Hitchhiker’s Guide to Insanity

42. That’s the answer to the life, universe and everything. Problem is, no one knows the question.

That’s the kind of inspired lunacy found in the new movie, Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. There’s an entire alien race of bureaucrats. An intergalactic president that’s like a combination of Iggy Pop and George Bush. And lots of love for towels (although their importance is never really clear). All and all, it’s a movie that will make you laugh through social commentary presented as a space adventure.

But character development is pretty much left on the wayside and the movie suffers because of it. Once the gags begin to wear thin, Hitchhiker’s loses steam. And by the time the climatic showdown occurs, there’s really little reason to root for the good guys. After all, they're just comedic devices, there to connect the endless series of bizarrely delightful events.

In the end, Hitchhiker’s offers some wonderfully original humor but falls well short of its potential. Wait for the DVD.