Let's be honest, this is about as close to an unfilmable property as it gets. Between the vast array of budget-busting concepts, characters and settings, the niche-settled sense of humor (granted, it's a rather large niche, but a niche all the same) and Douglas Adams's inimitably flirty, hilarious knack for description, it's a wonder this was even filmed because it seems so perfectly suited to a non-visual medium. But it's a popular title and Hollywood's long since run out of fresh, moneymaking ideas, so after two-plus decades in development hell, somebody finally gave it a green light. And, god bless it, the thing actually performs admirably well in a number of unexpected ways.

For starters, the visual design is a raging success. A creative wet dream, it's positively teeming with expertly-realized concepts. The dozens of alien races look magnificent, the competing spacecraft are wildly varied and thoroughly interesting, the guide itself is a note-perfect modernization of an aging concept, and the infamous factory on Magrathea is jaw-droppingly realized. The casting is deeply inspired, too, with Alan Rickman, Sam Rockford, Martin Freeman and Zooey Deschanel seemingly born to play their roles as Marvin, Zaphod, Arthur and Trillian, respectively.

The only snag lies in the story, which is half-baked at best, cripplingly over-ambitious at worst and even occasionally, inexcusably, dull. Too often it stretches too thin, striving to please everyone and instead falling universally short. The bare threads of Adams's original storyline are still there, plain as day, and they still work excellently. But they're back-seated by far too many indulgent side treks and wink-nod-grins for anyone's good. It's a commendable effort that does an awful lot right - far more than I was prepared to accept - but can't quite get over the hump into unbridled success.

Just read the Book, it's so much better. If you have read The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy there is a series to read, get to it!