History Film / TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy

* DenserAndWackier: A lot of the fundamental elements of the first book make it in, but are crowded together to make room for a largely original second act. New arrivals to the franchise may find some scenes sheer ''randomness'' - for instance, the Vogon Poetry session has lost pretty much all foreshadowing and explanation.

* WhatAnIdiot: Zaphod, in-universe. Just ask Humma's "Don't Vote For Stupid" campaign. Well, after all, the guy ''did'' sign the demolition orders for Earth thinking he was signing a fan autograph book.

* StiffUpperLip: You can see Creator/DouglasAdams' mother sitting outside a cafe reading a paper even as the world ends.

** Presumably all species regard humans as this for being so incredibly wrong with how they assume the universe works.

* JerkassRealization: Zaphod thanks to the POV gun.

* BadVibrations: The cup on Arthur's table shakes violently and fall off due to the drilling outside the house.
* BalefulPolymorph: Happens briefly to the main cast a couple of times courtesy of the Infinite Improbability Drive.

* BBCQuarry: Vogsphere

* DenserAndWackier: A lot of the fundamental elements of the first book make it in, but are crowded together to make room for a largely original second act. New arrivals to the franchise may find some scenes sheer ''randomness'' - for instance, the Vogon Poetry session has lost all foreshadowing and explanation.

* EverythingIsAnIpodInTheFuture: Fitting considering Creator/DouglasAdams was allegedly the first[[note]] Its disputed between him and Creator/StephenFry[[/note]] man to buy an Apple computer in England.
** The Starship Heart of Gold

* EyeLightsOut: Played straight then inverted by Marvin.

* FedToTheBeast: The vogons try to execute Trillian by feedign her to the Ravenous Buglatter Beast of Traal.

* FreezeFrameBonus: When Arthur is standing in the middle of the wreckage of his house whith the Vogon ships above him, you can see a newspaper on the ground with a headline telling us about the dolphins vanishing from the Earth.

* HairTriggerSoundEffect: : The AstronomicZoom from the beginning of the film. FIFTY-FIVE jump cuts. FIFTY-FIVE dramatic stings.
* HumansAreMorons: We have always assumed that we were the most intelligent species occupying the planet, instead of the ''third'' most intelligent, behind mice, and dolphins, the latter of whom curiously knew of the impending destruction of the planet Earth.

* ImperialStormtrooperMarksmanshipAcademy. {{Lampshaded}} by Marvin. When the group is surronded by blaster wielding Vogons, everyone takes cover except Marvin who remarks that Vogons are the "worst marksman in the galaxy." Then, he is immediately shot in the back of the head.
* InAWorld: The trailer was narrated by the titular ''Guide'', and formatted in the style of an official Guide entry on movie trailers, spoken by Creator/StephenFry in a pleasant BBC-announcer voice, except for when he says that "trailers often employ '''''[[Creator/DonLaFontaine a deep voice]], that sounds like a seven foot tall man who's been smoking cigarettes since childhood.''''' (clears throat as he returns to normal)." It consisted of one continuous LampshadeHanging and parody of science fiction action movie tropes. It can be found [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbGNcoB2Y4I here]].

--> "The goal is to provide a piece of advertising that is original and exciting, yet intelligent and provactive - in other words: [[StuffBlowingUp lots of things blowing up]]." ''(cue rapid series of clips of explosions from other films)''

* LightBulbJoke: One of the questions Arthur proposes to the answer JustForFun/FortyTwo is "How many vogons does it take to screw in a lightbulb?"

* LyricalDissonance: The last ever dolphin message was misinterpreted as a surprisingly sophisticated attempt to do a double backward sommersalt through a hoop while whistling the Star-Spangled Banner, when in fact the message was this: "So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish." Cue a very upbeat and catchy tune with a choir singing about the impending destruction of the Earth. "The world's about to be destroyed / There's no point getting all annoyed / Lie back and let the planet dissolve around you"
* MassOhCrap: "Um, people of Earth, this is Prostetnic Vogon Jeltz of the Galactic Hyperspace Planning Council. As you are probably aware, plans for the development of the outlying regions of the Galaxy involve the building of a hyperspatial express route through your star system. And your planet is one of those scheduled for demolition." We are shown shots of various locations around the world that show that ''every single person'' is screaming in terror. Which is either utterly hillarious or utterly horrifying. Except for that one serene woman who sips her tea even as the world ends[[note]]Played by Douglas Adam's mother, no less[[/note]]. "There’s no point in acting surprised about it. The plans and demolition orders have been on display at your local planning department in Alpha Centauri for '''fifty''' Earth years. If you can’t be bothered to take an interest in local affairs, that’s your own lookout. Apathetic bloody planet. I've no sympathy at all."

** There's a Hyper-intelligent shade of Blue present at in the first Deep Thought scene. [[spoiler:Look to the Left of the gates when they're opened]]

** Right before the Earth is destroyed by the Vogon we get an AstronomicZoom that goes from ground level to seeing the entire earth in a dramatic series of ''fifty-five'' jump-cuts. With every single beat.

* PoorCommunicationKills: The dolphins made many attempts to alert mankind to the impending destruction of the planet Earth, but most of these attempts misinterpreted as amusing attempts to punch footballs or whistle for tidbits. So they eventually decided that they would leave Earth by their own means. The last ever dolphin message was a surprisingly sophisticated attempt to a double backwards somersault through a hoop while whistling the Star Spangled Banner, when in fact the message was this: "So Long, and Thanks For All the Fish."

* SceneryPorn: The Magrathean' planet factory floor.
* SedgwickSpeech
--> '''Marvin''' I don't know what all the fuss is about, Vogons are the worst marksmen in the galaxy. [''Zap''] Ow.

* SpiderLimbs: Humma Kavula

* StiffUpperLip: You can see Creator/DouglasAdams mother sitting outside a cafe reading a paper even as the world ends.

* TheNameIsBondJamesBond: Arthur introduces himself several times as, "Dent. Arthur Dent." Which means, "Late as in the late Dentarthurdent."

** Marvin from the original TV series can be seen at the Vogsphere cue; Arthur even takes a DoubleTake while passing him.

For two decades, a [[TheFilmOfTheBook movie version]] of Creator/DouglasAdams's ''Franchise/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy'' rotted in Main/DevelopmentHell. But in 2003, pre-production began, and in 2005, an all-out big-budget feature film rolled out to theaters, directed by Garth Jennings and featuring an AllStarCast.

For two decades, a [[TheFilmOfTheBook movie version]] of Douglas Adams's ''Franchise/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy'' rotted in Main/DevelopmentHell. But in 2003, pre-production began, and in 2005, an all-out big-budget feature film rolled out to theaters, directed by Garth Jennings and featuring an AllStarCast.

For two decades, a [[TheFilmOfTheBook movie version]] of Douglas Adams's ''Franchise/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy'' rotted in Main/DevelopmentHell. But in 2003, pre-production began, and in 2005, an all-out big-budget feature film rolled out to theaters.

[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hitchhikers_guide_to_the_galaxy_movie.jpg]]

For two decades, a movie version of Douglas Adams' ''Franchise/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy'' rotted in Main/DevelopmentHell. But in 2003, pre-production began, and in 2005, an all-out big-budget feature film rolled out to theaters.

* [[AsLongAsItSoundsForeign As Long As It Sounds Spacey]]: Trish [=McMillian=] shortened her name to "Trillian" because it sounded "spacey".

* [[FedToTheBeast Fed To The Ravenous Buglatter Beast of Traal]]: The vogons try to do execute Trillian this way.

* [[FollowTheBouncingBall Follow The Bouncing Dolphin]]: The DVD of the movie includes a sing-along version of the "So Long, and Thanks for All The Fish" song with a bouncing ''dolphin'', naturally.

* ImADoctorNotAPlaceholder

* InsurmountableWaistHeightFence: Want to know why the Vogons all share an IdiotBall? Ford closes a knee-high white picket gate on the Vogons, who moan they have to go the ''other'' way around, thanks to their being extremely LawfulStupid.
** Even better: note that he also locks the gate by reaching over to ''their'' side and locking it.

** The ''Heart of Gold's'' dropships are a direct reference to ''ASpaceOdyssey''.

--> '''Marvin''' I don't know what all the fuss is about, Vogons are the worst marksmen in the galaxy, ow.

** ShoutOutToShakespeare: Zaphod wants to "[[Theatre/TheTempest trip the light fantastic]]" with Questular.

** SuspiciouslySpecificDenial: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UeaM1MtXwJQ Zaphod's ad campaign]]:
--->Zaphod Beeblebrox for President, building bridges between the stars
--->[[BlatantLies In no way is he stupid, in no way is his brain impaired]]
--->It's just not true, [[TakeThat he's smarter than you - and he's better looking too]]

* RaceLift: Ford Prefect is now played by [[BlackBestFriend a black American]]. The director/producers figured since Ford is an alien it doesn't really matter what his race is. It makes Arthur's comment "So, you're ''not'' from Guildford", and remarking Ford's accent was sort of off, even funnier.
** ButNotTooBlack: During a test shot where he holds Marvin's arm, he screams like a black gangsta. Which he decided not to use in the final shot.

* ManicPixieDreamGirl: Trillian, as played by Creator/ZooeyDeschanel.

* WomenAreWiser: The Point of View Gun won't work on Trillian because she is "already a woman" and therefore naturally considerate.

-->"''So long and thanks for all the fish, so sad it had to come to this. We tried to warn you all but oh, dear...''"

* WomenAreWiser: Played jarringly straight - the Point of View Gun won't work on Trillian because she is "already a woman" and therefore naturally considerate.
** Well, considering the gun was made by women to be used on men...
** Alternately, that's just Trillian's assumption (It fits her personality) and the real reason that it doesn't work is because Zaphod's POV is entirely selfish, thus him wanting to be famous doesn't have any impact on her view.
** Granted the gun does work from a secondary point of view, in that using the gun on Zaphod makes him vent her inner thoughts about Arthur. Having been thoroughly dismissive to him the whole movie, this is nearest to her breaking the trope and undergoing a visible JerkassRealization.

* [[UngratefulBastard Ungrateful Bitch]]: When Arthur, Zaphod, Ford, and Marvin rescue Trillian from Vogsphere, she slaps Zaphod (which is justified), then starts yelling at Arthur for not telling her about Earth's destruction because Zaphod threatened him. She tells him to get a backbone, for both that and not saving her on Humma Kavula's planet. Keep in mind that on that planet they'd been getting SHOT AT, and that even ''coming'' to Vogsphere to save her had been Arthur's idea. And not even one "Hi guys, thanks for saving me!" out of her.
** Somewhat subverted in that in the next scene, she's come to her senses and makes amends. [[CaptainObvious I guess getting kidnapped, told that your planet has been destroyed and then narrowly avoiding being fed to a Ravenous Bugblatter Beast kinda puts you in a bad mood.]]
*** Also, she was disappointed in Arthur's lack of spontaneity. He wouldn't go with her on a trip because he's got work, so he suggested something less exciting. The last straw is when Arthur wouldn't enter the portal, fed up with his complaining she ran to it. When she used the Point of View gun on Zaphod, she realized deep down that she ''truly'' loves Arthur, because he's the man she wants since all her life she's been going out with {{jerkass}}es because they were superficially exciting.
*** She may also have realized that Arthur tried to tell he about Earth almost as soon as they met (and Zaphod interrupted) and at least one time after that (which ''she'' interrupted).