Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - What could have been
 

While sitting at my computer vegetating, I was reading through Hugh Laurie's biography on IMDb and saw this:

Oh, what a movie that might have been!

Jim Carrey? Count me out of the theater for this hypothetical film.

Hugh Laurie doesn't strike me as being pathetic enough to play Dent.

Actually, based on some of his Black Adder work, I'd say he would have been pretty perfect. I didn't like the Arthur they wound up with at all- the only casting they got right was Rickman as Marvin.

I liked the guy they cast as Arthur, but I would have hated Jim Carrey in the film.

I was fine with all the casting in the movie except Sam Rockwell whom I generally despise. But then I'm not a fan of the book (Adams only wrote one funny book in his life and it was non-fiction) so I'm not emotionally attached to any particular traits, characterisitics, or foibles that may have been added or removed in the adaptation.

Hmm. I don't have the Jim Carrey aversion gene that many do, but I can see how having him in the movie would turn off the Hitchhikers' fanbase.

There was something major that was missing from the movie and I don't know if casting was it.

The movie was missing something. I'm not sure what it was. It was just kind of bland. I loved the actor from 'The Office' who played Dent. He's hysterical. I also loved Bill Nighy.

I don't know if Jim Carrey would have made it any better. He didn't help 'A Series of Unfortunate Events'.

I didn't read the books, but I really liked the movie. Arthur was one of the best parts, IMO.

I watched the movie for a second time while flying back from Paris. I really did enjoy it, even though it came nowhere near matching the brilliance of the book. But, short of the full LotR treatment, nothing could. At least it was not embarassingly bad, an admirable effort for what it was.

Personally, I think Jay Roach would have butchered it.

I never read the books, I only knew the Infocom text adventure; I had a lot of fun with the new movie. My wife had no previous idea of the Hitchhiker's universe, and REALLY enjoyed the movie (She REALLY loves dolphins).