The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy premiered here tonight so I took Cydney to what I hoped would be a halfway decent rendition of one of the funniest stories I’ve ever read.

While I wouldn’t say I was disappointed, the movie didn’t have the uproarious, twisted impact of the book. If you’ve never read Hitchhiker’s Guide, though, it will likely strike you as hilarious. Of note:

Mos Def (whom the Hyatt Regency Waikiki kicked out of his deluxe oceanfront suite when he appeared for a concert with us six weeks ago — boy do I get to rub their nose in it bigtime!), plays Ford Prefect to…well…prefection. He’s such a natural actor and the part suits him well. I enjoyed seeing this side of the otherwise gifted rapper who is also one of the classiest guys I’ve ever met.

Sam Rockwell makes for a fabulous Zaphod Beeblebrox, though his funniest moments come from superb editing. Just the right amount of dumb and dumber, packaged in a very hunky piece of Eye Candy. I’d see this movie again just to envy his hair.

Stephen Fry is the book. He delivers his lines in typical Fry style, downplaying the punchlines as if they should be obvious rather than chucklesome. I’d forgotten how good he is at this sort of thing…it’s too bad the role didn’t call for an on-screen appearance!

Then, of course, there is John Malkovich’s cameo as Humma. He’s so good. He’s always so good. A great bundle of intensity on mechanical legs!

I think I’d give it 4 out of 5 stars. It just didn’t send me out of the theatre in stitches like Men In Black but it wasn’t a total waste of an evening. Oddly enough, Douglas Adams is listed as executive producer…whoever wrote his movie & serial rights contract is my juris prudence hero

Cydney, being eight, left the theater singing the song of the disappearing dolphins. She was quite upset, however, when the humpback whale…well…you’ll have to see the movie to appreciate what they did with that scene