HHGttG

Pico-review: some fun bits, but spend an extra hour and a quarter and a few more dollars (unless you rent) and watch the TV series instead. The movie wasn't awful, mind, but neither did it live up to its potential.

( longer comments, trying to avoid spoilers )

Trailers:

• Zathura: During the trailer I was thinking of Home Alone with a fantasy twist; at the end they said it's from the people who did Polar Express. I'm guessing that this means it's really for kids and that there won't be a second layer for adults, but I'd be happy to hear that I'm wrong.
• Valiant: Carrier pigeons dodge evil falcons to save humanity. Looks like fun animation and maybe not much story. Can't really tell.
• Shark Boy and Lava Girl: If it's a riff on comic books then it could be fun, but from the trailer I infer that it's more of a "heartwarming" children's story that just uses comic-book heroes as a plot device. What exactly do they think HHGttG's demographic is?
• Pink Panther: Looks like a respectable version. I didn't care for the originals myself, but that's just me. One of these trailers is not like the others. :-)
• Herbie: Ok, this looks like fun! Now that's closer to pegging the demographic!

I was kind of hoping for a War of the Worlds trailer. I figured fantasy, SF, alternate realities -- should be a no-brainer. Unless, um, it's too early? I've lost track of when that's coming out.

Hmm, why are they called "trailers" when they come before the movie?