When “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” opened in April, it didn’t exactly light up the box office skies. After debuting in the No. 1 slot, the quirky adaptation of the Douglas Adams story was quickly overshadowed by other early summer fare, most notably a film from another galaxy far, far away, “Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith.”
Still, the film brought in a respectable $51 million in North America, a tally that will undoubtedly rise now that it is on DVD, a format more likely to turn the unconventional philosophical adventure into an offbeat cult hit.
Thanks to its distinctly British sensibilities and affable cast – including Mos Def, Sam Rockwell, Zooey Deschanel and “The Office’s” Martin Freeman as leading man Arthur Dent – this geeked-out sci-fi charmer will win over many but befuddle some, particularly those unfamiliar with the first installment in Adams’ popular series of novels. Still, the curious – especially hard-core Adams loyalists wary of a version that sullies the legacy of the “Hitchhiker” saga – would be wise to give the film a shot. The opening alone, which features a dolphin-centric musical number called “So Long and Thanks for All the Fish,” makes the DVD worth the price of a rental.
The extras win cleverness points for maintaining the look and feel of the animated “Guide” entries depicted in the movie. The single disc comes with a few enjoyable, though not exceptional, extras including: a nine-minute making-of featurette; deleted scenes; a hangman game hosted by Marvin, the perpetually depressed robot; a sing-along version of “So Long and Thanks for All the Fish,” complete with a tiny bouncing dolphin; and two engaging audio commentaries.
Viewers may also have some fun with the “Improbability Drive” option, which – like the “Hitchhiker” spaceship’s reality-altering button – randomly chooses an extra to show. It’s bonus-feature viewing for iPod Shufflers, at least until viewers realize there are only so many extras the Drive can improbably select.
The biggest bummer about this DVD? The fact that the British release, already available in the UK, comes with two discs, one of which includes a one-hour documentary on the making of the film. Buena Vista Home Entertainment has given Americans a more limited version, no doubt a test to see whether sales merit the release of an expanded special edition down the line. For that reason, some Arthur Dent devotees may choose to wait before buying this disc. As for fans who simply can’t hold out that long, as the Guide advises, don’t panic. This DVD offers enough entertainment value to cheer up even the glummest robot, if only for a little while.
Bonus point: “Marvin’s Hangman” is a diverting if bizarre addition to this DVD. But the game’s fun ended whenever I won a round; guessing the correct word completely jammed my DVD player, preventing me from playing again, visiting another menu screen or even turning the player off. The only way to reboot was to unplug my DVD player and start over. I can only hope this is an anomalous defect.
Best bonus: It can’t be denied – commentary tracks just sound better when delivered with British accents. Adams admirers may opt to listen to the interesting but slow-paced audio from executive producer Robbie Stamp and Adams colleague Sean Solle. But the other track – featuring director Garth Jennings, producer Nick Goldsmith and actors Freeman and Bill Nighy – is the wittier and worthier of the two, offering amusing tidbits about dolphins, the film’s many cameo appearances (Look! There’s Douglas Adams’ mom!) and Mos Def’s appetite for English biscuits.
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