam Rockwell, who occasionally channels Tom Cruise), and the paranoid robot Marvin (this very plastic character is played by Warwick Davis, while Alan Rickman lends his voice to Marvin’s depressive tone – the effect is overwhelmingly depressing). Over all the events hangs an absurdity that emerges from every scene, from every frame. Doors that sigh, or nuclear rockets transformed into a whale and a flowerpot with a petunia – these are just two examples from the thousand twisted ideas the filmmakers brought to life. And yet, the excellent adaptation still doesn’t match the book in terms of its level of craziness.

The humor presented in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy was significantly influenced by Monty Python (!), with whom the author of the book once had the pleasure of working (he co-wrote several sketches). Privately, he was also a fan of John Cleese and company’s sense of humor. The film by Garth Jennings contains many references to science fiction classics – trust me, it’s impossible not to notice the giant, Star Wars-like reference to George Lucas’ saga. And it’s not the Death Star. There’s also a wink towards Stanley Kubrick and his 2001: A Space Odyssey – the shape of the spaceship our heroes travel in is reminiscent of a teacup, a change from the book’s boot-shaped vessel. There’s even a bit of The Fifth Element – the Vogons (the bureaucratic, most despised alien race) are physically inspired by the cosmic aliens from the prologue of Luc Besson’s film. Wolfgang Petersen and his Troy get a big slap in the face for their spectacle, especially the scene with a thousand ships on the horizon, which pales in comparison to the spectacular Earth attack involving hundreds of thousands of demolition ships in Jennings’ film.

And the special effects! For a comedy, and even just as a film, the special effects in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy are top-notch. There’s practically no scene that feels artificial or lacks the realism of the depicted world. This is thanks to the superb work done by the experts in computer-generated large-scale environments, such as the planetary construction workshop or any of the special effects in the space flight scenes, the escape from rockets, the whale falling from the sky to Earth (a genius scene, with a hilarious and thought-provoking monologue in the background!), or the grand destruction of Earth. However, what really stands out are the incredibly detailed interiors of the spaceships or the headquarters of Hummy Kavuli (John Malkovich in a truly unusual role), where followers worship a revered handkerchief.

The most important aspect of creating this zany, yet believable galactic universe is, however, the creatures – the inhabitants and visitors of the vast cosmos. It’s worth pausing here for a moment of reflection; viewers worldwide are getting tired of characters entirely created in computer memory. Some even dread the thought of having to watch actors perform against a blue screen, staring not at their conversation partner, but through them, or at the spot where the other person is located, like a floating ball or other prop designed to help the actor talk to nothing. And here’s the surprise. All the characters in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy were crafted by people at Jim Henson’s company. Thanks to this, the screen is populated with real, tangible heroes (well, maybe made of plastic and rubber), and the cosmic creatures in the film truly exist for the actors to interact with. They’re not just products of supercomputers and graphics stations.

Despite the grand scale of the production, the excellent special effects (which are incredibly spectacular), and all the visual fireworks, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy remains a small-scale comedy, with stylized sets and a storyline that surprises and amuses at every turn. There’s none of the lowbrow humor we’ve been seeing so much – no jokes about sex with apple pie (like in American Pie) or farting (like in Scooby-Doo). There’s a scene involving the vomiting of yarn, but it’s done so sympathetically that even 12-year-olds can watch it without worrying they’ll do the same when they leave the theater. The humor in Garth Jennings’ film is of a completely different class, with much more sophisticated jokes, often raising serious questions about life, the universe, and everything else, hidden behind a veil of mockery. Serious questions, to which the answers are usually ironic and meaningless. Everything is served with taste, without excessive humor, with the lightness and flair known from the book. Watching the film is incredibly enjoyable, peaceful, and simply pleasant – as if the viewer is also following the motto: “Don’t Panic,” which is a recurring theme in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.

Finally, it’s worth noting that Douglas Adams, during his life, was deeply involved in efforts to save endangered animal species (such as rhinos and gorillas), something he masterfully wove into his books. The filmmakers of the cinematic version of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy incorporated this into the film as well. After all, try to find another movie that begins with a scene of singing dolphins, saying “So long, and thanks for all the fish,” as they leave Earth, soaring into the sky straight from the oceans.

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is an extraordinary, funny, satirical, and smart film. It provides great entertainment both for viewers who haven’t read Adams’ book and for those who are familiar with and love his work. Where does this assumption come from? Well, I watched The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy without knowing the original literary work and immediately got immersed in the film’s atmosphere, allowing myself to be carried away by its unique entertainment. After the screening, I decided to read Adams’ book, and now I’m deeply impressed by both the book and the film, which undoubtedly (though not without leaving out some excellent book storylines) captured the spirit of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams.