Don't let this 'Hitchhiker' guide you

One of the more beloved science fiction works of the last half century has been Douglas Adams' "The "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy," finally released into theaters earlier this year. Many obsessed Adams fans worried that his bizarrely inspired smart slapstick space opera would be diluted by the big screen. As a film, "Hitchhiker's" captures the whimsy and magic of Adams' book. However, as capturing an exciting film on DVD, the disc falters.\nFor those unfamiliar with the story, "Hitchhiker's" deals with normal Englishman Arthur Dent (Martin Freeman), BBC's "The Office"), who is rescued at the nick of time by alien Ford Prefect (rapper/actor Mos Def, in a surprisingly clever bit of casting). Earth is set for destruction in order to make room for an interstellar bypass, with only Arthur and Ford escaping with their towels intact. After stowing away on one of the Vogon destruction ships, Arthur and Ford are saved by the two-headed, three-armed President of the Galaxy, Zaphod Beeblebrox (Sam Rockwell), the last remaining Earth girl, Trillian (Zooey Deschanel) and the manically depressed robot Marvin (voiced by Alan Rickman). From there, this motley crew travels across the galaxy in order to find if there is indeed any purpose to life.\nOriginally written in 1978 as a series of radio plays, "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" has gone through numerous mediums, not limited to a book series, a computer game and a made-for-TV mini-series. However, the film version had been stuck in "development hell" for nearly 20 years. With such a long and interesting history, you'd think the DVD would be chock full of special features examining the trip "Hitchhiker's" has taken from radio to screen. It isn't.\nWith such a visually imaginative film, with such a storied history, you would expect a galaxy-load of special features. Instead, we get just a little more than the bare minimum. There's almost nothing on director Garth Jennings' decision to use puppets instead of CGI for the alien races, nor is there any information on the long process of transforming a 200-some-page book into a two-hour movie. Casual fans of the film might not mind, but those who have eagerly anticipated it will feel cheated.\nIncluded are two audio commentaries, one with Jennings, producer Nick Goldsmith and actors Freeman and Bill Nighy. The second commentary track features executive producer and one of Adams' colleagues, Sean Solle. \nThe disc includes four deleted scenes, including fan-favorite bits about how the Bablefish disproves the existence of God and Ford's new, wholly improved entry for Earth: "Mostly harmless." The other two, well, let's say they deservedly were cut. But perhaps the real joy is two "really deleted scenes," which were never meant to be included. If the thought of Arthur as a violent, foul-mouthed action hero never entered your mind, you really ought to check these out.\nAs for the rest of the disc, there's a singalong for the opening credits and a pretty lame "Marvin's Hangman" game. The standard 10-minute featurette is included, almost as a taunt to what could have been. For such an imaginative film being put out by Disney, which usually respects the ins and outs of the format, the "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" DVD only tastes of what might have been.