Lethal Weapon

Year: 1987 (LW), 1989 (LW2), 1992 (LW3), 1998 (LW4)
Running time: 110 minutes (LW), 114 minutes (LW2), 118 minutes (LW3), 127 minutes (LW4)
Certificate: 15
Language: English
Screenplay: Shane Black (LW), Jeffrey Boam (LW2, LW3), Robert Mark Kamen (LW3), Channing Gibson (LW4)
Director: Richard Donner
Starring: Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Darlene Love, Traci Wolfe, Steve Kahan, Mary Ellen Trainor, Damon Hines, Ebonie Smith, Gary Busey, Mitchell Ryan, Tom Atkins, Jackie Swanson, Joe Pesci, Joss Ackland, Derrick O'Connor, Patsy Kensit, Jenette Goldstein, Dean Norris, Rene Russo, Stuart Wilson, Chris Rock, Jet Li, Kim Chan, Eddy Ko, Calvin Jung

Riggs & Murtaugh: The beginning of a beautiful friendship.

Written by the brilliant Shane Black, the original Lethal Weapon is a bona fide classic and the original and best of the 'Buddy Cop' formula. It would have made a star of Mel Gibson if Mad Max hadn’t already done so. Gibson as the suicidal cop Martin Riggs grieving for his recently deceased wife is a joy to watch (I know how odd that sounds, but it is no less true for that), and seeing him teamed up with ‘too old for this shit’ Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover) for the first time is to witness film history every bit as hallowed as the Ben Hur chariot race or Indy’s escape from the big rolling ball at the start of Raiders. The plot is incidental - the death of a young woman who happens to be the daughter of an old friend of Roger's leads to the reluctant partners taking on some ex-military drug lords, the best of which is easily nut-job mercenary Mr Joshua (Gary Busey). What really matters here is these two characters and the bond that grows between them, which helps Riggs to get past his lost wife. Murtaugh pretty much adopting Riggs into his family literally saves his life by giving him something new to live for. The chemistry these two have while on the screen together is a thing of beauty and, thanks to Black's script, there are many moments of bro-bonding through banter (choice line: "I was driving before you were itchin' your daddy's pants"). However, that said, the ending is ridiculous – ‘we’ve caught him now, so I just want to prove my balls are bigger than his by having a big manly fight’. Cheesus Extremis.

When we come back for the sequels, I’m afraid it’s a case of diminishing quality with each successive film (probably something to do with the fact that Shane Black didn’t write them, and only contributed to the story for part 2). That said, there are moments to like in all of them (even the fourth one). In Lethal Weapon 2 the two of them are taking on a group of racist South Africans committing crime behind the protection of DIP-LO-MAT-IC IMM-UNI-TY! Joss Ackland as chief evil-doer Arjen Rudd really hams the accent up to the extreme and is not as menacing as he probably thinks he is. Joe Pesci as Leo Getz, a witness Riggs and Murtaugh are assigned to protect is a welcome addition, as is seeing Riggs' new love interest Rika Van Den Haas (Patsy Kensit) and her ridiculous accent bite the dust. Perhaps that is a little harsh, but she wasn't a character, she was a plot device. Innocent secretary to the bad guys, a way to tie the South Africans to the death of Riggs' wife and chance to see a pair of tits. Bad, bad writing.

"I'm gonna die on the toilet aren't I?"

It may not be as good as the first one, but it still has some really great moments; take for example, the scene where Murtaugh creates a diversion in the South African embassy by trying to buy a ticket to help his 'oppressed brothers and sisters' with the line "Free South Africa you dumb son-of-a-bitch!" Or the fall from the hotel window into the pool, or smashing a car out of a shipping container full of cash. Of course none of them can top the genuinely classic bomb on the toilet moment, which is played perfectly for both laughs and poignancy. Black's original idea was for Riggs to die at the end, which certainly would have made the ending, and the film, more powerful, but Warner Bros weren't ready to kill off one of their prize franchises just yet.

Lethal Weapon 3 takes yet a further dip in quality, and has fewer memorable moments. This time round we're on the trail of corrupt cops dealing in armour-piercing, cop-killing arms. There are still laughs to be had, and there are still some pretty spectacular action set-pieces, as well as some emotional character stuff after Murtaugh kills a kid in a street shoot-out. It all feels a bit by-the-numbers however - a bit of a cash-grab. The villains are a definite step-down, with corrupt ex-cop Jack Travis (Stuart Wilson) making much less of an impact than Gary Busy or Joss Ackland. One thing the film does get right is the introduction or new character Lorna Cole (Rene Russo). Sure, when it boils down to it she's just another new love interest for Riggs, but unlike pointless plot device Patsy Kensit, Cole is good match for Riggs: she has strength, she takes no shit, she is every bit as badass as he is, and she can only help to reign in Riggs' wilder tendencies. She's a character in her own right and she compliments him rather than being there to simply drive plot forward.

New addition Lorna Cole is more than a match for Riggs.

Franchise finale Lethal Weapon 4 is on a par with 3, perhaps even slightly worse. This time

there are babies, because hey, something's gotta happen, right? Lorna and Riggs are expecting, as is Murtaugh's eldest daughter Rianne (Traci Wolfe), only Roger doesn't know who the father is yet. Despite treating Leo like shit and acting like they hate him, they still seem to hang out with him quite a lot, which is a bit weird, but hey, he's funny so why not? (A lot of stuff about this franchise doesn't make much sense when you think about it.) He's joined by additional comic relief in the shape of Detective Lee Butters (Chris Rock). The writing is lazier than it's ever been before on the franchise in this fourth part - much of Butters' lines and Rock's delivery is like he's delivering a stand-up routine - undeniably funny, but doesn't help with the old suspension of disbelief. There is, however, a nice touch when it's Riggs who finally begins to feel 'too old for this shit', which makes for one of those great character moments Gibson and Glover do so well - thousands of shitty rom-coms would kill for this kind of long-running chemistry.

They think they have him. They really, really don't.

The case they're trying to crack this time is hideously complex - a group of Triads are importing slaves to work on a counterfeiting operation to buy four imprisoned crime lords back from a corrupt general. Only, far more elaborate. Luckily, the glowering presence of super badass Jet Li as nasty Triad Wah Sing Ku allows you to put much of that to one side and instead focus on a once-more formidable foe after part 3's damp squib. In terms of both action, comedy and chemistry between the two leads the later films are up there with the first two, but they are sorely lacking in some way it is hard to define, but might be put down to nothing more than a lack of Shane Black. It’s just painful to see these two characters become nothing more than parodies of their once-great selves. In particular, it is the final line of part 4, with the entire cast saying "We’re family!" to the camera that really makes me cringe.

On the whole, well loved, but I'm glad the once mooted part 5 never materialised, allowing Riggs and Murtaugh to go out with what little dignity they had left.

Score:

Lethal Weapon: 8/10
Lethal Weapon 2: 7/10
Lethal Weapon 3: 6/10
Lethal Weapon 4: 6/10

It seems my thoughts on this patchy but enjoyable franchise are largely shared by others - see these reviews of Lethal Weapon from Roger Ebert, Lethal Weapon 2 from Guy at Den of Geek, Lethal Weapon 3 from Brian at Variety and Lethal Weapon 4 from Josh.

Hercules

Year: 1997
Running time: 93 minutes
Certificate: U
Language: English
Screenplay: Ron Clements, John Musker, Don McEnery, Bob Shaw, Irene Mecchi
Directors: Ron Clements, John Musker
Starring (voices): Tate Donovan, Susan Egan, Josh Keaton, Roger Bart, Danny DeVito, James Woods, Bobcat Goldthwaite, Matt Frewer, Rip Torn, Samantha Eggar

"I'm a damsel. I'm in distress. I can handle this. Have a nice day."

An underrated entry into the Disney Classics range, Hercules is a lot more fun than its reputation suggests. King of the gods Zeus (Rip Torn) is celebrating the birth of his newly born baby Hercules with his wife Hera (Samantha Eggar) and all of the other gods on Mount Olympus when Hades, god of the underworld (James Woods) turns up to wish the little tyke well in his own special way. Meaning planning his murder. Failing evil overlord 101 however, he entrusts the deed to his clearly useless underlings, Pain (Bobcat Goldthwaite) and Panic (Matt Frewer), who, true to form, screw it up. Abducting baby Hercules they fail to feed him all of the poison specially brewed to make him mortal (all but the final drop), and he retains his godlike strength.

Thus, we have a nice little set up for our man to grow up and go on a quest to become a true hero and reclaim his place among the gods. Dismissed by his peers with mutters of "Jerkules", called a freak by adults when he's unable to control his strength, his adoptive parents explain how they found him and off he goes to find Philoctetes ("Call me Phil") (Danny DeVito) on the advice of his real dad. Phil is convinced by a well-placed lightning bolt to train Hercules in the way of the hero. Needless to say, our hero saves the day, prevents Hades' hostile takeover and learns that selflessness is the true meaning of heroism, but we don't half have some laughs along the way.

"Uh, guys? Olympus, would be that way."

The writing and voice acting is sharp and has boundless energy – particularly James Woods as Hades, playing him relentlessly sarcastic and quick to anger (his hair, after all, is made of fire). The humour has a dry wit not often seen in Disney fare, with some great lines, brilliantly delivered, for example when our hero first meets Meg (Susan Egan), Hercules' refreshingly competent love interest, the line “Thanks for everything Herc. It’s been a real slice”, is positively dripping with a self-assured dismissal of this lunk-headed man come to rescue her.

In addition, the style of animation is unique amongst Disney Classics, being conceptualised by English animator Gerald Scarfe, marking it out amongst its peers in a really effective way. Two thumbs way, way up.

Score: 7/10

There are good and bad reviews out there for Hercules - see this one from Entertainment Weekly for a good, and this one from James for a bad. This is not really surprising considering its middle of the pack spot in Disney's Classics range.

Jackie Brown

Year: 1997
Running time: 154 minutes
Certificate: 15
Language: English
Screenplay: Quentin Tarantino
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Starring: Pam Grier, Samuel L. Jackson, Robert Forster, Robert De Niro, Bridget Fonda, Michael Keaton, Michael Bowen, Chris Tucker, Hattie Winston, LisaGay Hamilton, Tommy 'Tiny' Lister

Jackie Brown: down on her luck, but still formidable.

It seems that for a lot of people Jackie Brown is the duffer in Tarantino's body of work so far. The problem was it followed Pulp Fiction, an astonishing powerhouse of a movie, and people were expecting much the same, or at least something similar. What they got was something very different. This is a slow burning film by comparison, taking time to set up all the characters (with the exception of Jackie herself (Pam Grier), who arrives onscreen fully formed and cool as fuck to the sound of Bobby Womack's Across 110th Street in one of cinema's most criminally under-rated character intros) and getting itself into a very convoluted plotline (of course, anyone familiar with Elmore Leonard's novel, Rum Punch, on which this is based, would've had a clearer idea of what to expect). When people were waiting for more of the razor sharp dialogue that Tarantino writes so well, the characters began talking about what it’s like to get older and had conversations about The Delfonics.

I make a point of trying never to go in with any expectations of what a film should be, and in this case I think it paid off. While my friends complained about the lack of, for want of a better word, Pulp Fiction-ness, I was intrigued by the characters and hooked on the plot. The story revolves around six people, half a million dollars and everyone trying to double cross each other to get their hands on it. Ordell Robbie (Samuel L. Jackson) is the biggest gangster-fish in his particular little pond. He's got some money to smuggle in from some arms deals he's pulled off and he needs someone to bring in the cash. A large part of the first act is spent showing just what kind of a person Robbie is, bailing out one Beaumont Livingston (Chris Tucker), only to elaborately plan and execute Beaumont's murder to prevent him from talking to the police when he inevitably goes back to prison. Associates of Robbie include Louis Gara (Robert De Niro), a bank robber recently out of prison and Melanie Ralston (Bridget Fonda), in the words of Robbie "...one of the bitches I got set up" who is very happy to spend her time getting high and watching TV, until the opportunity to relieve Ordell of his ill-gotten gains presents itself.

Ordell talks guns with his non-too-bright henchman Louis.

Max Cherry (Robert Forster) is an ageing bail bondsman employed by Robbie to bail out first Beaumont and then Jackie after she is arrested when caught smuggling cocaine and cash in for Ordell to supplement her meagre wage. Cherry is very taken with Jackie and, against his better judgement, agrees to help Jackie swipe Ordell's cash. Watching over everything are Ray Nicolette (Michael Keaton), a confident ATF agent and Mark Dargus (Michael Bowen), of the LAPD who arrested Jackie in the first place and have agreed to let her go in exchange for co-operation in catching Ordell. Everything hinges on this half a million dollars and which character will finally end up with it after the dust clears.

Similar plot lines have been done to death, but this still sparkles, thanks largely to three things; the outstanding source material, Tarantino's superb adaptation and direction, and the excellent cast - not one of them puts in anything less than a thoroughly great performance (Grier outshines them all, and out of the support, my favourite is the brilliant Michael Keaton - Nicolette also appears in Out of Sight, another Elmore Leonard adaptation that made its way to screens the following year). As with every Tarantino movie, music plays a huge role, and the records on offer here are just as inspired as any of his films; as well as the aforementioned Bobby Womack and Delfonics, the soundtrack includes the likes of Johnny Cash and Bill Withers, amongst others.

So, Jackie Brown, far from being a duffer, is one of the crown jewels in the collection of a man who, so far, has made nothing but crown jewels.

Score: 8/10

Other reviews for Jackie Brown are largely gushing, like this one of Roger Ebert's, but there are some people who appear to have watching a different film entirely, like Janet at the New York Times.

Con Air

Year: 1997
Running time: 115 minutes
Certificate: 18
Language: English
Screenplay: Scott Rosenberg
Director: Simon West
Starring: Nicolas Cage, John Malkovich, John Cusack, Ving Rhames, Colm Meaney, Mykelti Williamson, Nick Chinlund, Danny Trejo, M. C. Gainey, Jesse Borrego, Steve Buscemi, Renoly Santiago, Dave Chappelle, Rachel Ticotin, Steve Eastin, Monica Potter, Landry Allbright

Nic had forgotten to pack the Pantene again.

Like many movies produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, Con Air is a bit of a guilty pleasure – you know that it’s not clever, artistic or attempting to relay a message; it’s just that blowing shit up is cool. And nobody blows shit up like a Jerry Bruckheimer movie.

Cameron Poe (Nicolas Cage, on his post-Oscar action-hero credibility-wrecking trip) is a U.S. soldier who fatally injures a man while fighting off an attack by a group of drunken town hicks. Sent to prison for eight years, his pregnant wife Tricia (Monica Potter) must raise their daughter Casey (Landry Allbright) alone until his release. When he finally does get released, he really should get sent straight back for crimes against hair. But then again, what's a Nic Cage film without ridiculous hair? Catching a ride with Poe, we just so happen to have the scummiest scum on the planet, led by Cyrus 'The Virus' Grissom (John Malkovich), who have plans of their own, largely involving escape while causing maximum carnage.

After this, it's up to our hairy hero to save the day and get Casey's bunny to her in one piece pretty much single-handedly - there is some on-the-ground assistance given by U.S. Marshall Vince Larkin (John Cusack), but he spends most of his time bickering with grumpy DEA knob Duncan Malloy (Colm Meaney). That's the high-concept set-up, all there is to do after grasping that is watch the sparks fly. And my, my, what sparks.

You can forgive Nic Cage’s awful accent (how Cage kept a straight face while delivering the line "Put the bunny back in the box" is beyond me) and dreadful hair, you can almost forgive that horrific theme song, because, well, they drag a sports car through the air behind a plane, and then crash said plane into Las Vegas. The action isn't particularly bloodthirsty, but does enough to earn Con Air an 18 certificate - a point brought up here because I remember when I saw it at the cinema it was only a 15, and became an 18 when released on video/DVD, and the only other film I know of that did that is Verhoven's Starship Troopers. I've never worked out the reason why - did the BBFC change its mind, or are there additional scenes? One of life's great unsolved mysteries, I guess.

Cyrus 'The Virus' Grissom: Poster child for the criminally insane.

Cusack, usually being rather more cerebral in his choice of parts, doesn’t quite seem at home in this film (which actually makes him a fine choice, because that pretty much describes his character), but everyone else, particularly Malkovich and Steve Buscemi (as nut-job serial killer Garland 'The Marietta Mangler' Greene) are obviously having a whale of a time - the two of them share of the best lines between them, with the exception of Cage's aforementioned bunny/box fiasco.

The ending is great as well – not because Poe gets to give the bunny to his little girl after all, but because Grissom gets possibly one of the most bizarrely elaborate death scenes ever and especially because the movie ends on a joke about a convicted, obviously insane (but, just possibly, following a sing-a-long hymn with a little girl, reformed) serial killer being free and on the loose.

Long live the Bruckheimer action movie!

Score: 7/10

Whether you like Con Air or not I think depends on how much disbelief you'll be willing to suspend - the film knows full well it's ridiculous, but it's determined to have fun all the same. That's why you get reviews with varied opinions in them like this one from Janet at the New York Times, who quite liked it, or this one from James at Reelviews, who didn't.

Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within

Year: 2001

Running time: 106 minutes

Certificate: PG

Language: English

Screenplay: Hironobu Sakaguchi, Al Reinert, Jeff Vintar, Jack Fletcher, Ramin Mebdy, B. L. Jurgens

Directors: Hironobu Sakaguchi, Motonori Sakakibara

Starring (voices): Ming-Na, Alec Baldwin, Donald Sutherland, James Woods, Ving Rhames, Steve Buscemi, Peri Gilpin

Aki's dreaming again.

Final Fantasy is, of course, better known as a hugely successful video game franchise, but developers Square thought it a good idea to make a CG movie and stamp the well-known name on the product.

The big thing about this movie was to show what could be done with computer technology, and the results were undeniably very impressive. Even now, they hold up reasonably well. It was a not-quite-but-almost successful attempt to render photo-real humans on screen. Before we get to the humans though, the gorgeous landscapes deserve special mention – particularly the final scene and the dream sequences, which look spectacularly, stupendously good.

On an Earth of the future, humankind is under threat from an invading force of alien phantoms. Much of the planet is uninhabitable, with survivors cowering behind cities encased in gigantic force-fields. Dr Aki Ross (Ming-Na) and her mentor Dr Sid (Donald Sutherland) are on a mission to find a peaceful solution before the sinister General Hein (James Woods) launches a massive attack on Earth to wipe the alien invaders from the face of the planet, likely along with the remnants of humanity as well. Helping Aki and Sid find the evidence they need in the dangerous wasteland outside of the protective walls is the Deep Eyes military squadron, led by an old friend of Aki's, Captain Grey Edwards (Alec Baldwin). Under the shell of flashy animation and action set-pieces lies a heart of spirituality. Peace is the key to saving all, and Aki and her team race to resolve the conflict before Hein destroys everything.

Dr. Sid tries to press the case for peace.

The animation is genuinely impressive, with lingering moments spent on Dr. Aki’s exquisitely animated hair and the creases in General Hein's black leather coat as he stands in his office or glides through zero gravity. A particularly astonishing job was done with Dr Sid, with lifelike blemishes and liver spots making the old man look more convincingly human than the others. However, for all the technical wizardry, the characters are not quite 100% convincing. Sometimes they don’t quite move like they should, and there are awkward pauses that only come from matching voice-work to animation and not from real people acting.

So the animation is impressive, including the landscapes, the action and the characters. The story, although not the top priority here, isn’t too bad either, if a little re-hashed, covering a number of emotional bases, including spirituality, unresolved love and sacrifice, with the obligatory ray of hope at the end.

Score: 6/10

Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within doesn't seem to be quite as vilified as I had thought, if this review at Triple J and this one from Roger Ebert is anything to go by.

O Brother, Where Art Thou?

Year: 2000
Running time: 106 minutes
Certificate: 12
Language: English
Screenplay: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
Directors: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
Starring: George Clooney, John Tuturro, Tim Blake Nelson, Chris Thomas King, Holly Hunter, John Goodman, Charles Durning, Wayne Duvall, Michael Badalucco, Ray McKinnon, Daniel Von Bargen

Everett, just prior to his meeting with the blind seer.

I read a quote once in a review of The Big Lebowski, which said something like: ‘In a perfect world, all movies would be made by the Coen brothers’. While we would undoubtedly miss the likes of Hitchcock, Kubrick, Jackson et al, while you’re watching a film like this one, it’s difficult to disagree. An original take on Homer’s Odyssey, the action is relocated to America’s deep south, with our hero Ulysses now being a rather dim-witted fellow (full name Ulysses Everett McGill) (George Clooney). Everett has just escaped from jail with two buddies in tow. They are Pete Hogwallop (John Tuturro) and Delmar O'Donnell (Tim Blake Nelson) (the Coens' reputation for ingenious character names is never more deserved than here). These two happen to be even more dim-witted than Everett, and the three are played with perfect comic charm.

If you know the story, you will recognise particular beats here, but it is all played through such a wonderful prism, that everything feels built from scratch while still feeling familiar. Pursued by Sherriff Cooley (Daniel Von Bargen), possibly the devil himself, our intrepid trio run into all manor of characters, including George Nelson (don't call him Babyface) (Michael Badalucco), the Sirens (Mia Tate, Musetta Vander and Christy Taylor), Tommy Johnson (Chris Thomas King), having just sold his soul to the devil for extraordinary guitar-playing skills, and face many dangers, only for Everett to make his way back home to find his wife Penny has taken up with new suitor Vernon T. Waldrip (Ray McKinnon), who may be bona fide, but is no goddamn paterfamilias.

The Soggy Bottom Boys: Pop stars in the making.

Cast-wise, there is not a single dud, with Coens’ regular John Goodman being particularly stand out in a minor role as the Cyclops (re-framed here as Big Dan Teague, a bible salesman/mugger with an eye-patch).

The wonderful Coen wit and originality is very much present and correct, but here we’re given a wonderful bonus – music with its roots in the old deep south bluegrass style which is simply gorgeous. Every single second is a uniquely Coen visual and aural treat.

Do yourself a favour, and get acquainted with the Coen brothers – you’ll never regret it.

Score: 9/10

The Coens and O Brother, Where Art Thou? are well-loved - this review shows that Kim from Empire and I are in agreement, and this one from David makes the points more eloquently than I can manage.

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

Year: 2005
Running time: 109 minutes
Certificate: 12
Language: English
Screenplay: Douglas Adams, Karey Kirkpatrick
Director: Garth Jennings
Starring: Martin Freeman, Mos Def, Zooey Deschanel, Sam Rockwell, Alan Rickman (voice), Warwick Davis, Bill Nighy, John Malkovich, Stephen Fry (voice), Helen Mirren (voice)

Arthur steadies his nerves with a cup of tea.

If your initial thought is that a movie cannot possibly hope to compare to the near-perfect series of stories by Douglas Adams, well, you’d be right, but The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is pretty damn good all the same. The style and humour of the books is, I would imagine, one of the most difficult things to successfully transfer to the screen – the TV show had its moments, but left me underwhelmed (blasphemy, I know, but there you are), but they do surprisingly well here.

Arthur Dent (Martin Freeman) is pretty average, and when we first see him, he is desperately trying to prevent his house being bulldozed to make way for a new bypass. In his pyjamas, slippers and dressing gown. This soon becomes the least of his problems, as the Vogon fleet (alien civil servants, basically) have arrived to demolish earth to make way for a new interstellar bypass. Luckily for Arthur, his best friend Ford Prefect (Mos Def in a surprising piece of leftfield casting, who turns out to be a really excellent choice) isn't human, but is just on earth to write about it for the most useful and well-read book in the universe: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (Stephen Fry, who is simply the best possible choice they could have made), and manages to smuggle the two of them onto a Vogon ship before the earth is obliterated.

To recount the plot in any great detail would be to miss the point entirely, so I'll keep it brief. Arthur meets a fellow human survivor, Trillian (Zooey Deschanel), whom he had previously failed to chat up at a party. Trillian had instead left with Zaphod Beeblebrox (Sam Rockwell), who, it turns out, is the President of the Galaxy and Ford's cousin. Zaphod has stolen the spaceship Heart of Gold and is making use of its Infinite Probability Drive to stay one step ahead of the Vogons. Along for the ride is Marvin (Warwick Davis and Alan Rickman), a depressed robot, the original paranoid android.

Ford, Zaphod and Trillian try to fly Heart of Gold as Marvin looks on,
unimpressed.

Parallels are often drawn between Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and Monty Python's Flying Circus and for good reason: it's so random yet brilliant at times, that it does feel a little like the Pythons made a sci-fi movie. Even the moments that don’t appear in the book blend with the overall feeling (it shouldn’t surprise you that Adams himself conceived of them before his death and wrote much of the screenplay).

It doesn't follow traditional narrative structure, and it's definitive Britishness did prevent it from becoming a huge international hit, but don't let that put you off; take it for what it is and enjoy the ride. Just don't forget your towel.

Score: 8/10

I thought I was alone in enjoying this film to the degree I did, but these reviews by Keith at the A.V. Club and Manohla at the New York Times suggest otherwise.