Simply A Masterpiece

How sad is this?

Excellent but underrated film

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

One of a kind, drug laced odyssey from virtuoso filmmaker Terry Gilliam, based on the writings of notorious "gonzo journalist" Hunter S. Thompson. Johnny Depp stars as an alter ego for the writer, a man named Raoul Duke who embarks on a crazed journey to (and through) Las Vegas, the ultimate den of decadence in the U.S. of A. He's joined by his psychopathic lawyer, referred to only as "Dr. Gonzo" (Benicio Del Toro). Ostensibly on assignment to cover a motorcycle race, he finds his time taken up more heavily by his other pursuits.This viewer could see right away that, despite not being terribly familiar with Thompson or his writings, this would not be to all tastes. It's loud, garish, and over the top, filled almost non-stop with hallucinatory visuals (those "lounge lizards" designed by Rob Bottin are a treat) and very skewed perspectives. People do have to be prepared for such things as a close-up of vomit landing in a toilet bowl. But this viewer could also see that this is NOT exactly "pointless". Thompson does have some interesting things to observe, and comments on the entire "counter culture" era of the 1960s and early 1970s (this story takes place in 1971). It's also a pretty scathing indictment of mindless hedonism and substance abuse in ANY day and age; while a great deal of the visuals may be rooted in this era, they'll certainly have additional resonance for any person who lived through that turbulent time in American history. At just under two hours, "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" does go on for quite a bit, but the robust, go for broke filmmaking and performances do hold some fascination.Depp completely immerses himself in his role, and is very damn funny (his narration is often a hoot); Del Toro likewise impresses as the often out of control lawyer. The cast is filled with cameos by famous people (Ellen Barkin, Lyle Lovett, Katherine Helmond (a Gilliam regular), Flea, Tobey Maguire, Christina Ricci, Mark Harmon, Tim Thomerson, Gary Busey, Harry Dean Stanton, etc.) and top notch character actors such as Larry Cedar, Richard Riehle, Richard Portnow, Steve Schirripa, Troy Evans, Jenette Goldstein, and Michael Jeter.This film establishes a tone early on, and maintains an element of surrealism throughout its entire running time. It may not appeal to a broad, mainstream audience, but some people are sure to just love it.Seven out of 10.

Journalist Raoul Duke and his 'attorney' Dr. Gonzo are heading to Las Vegas; ostensibly to cover a desert motorcycle race but given the quantity and variety of drugs the pair have consumed things get weird before they have even arrived in Las Vegas. They only get stranger when they arrive; the hallucinations and paranoia escalate and strangeness ensues.It is hard to describe the plot as it is basically a series of weird things happening due to our protagonists' use of an industrial quantity of drugs. Terry Gilliam is just the man to bring such weirdness to the screen and he does a fine job directing. Johnny Depp and Benicio Del Toro impress as Duke and Gonzo; it is easy to believe that they are really on something! The rest of the cast, which includes well-known actors in some minor roles, do well too. There are plenty of very funny moments as well as some disturbing ones… I can't imagine many viewers will watch this and feel inspired to try various drugs. Overall I'd say that if you demand a solid plot you bay be disappointed but if you want surreal weirdness you won't get much more weird or more surreal than this.

I tried to watch this movie several times since it was released and I had to give up on it every time till now. It took me almost 20 years to force my self to see it to the end. I love both Depp and Benicio, and I saw almost every movie they made, but this one I simply hate. This is one of the most boring pieces of crap I have ever seen in my life.If there was anyone else in leading roles but those two I would rate it 0/10, but because of those two geniuses I have to rate it 4/10.

Although widely considered a cult classic, this movie is almost unwatchable for the average viewer. The depiction of the LSD experience and general visual approach of Terry Gilliam is interesting as always, but that's hardly enough to support an entire movie. Even the slightest sign of a plot would have helped enormously, but the film is just a stitching of scenes comprising of... pretty much nothing at all. The movie's subsequent cult success is probably due to the fact that people with drug experiences can identify with certain events of the movie, but definitely, experiencing an acid trip yourself must be much more enjoyable than living it through the eyes of a bald Johnny Depp.