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Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas - Criterion Collection Customer Reviews (70 - 72 of 80 Reviews)

"As your attorney..." I advise you to read the book first
Terry Gilliam's almost faithful adaptation of the gonzo journalism classic will probably most appeal to those who like the book and fans of strange cult movies. The film begins with a light, adventurous mood as HST's alter ego Raoul Duke (Depp) and his attorney Dr. Gonzo (del Torro) zoom across the desert with a trunkful of illegal substances and then stumble their way through a debauched Vegas in a pyschedelic haze. Depp's performance is incredible; he IS Thompson, capturing his mannerisms and speaking style (I didn't think his mumbling was that hard to understand; it grows on you.) But the second half of the film takes on a darker tone as their trip goes into the dark side of drug use, becoming at times difficult to watch. I found myself looking at the clock, wondering when it would be over. I was also disappointed that the movie omitted some essential parts of the story concerning their quest for the American Dream. Still, remarkable that someone even made a film of this unique book.

An intense trip....
Fear and Loathing was one of those movies that upon its release garnered some raves from some critics, some absolute pans from others, and not much interest at the box office. That's fine though, as this is a cult film through and through and has gone on to become a classic on home video and dvd. Terry Gilliam has put together one of the most amusing looks at the drug culture, las vegas, and the effects of both in this adapatation of the novel by Hunter S Thompson.

Jonny Depp and Benecio Del Toro both give amazing performances here, the kinds that should have gotten them academy award nominations. Depp portrays the writer Hunter S. Thompson who is on assignment to report on a motorcycle race at first, but along the way with help from his attorney and a lot of drugs, begins a search for the american dream itself, and wether or not it still can be found. Depp spent months before filming began with Thompson learning his voice, his mannerisms, outlooks, etc and it shows in the film as this is possibly the best performance I have seen from an actor who has given many great performances. Del Toro gained 45 pounds before filming to play the crazy samoan Dr. Gonzo, Thompson's attorney and drug friend. Del Toro goes all out here playing gonzo as a madman with a penchant for doing way too many drugs and going off the rocker as a result.

Video is sharp and clear throughout, and sound is well mixed. Extras include a spotlight on, deleted scenes, notes, trailer, etc. The film itself also features numerous cameos from the likes of Gary busey, Christina Ricci, Flea, Mark Harmon, Cameron Diaz, and even Hunter S Thompson himself. Make no mistake you will either love this film or hate it, and personaly, I love it. If you have ever been involved in the drug culture, been interested in it, or even have an open mind towards films that break new ground, then you'll appreciate this as the masterpiece that it is. So grab the dvd, sit back, and prepare for a very enjoyable sensory overload of an experience.

Fady Ghaly's reviews
Plot Line (from back cover of film's package)
When a writing assignment lands journalist Raoul Duke (Depp) and sidekick Dr. Gonzo (Toro) in Las Vegas, they decide to make it the ultimate business trip. But before long, business is long forgotten and trip has become the key word. Fueled by a suitcase full of mind-bending pharmaceuticals, Duke and Gonzo set off on a fast and furious ride through nonstop neon, surreal surroundings and a crew of the craziest characters ever! But no matter where misadventure leads them, Duke and Gonzo discover that sometimes going too far is the only way to go.

My remarks toward this picture
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is simply one of those movies that you'll either love or loathe. It's a pseudo-psychedelic, very colorful and stylized comedy that's-in my opinion-so funny, so excruciatingly funny that the mere thought of it will draw a smirk on your face, and perhaps even have you laugh, then!

While it, to many, seemed as being a painfully long and senseless film, it really defined the counterculture of its day. Needless to say, with characters who'll suppose of such mind-bending pharmaceuticals as daily substances to indulge upon, unnecessary close-ups of vomit and urine, and swooping camera movements at any and every opportunity, this very atypical and repellent film is certainly not for everyone. ("We had two bags of grass, seventy-five pellets of mescaline, five sheets of high-powered blotter acid, a salt shaker half-full of cocaine and a whole galaxy of multicolored uppers, downers, screamers, laughers... Also a quart of tequila, a quart of rum, a case of Budweiser, a pint of raw ether, and two dozen amyls... But the only thing that worried me was the ether. There is nothing in the world more helpless and irresponsible than a man in the depths of an ether binge," Duke narrates to us.)
But for the self-seeking and fans of either Hunter S. Thompson or Terry Gilliam...

Although it was clear that the film had no real plot line to support it, no shape, trajectory, or purpose, that did not matter-to me, anyway-because it regards these two characters, Duke and Gonzo, and if you'll find them appealing to me, if you'll like them, then so will you like this film. Why do people enjoy such innovative television sitcoms as Seinfeld? It has absolutely no plot line to it, no objectives by any means; it's about nothing. So why is it that it has become one of the primary choices in popular culture? -Because we enjoy seeing these four comical characters' every day lives...about nothing; they entertain us, as both Duke and Gonzo had entertained me. It's all about them, you see. It's all about their world, which is frequently seen entirely through their eyes, thereby generating greater sidesplitting and outrageous moments as the images and events they think they're seeing further affects their mental stability. We see these guys rambling fatuously past the eccentric backdrops of Las Vegas while zonked out of their minds. We see them take more drugs, get themselves into new situations, fall about, flounder, wreak havoc, and retreat to their hotel suit, and oftentimes these events will be introduced by Duke himself as the narrator who comments on them. Now, humor relies on behavior. Beyond a particular point, you don't have a behavior, you reside a state, but that was okay, because I, as I have previously said, liked these characters, and although there reached a point when they no longer made me laugh as hard, their lives, somehow, in an awkward way, still managed to entertain me. Also, I enjoyed all of the visuals and computer-generated scenes.

Director Terry Gilliam, a master of complex, bizarre visual imagery, does such an outstanding job in capturing the exact agitated tone, intensity and utter madness of Hunter S. Thompson's classic book, which really came as to no surprise whatsoever, for the book itself was used as their screenplay. For the first time ever, a book was used as a screenplay, and the result is astonishing! Usually after having finished with a book that's based upon a film you've previously seen, you wind up saying to yourself: the film was nowhere near as good, unlike for this title, where both the film and book equally major and have the same fine quality in a twisted kind of way. And, like the book, Gilliam really has you feel for these very dysfunctional individuals who, as you sit there and observe of the many risks they so carelessly make, you form a special care for and don't want anything fatal to happen to.

The performances were just incredulously stunning! In fact, these vivid actors were so persuasive, you'll forget of the fact that they were even acting at all, let alone whom they were portrayed by. The very underrated Johnny Depp clearly proves that he's a worthy actor who'll be willing to do anything for whatever roll that strikes his taste (rather than those that would strike moviegoers'), as this one had following his approbation upon Thompson's inspirational book, which also had an affect upon Benicio Del Toro, who, when gaining that much weight for a roll, you know he's committed. (And did you see Depp's bold scalp? It was amazing!)

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