Rating: 
Summary: This isn't a reasonable place to park?
Review: The main thought that kept occurring to me while watching "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" was: IS there ANY movie that could translate Hunter S. Thompson's book to the screen in a satisfying way?And I don't think there is. It's also just as difficult to re-create an acid trip on film. And Terry Gilliam tries very hard to accomplish both of these impossible tasks. (is it any wonder that Gilliam's has been trying for YEARS to film "Don Quixote" for???). Gilliam throws EVERYTHING into the mix. He starts with the kitchen sink and then moves into the basement and the garage. And as a result, the movie is polarizing: people are either going to love it or hate it. From scene to scene, my opinion goes up and down. But the bottom line is -- as long as there are bongs, dormrooms and undergraduates: Pink Floyd will never stop selling albums and this movie will always have an audience. For a Hunter Thompson fan, there are things to love in this film. It looks incredible: bright and shiny as a new red shark, with a production design that must've taken an army to assemble.
And Johnny Depp and Benecio Del Toro completely nail their roles. They BECOME Ralph Steadman's illustrations with performances that go all the way and then some -- at times, watching this movie was literally like seeing the images from the book projected directly on-screen. Although it's a bit funny that Johnny Depp tries so hard to recreate Thompson's sprawling crab-like walk -- Thompson walks like that because he's 6'4 and long-legged... and Depp is, well, less strapping. That's a quibble, of course; Benecio Del Toro put on 60 pounds for this part, but Depp can't exactly gain height -- he did shave his head, though. On the other hand, the movie is too all over the place to be completely successful. The tone changes drastically on a regular basis, plunging from screwball comedy to somber message to disgusting regurgitation to sly social commentary to vicious anger, then moving off in another dozen different directions. By the time Raoul Duke flashes back to San Francisco in the 60's (and the Youngbloods are hauled out to provide their oft-used historical/musical cue with "Get Together"), you will believe a movie can have 120 different personalities in just under 2 hours. Which is not to say I don't like this film. You can't love it, but it's hard to completely dislike, and I find myself dropping it into my player every six months or so and skipping to favorite scenes (the wild, confusing opening; the Circus Circus fiasco; the elevator stand-off). Personally, I always thought that, instead of making "Natural Born Killers," Oliver Stone should've tackled Las Vegas (using the same cinematic techniques and Kelsey Grammar as Raoul Duke, but saying that always makes people look at me funny) but Stone didn't do it (and probably would've made an equally problematic movie) so this is the film that was made. It may leak noxious fluids onto my carpet whenever it's on my TV, but... it has a certain charm, nonetheless.
Rating: 
Summary: Tell me about the ... golfshoes!
Review: Just buy this dvd!!... From the start you just know it's gonna be weird, I mean johnny depp & benecio del toro give crazy cartoonish performances that youll talk about for days, and theres so many classic lines from johnny depp here as well, The kewl fact about this movie and a funny one too, is that they are constantly on a drug, neither of them are sober together in a single scene!!!! Either depps on something and benecio's not, or the other way around, it's hilarious! I myself have never read the true story novel but i've heard that the movie is quite accurate to the book. This movie just has it all, weird colors , bizarre and clever camera angles that make you think maybe your on drugs like the actors, cool 60's and 70's tunes, great performances. And great hallucinating sequences. Buy it, you and your friends will be watching this almost every saturday night.
Rating:
Summary: The American Dream?
Review: Fear and Loathing is a phenomenal statement of American society and an outstanding glimpse of the early 70's, when "the acid wave reached it's high water mark". More so, Gilliam's masterful cinematic rendition of the book retained Thomson's unique intent.
Hunter S. Thomson wrote about life and his perspective of America. Fear and Loathing is indeed a drug-induced romp through Las Vegas, but its underlying theme is much more. Hunter S. didn't write this story to shock a few readers with the unfathomable antics of two seriously committed addicts, he wrote it as a slightly askew perspective of the United States.
Thomson (Depp), using his pseudonym of Raul Duke, sets out on an adventure with his mentally unstable "Lawyer" (del Torro) to search for the American Dream. Funded by a sports magazine to cover a motorcycle rally near Las Vegas, the unlikely pair abandons every law, rule, and regulation our country has set to keep the general populous safe. Swinging from drug to drug in a hazy binge that rivals any other, Hunter attempts to find the pulse of society and see if it's still alive. His conclusion is that... you'll see.
Over all, Fear and Loathing accurately captures the extravagant mayhem that a pair can cause in short period of time, all without harming anyone except an unfortunate mental-case (Riche) and the Insurance industry.
This movie is the extreme drug culture pushed to the limit, but it also reflects the absolute freedom a man can have, if he seriously commits himself to it.
If you want a detailed movie that takes you on an intellectual journey, this is not it. If you want to understand Thomson's idealized concept of himself and of the personal liberty we have, then look through the glorified drug use and self-destructive behavior and see what this story was meant to be. (one part of ) The American Dream.
Rating:
Summary: WOW
Review: If you want to keep your kids away from drugs this is the movie for them to see. Its funny and interesting if you don't mind a plot that doesn't quite show up for a while. Truly a cinimatic masterpiece. There should be more like this. Brutal realism makes it a movie you can't leave.
Rating:
Summary: Hunter S. Thompson's Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
Review: ...Based on Hunter S. Thompson's book written of real life experiences. Johnny Depp and Benicio Del Toro play they're roles beautifully. Fear and Loathing is the all american dream. Its not just a "stoner movie". Its about the coulture of the 60's coming to an end. The amazing adventures that 2 hippies face while they go on a business trip. Theres a rainbow of pills, coke, acid, ether, weed, and of course, alcohol. All of which they keep in a breifcase. The beginning of the movie is full of snorting, eating, and mindless jabber. Once they get to Vegas, jounerlist Raoul Duke (Depp) and his lawyer Dr.Gonzo (Del Torro) have to go to a motorcyle race to write an article. Through the course of this crazy trip, they encounter lots of mishaps. "You can't park your car here" "I think its a resonable place" Its one of my favorite movies, and it always makes me laugh
Rating: 
Summary: Not The Worst, Not The Best
Review: I thought I would love this movie but I didn't. After two hours of watching two druggies on vacation in Las Vegas, I felt as if I was the only sober person at a party. It is a movie best viewed when stoned.
Rating:
Summary: A Surreal Trip
Review: One of the most faithful adaptations of a literary work ever put on the big screen. Terry Gilliam, of Monty Python fame, directs Johnny Depp in his most exciting role, as the Gonzo journalist, Dr. Hunter S Thompson. The critics hated it when it came out in the theaters. They passed it of as "nonsense" and "totally lacking any cohesion." But we know better, don't we? If you're the type of person who digs a little deeper than most, and enjoys watching movies that aren't aimed at the masses, then this is for you. Ranks as one of the best movies I've ever seen. Buy this now, movies like this don't come around too often.
Rating:
Summary: ---
Review: the idea occurs to me that this movie is meant to make you laugh as you watch it and think on it afterwards. it's not just about senseless cheech & chong indulgence and stupidity, it's more of commentary on that era. The scenes from vietnam, the continuing military allusions, and the despondent overtones are there on purpose to make you think again about vietnam and the aftermath. the vague motives for being in vietnam parallel the search for the american dream since we were supposedly fighting to protect it. and its no mistake that every reference to the american dream is accompanied by some decrepit image is saying that the american dream is just as real as the lizards in the bar. the quote at the beginning also has some bearing on that. so if you gave this movie a bad review because didn't get past the first layer then that's credit to your mental fortitude.
Rating:
Summary: FUNNIEST MOVIE EVER MADE!
Review: You could watch this movie 100 times and find something new to laugh at everytime! Buy it! Love it! Watch it! but beware... this here is bat country!
Rating:
Summary: You might like it, if your stoned watching it
Review: Well what can I say? I expected a lot out of this movie, especially when two of my favorite actors Johnny Depp and Benicio Del Toro are tag-teamed here. Unfourtantley, the movie couldn't deliver the goods. I am not very familiar with Hunter S. Thompson and thus I haven't read his book but it didn't stop me from watching this movie. Ohh what a movie and how long this movie dragged on and on. The movie hooked me in the beginning with Johnny Depp's "This is bat country" quote but it laggs from there. There is not much humor left in the movie. It almost seems that Terry Gillian expects you to have a stoner mentality or just be plain stoned to enjoy this movie, but I didn't. It was hard to sit through this. The reason I give this movie 2 stars is simply because of Johnny Depp's wicked performance. He truly is a great mimick actor whether he is playing Joe Pistone(Donnie Brasco), George Jung(Blow) or Ed Wood(Ed Wood) this guy can imitate real-life figures so well it's scary. But the performance is not enough to save this mess of a movie. Now for Benicio, well his performance wasn't as good. Benny, Benny, Benny when are you going to learn that you should invest your acting talents in more respectable movies like "Traffic". Though it's admirable that he gained weight to play the role his character leaves much to be desired. What's worse all these guest apperances Toby Mcguire, Cameron Diaz, and Ellen Burkin(All fine actors in their own right) come out as farces. They do little or nothing to help this lagging script thus wasting their talents. I don't know maybe the script writer hung out with Thompson in his resort and was taking his own voyage in Gonzo journalism 420 style.
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