|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| A+ A+ A+ | |
| Review by Finrod | Date seen: 0, 0000 |
| Viewing Location: dvd | Grade: A+ |
| Summary: A road trip movie, with heavy emphasis on 'trip' | |
| Terry Gilliam movies tend to leave little room for a middle ground for the viewer: either you love his movies or you don't really like them. When you put Terry Gilliam on one of the most odd books of the 20th Century, Hunter S. Thompson's 1971 signature Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas, this is only magnified. The only movie that it makes sense to compare this one to is the other movie about Hunter S. Thompson, Where The Buffalo Roam, which by comparison to Fear and Loathing feels very pedestrian. Terry Gilliam manages to bring HST's insanity to life right in front of your eyes, from the bats to the lizards to the destroyed hotel rooms, in almost surrealistic detail. Combine this with a great soundtrack of 1960s music, and this movie makes for quite the experience. Johnny Depp does an amazing job of portraying "Raoul Duke"; his only deficiency is that he's not built as big as HST is, so he doesn't come across quite as physically intimidating as the real thing. The movie is littered with numerous guest appearances throughout, including one of HST himself (in the 1965 club, sitting at the table). This kind of movie is definitely not for everyone, but if it's for you, it'll immediately become one of your all-time favorites (if it's not already). | |
| A+ A+ A+ | |
| Review by Dream | Date seen: 0, 0000 |
| Viewing Location: Dvd..many many times | Grade: A+ |
| Summary: An amusing joy ride through the senses | |
| I found this very quotable movie/story highly enjoyable. Every time I watch it, I discover something new or rediscover something old that I had forgotten. It is visually stunning - as in you will stare in stunned amazement & shock at some of the imagery. It comes as no shock that this story was created in the throes of a drug-induced stupor...or five. Terry Gilliam was the perfect director to put HST's words to movie. He brings it to life the way no other director probably could. It’s one of the better book-to-movie transitions I've seen, and certainly one of the very few cases where I might even say I liked the movie a bit better than the book. I would be hard pressed to recommend this movie unilaterally (for instance, no way would my mother like it..although my father might get a kick out of it), but I do try and get as many people to watch it as possible. | |
| A+ A+ A+ | |
| Review by Jigen | Date seen: 0, 0000 |
| Viewing Location: Originally Seattle - theater later DVD | Grade: A+ |
| Summary: Exceedingly enjoyable | |
| The worlds of Hunter S. Thompson and Terry Gilliam crash together in an exceedingly entertaining film. Johnny Depp's portrayal of Thompson is spot on and Benecio Del Toro is almost spooky as Oscar Zeta Acosta aka Dr. Gonzo (he gained A LOT of weight for the role). This movie is representative of something everyone wishes they had been a part of, but are glad it actually never happened to them. The Criterion Collection DVD version is GREATLY recommended with it's commentary by the cast, director, and Hunter S. himself. Plus, the short documentaries are great peeks into the main "characters" lives. You'll find yourself adding bits of dialogue into everyday life if your not careful. | |
| B- B- B- | |
| Review by smeehrrr | Date seen: May 21, 2003 |
| Viewing Location: WA somewhere | Grade: B- |
| Summary: What? What? | |
| I love the book.
I love Terry Gilliam. I hated the movie. The movie didn't do the book justice. I had to actually turn the captions on, because I couldn't understand a single word Johnny Depp was trying to say. I wish Gilliam had passed on this one, he now has an enormous stinker in his otherwise pristine filmography. | |
"I should put quotes here."