The second word of the title should be “appalling”. It sure isn’t the best way to mark the first anniversary of Robin Williams’s death: this was his very last screen credit, as the voice of an unfunny dog.
There’s a blue-chip cast here, and it’s directed by Terry Jones; the Pythons have cameos, as creepy alien creatures. But this low-budget Brit film is just depressing, a sub-Douglas Adams sci-fi comedy which looks like mediocre kids’ TV with a dismal script and cheap’n’cheerless production values.
Simon Pegg does his best as a downtrodden teacher who is randomly selected by interplanetary beings to have godlike magic powers. He uses these to make his beautiful neighbour (Kate Beckinsale) fall in love with him – and things continue from there. A huge amount of talent here, including Joanna Lumley and Eddie Izzard. Sadly it goes nowhere.
