Reviews of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

Loathed

Posted : 1 week ago on 22 December 2009 09:42 (A review of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas)

Fear and Loathing is undoubtedly the most disappointing film I've watched this year. I approached the film with the same level of cautious optimism I afford to any film regarded as a 'cult classic', but once the opening scene had rolled on by I had a good idea of what predictable drug-culture bullshit awaited me for the next ninety minutes.

Johnny Depp plays a journalist who road trips to Las Vegas with his lawyer. All semblance of plot ends here, as the two vagrants simply take it in turns to embark on radical drug trips and alternate between who looks after the other as they trash themselves in various hotel rooms across the city. Depp mumbles his way through the performance, whilst Del Toro just portrays an unhinged loon from beginning to end and the pair rarely conjure any terrifically comic moments.

I can only assume that the film was awarded cult status because of the legion of loyal stoners who watch this when smashed off of their face in their dorm rooms. I prefer a film to inspire me when I watch it, though it seems to get any enjoyment out of this one you need a handful of narcotics to provide the genius.

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Cult !!!

Posted : 2 months, 3 weeks ago on 7 October 2009 01:17 (A review of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas)

“There he goes. One of God's own prototypes. Some kind of high powered mutant never even considered for mass production. Too weird to live, and too rare to die.”

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We Can't Stop Here.. This is Bat Country!!

Posted : 5 months ago on 29 July 2009 12:14 (A review of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas)

Give us your brain for two hours and you will never be the same again!
Best movie about and/or revovling around drugs! Though many come close (including another role Johnny Depp played as a main character in a drug movie) no ther movies truley capture the insanity inside an acid trip or a cocaine bindge quite like Fear and Laothing. The scary (and amazing) thing about this film is that is was based on events from wirter and 20th century legend Hunter S. Thompson. I am not one to do heavy drugs but even as a pothead I can relate to the film's abstract views of both main character's highs. Contrary to what you think , there is an actual plot to this film. Raoul Duke and his lawyer Dr. Gonzo travel to Las Vegas to write a cover story on the sand dune racing taking place; and don't even get a page done. Writing about other things and experiences going on at their stay turned into something way more interesting and trippy. Broken glass, Ketchup stained on the beureu, young girls obsessed with painting barbara Striensand portriats. This movie has it all! I was so amazed about the drug mentioned in this film called Adrenochrome (made out of the human adrelain gland) that i wrote a song with one of my bands about it. Very well put together and seeing Gary Busey, Christopher Meloni, and Toby Maguire's characters cracked me up. someday I will get something from this movie tattooed on me and I will post the picture of it. By then i am hoping to see no one WANTIG to see this movie and everyone SEEN this. Pick up a 20 bag or a tab of acid and pop this movie on; prepare for an awesome experience!

Raoul Duke: There's a uh, big machine in the sky, some kind of, I dunno, electric snake, coming straight at us.
Dr. Gonzo: Shoot it.
Raoul Duke: Not yet, I want to study its habits.

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Las Vegas in a way not seen before!

Posted : 1 year, 2 months ago on 17 October 2008 06:27 (A review of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas)

''A drug person can learn to cope with things like seeing their dead grandmother crawling up their leg with a knife in her teeth. But no one should be asked to handle this trip.''

An oddball journalist and his psychopathic lawyer travel to Las Vegas for a series of psychadelic escapades.

Johnny Depp: Raoul Duke

Saying that Terry Gilliam makes weird films is like making one of the biggest understatements of the year. This man has taunted us with weird offerings like Brazil, 12 Monkeys, Tideland, Brothers Grimm and now this Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas I've had the good fortune to experience on a random viewing on Sky Movies.

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas results in a heightened crazed thrill ride that ultimately dazzles in a surreal way. Granted it's about some drug users you can forgive the maddened proceedings that occur. Some viewers may lose track or find some scenes pointless or confusing but if they do, the film in essence is succeeding in showing you the mind of a drug drowned mind.
The style of Fear and Loathing reminded me of the equally heart pumping, crazed Natural Born Killers in the fact it's pace never seems to slow, it's always on a speedy rush to a far destination, much like it's drugged up anti-heroes. Always high and hallucinating, on the run from life itself in a way.

''There he goes. One of God's own prototypes. A high-powered mutant of some kind never even considered for mass production. Too weird to live, and too rare to die.''

The performances that are on offer are excellent and the range of extended cameos seems to be frequent.
Johnny Depp as Raoul Duke, what can I say? Well it's definitely another weird role that goes along side Charlie and the Chocolate Factory's Willy Wonka, Edward Scissorhands or the strange Ed Wood. Depp is bald, always wearing his sunglasses, always high as a kite, always smoking ceaselessly in a blur of colour and unrivaled chaos. He sees bats, Lizards and a number of strange visions in which substances are the blame.
Equally Benicio Del Toro as Dr. Gonzo or Oscar Z. Acosta, gives us a knock out performance as is fellow friend and associate so called Lawyer. Let's face it, Del Toro always seems to look like he does drugs so he's right at home here among the array of random scenarios.
Tobey Maguire as a random weird looking hitch-hiker, Christina Ricci as a Barbara Streisand painting lover/artist Lucy, and a brief appearance by Cameron Diaz as a smiley TV Reporter. It all clicks and all adds to the bizarre occurrences.

''Bazooko's Circus is what the whole hep world would be doing Saturday nights if the Nazis had won the war. This was the Sixth Reich.''

The music and effects are warped also and there's definitely originality on offer here. I mean this is one of the most surreal, weirdest book adaptations out there. No wonder Gilliam made a film adaptation of it, it's right up his street literally.

Cinematography while not perfect, works marginally, being above average in places yet patchy in others.
The plot is quite literally about drugs and two interesting characters so it's hard to say if there is a plot with all the chaotic things that happen.

Overall, If you're a big fan of Depp or Terry Gilliam I'd definitely suggest you see this for it's interesting take on Las Vegas, drugs and events that seem pointless but intriguing. You even get to see Depp smoking, shaded and indeed bald. The fact he's getting high all the time also is an excuse for a laugh.

''The possibility of physical and mental collapse is now very real. No sympathy for the Devil, keep that in mind. Buy the ticket, take the ride.''

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Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas review

Posted : 2 years, 2 months ago on 3 October 2007 01:59 (A review of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas)

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is pure crack (quite literally) and that's why it's so brilliant! It's hard to predict what's going to happen but you can bet that it's most likely going to be something very strange and that, I think, is the beauty of the movie.

After seeing some interviews about the man he's portraying, I think Depp was simply fantastic. Hunter S. Thompson sure is an interesting character!

Remember kids, drugs are bad! ;D

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