Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas - Criterion Collection

Rating:
Summary: Fans of the book rejoice; others beware.
Review: If you loved Hunter S. Thompson's gonzo semi-autobiographical novel, as I did, then you're likely to enjoy this wildly energetic, acid-drenched romp through the American counterculture. Johnny Depp turns in an amazing performance as Raoul Duke (aka Hunter Thompson). He can make you laugh just be tilting his head a certain way. However, if you haven't read the book, you're very likely to hate this film. All of the dialogue is directly quoted from the book, but it's often spoken in an unintelligable fasion. Bottom line: read the book first.

Rating:
Summary: Bad Craziness and the True American Dream
Review: I've got to agree with one of the other reviews: you either loved it or hated it. That is, you either got it, or missed the point entirely. What a hilarious, crazy, mesmerising film! Long live Duke and Dr. Gonzo! Follows the book faithfully, and man, were some of those scenes realistic (don't ask me how I know!). My only complaint: I don't agree with Thompson's final analysis of the Sixties. That aside, see this movie!

Rating:
Summary: Terry Gilliam's drug induced masterpiece
Review: Fear and loathing is a beautifully shot film. Director Terry Gilliam has captured the essence of various drug states. I almost felt as if it were all a wild "flashback". Through Gilliams eyes we can actully feel Johnny Depps hallucinations, both good and bad trips. And even though this is a drug movie it is screaming with Americana, the setting says it alone. If you have never had a good ether binge or never dabbled in adrinachrome you probably wont understand this movie, but thats why your at your high paying job right now and I'm typing reviews on the internet.

Rating:
Summary: Either You Love It or Loath It....
Review: I'll say this for it, this movie seems to make people react strongly in favor of it or not. It does not engender indifference. Johnny Depp is excellent overall, and is wickedly funny in places. The remainder of the cast is good, but I think the directing and/or editing need help. It doesn't hang together well in spots. Watch it when you want something very different, or you're in a sarcastic frame of mind.

Rating:
Summary: Not for the weak
Review: If you've never heard of Hunter Thompson and/or Terry Gilliam you need not apply. However, if you know and love the Doc as much as Terry Gilliam does, then you will never want to stop watching this movie. Depp and Del Toro make a great team, and are picture-perfect fodder for Gillaim's directorial machine. So much so that in some of its better moments "Fear and Loathing" seems faintly like the "Brazil" that was truly meant to be. "Fear and Loathing" hits the screen running, and hilariously at that. Thhe 15-minute opening sequence somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, is some of Jonny Depps best and funniest work ever. 10 years from now, this will be double-featuring with "Rocky Horror" at midnight every Friday in every self-respecting art theatre.

Rating:
Summary: for once, a movie follows the book!
Review: when i read what the other reviewer wrote, i had to write a different opinion. this movie is the book brought to life. it has word for word dialogue, great actors, and it's not afraid to show everything. it even got the cocaine ring around johnny depp's nose. it also has parts that hunter originally left out of the book, like the coconut smashing scene. this movie is wonderful, simply wonderful. if you have the book, you should at least see this movie once if not ten thousand times.

Rating:
Summary: Film incarnation of Dr. Thompson's novel: disappointing...
Review: I eagerly awaited the film version of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson's "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas", but I shouldn't have held my breath. The film falls short in most aspects and pales greatly in comparison to the novel. While Johnny Depp plays Raoul Duke very well and Benicio del Toro covers Dr. Gonzo, the plot falls short in most parts. The "storyline" is not as solid as in the book and not enough details are allowed to explain the actions that are taking place. At one point, our adrenochrome-possessed protagonist recalls a number of scenes in a fading miasma that swirls some of the book's events into little more than a collage of images. The twisted humor involved in the book remains partially intact and saves the film from descending into oblivion. A good deal of Duke's hilarious monologue is missing from the movie, as are several classic scenes that, although not necessarily relevant to the plot, could have been squeezed in to add more comic relief. The film also fails to capture the spirit of what Thompson created in the novel: a truly intriguing epitaph to the 60's. Much of the socio-commentary is lost in the translation, although one of the film's closing scenes recaps the feeling that was attempted with a bit of serious monologue from the middle of the novel. In retrospect, the film was a disappointment to this diehard fan, although just being able to see the freakish world of Las Vegas, circa April 1971, and the characters speeding around in it with comedic results was just enough to keep it partially enjoyable. Note to the uninitiated: See the movie first, then read the novel to see what you are missing and avoid obvious disappointment...

Rating:
Summary: If you really read the book, you'll love the movie.
Review: Watching the movie as you saw it when you read it is both a relief and a reward for Thompson fans. Depp has a doppleganging effect that erases his name from your mind as you watch. Motion senistive camera work and detailed direction compleate this movie. Thanks to Thompson who waited for the right people to show us his world.

Rating:
Summary: Lost your mind? Find it at the beginning of this movie.
Review: Before watching this, you must be told one thing: prepare to be entertained. Gilliam's laugh-a-minute, though not a box-office success, will provide any fan of Gilliam, Depp, Thomson, or Drugs a reason to jump up and down to celebrate. Gilliam does a fantastic job capturing the moods and settings of '70s Las Vegas, Depp captures the essence of the main character, Raoul Duke, as he careens around L.V. with his bizarre side-kick, Dr. Gonzo, and Thomson graced us with the book's existence in the first place...a very good thing in its own right. So, fans of comedy and all things strange and sticky, brace yourselves for a ride of a life-time, which can be enjoyed again and again.

Rating:
Summary: the good gouge on FLLV
Review: This movie appeals only to certain people. Acid filled, and with some great special effects, it reflects a kind of trippy, but sad aspect of a generation. I saw it as many times as I could before it was yanked out of my local theatre. Often I was the only one in the theatre, but this flick appeals to the traveller in all of us. The person who just wants to pick up and head to Vegas. No matter what you've heard, try it. I expect it to become another cult classic, like The Rocky Horror Picture Show.