Director: Terry Gilliam
Starring: Johnny Depp
Genre: Comedy
Studio: Universal Studios   Release date: 1998   Rated: R
Language (Country): English, French, Spanish ( USA )
Summary: The Film:
There are movies out there that are great films, but when you try to describe the movie to somebody or suggest why it is great – words are hard to come by. One such film is Terry Gilliam´s brilliant and highly entertaining adaptation of Hunter S. Thompson´s book "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas." Starring Johnny Depp as Raoul Duke (aka Hunter S. Thompson) and Benicio Del Toro as his sidekick Dr. Gonzo, "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" nicely handles the difficult example of gonzo journalist that was the basis for Thompson´s book about drug use and the covering of a motorcycle race in Las Vegas Nevada during the early 1970s. Depp is as wonderful as ever and director Terry Gilliam, who is known for handling unusual stories, delivers one of the more unique and peculiar films to ever be captured by the camera.

To give a very high level overview of "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" would sound something like this: Hunter S. Thompson is sent on an assignment to cover the Mint 400 motorcycle race. He checks in to a hotel under the false name of Raoul Duke, as he and his partner have no intention of paying either the bill or the lofty room service they plan to rack up. They pack light when it comes to clothing, but are accompanied by a rather large suitcase of legal and illegal drugs. You name it, it is probably in there. Anything from cocaine to ether is brought along for their own personal usage and they even remember to take a case of beer. The adventures taken by Duke and Gonzo are often hard to describe, as they are so drug-fueled in their reality, that it must be seen to understand. The drive to Las Vegas finds them under assault by bats. There are blood sucking lizards in a bar and Duke wakes up to find the motel room submerged and a tape recorder tied around him with tape.

The story is odd. Yet so unique and entertaining in its own way that "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" is something that could have only been pulled off by Johnny Depp and Terry Gilliam. Depp is a true chameleon and it is hard to imagine another actor stepping into the shoes of Hunter S. Thompson (who makes a cameo in the film in one of the more memorable cameo scenes I can ever remember). Benicio Del Toro gained forty pounds for his role and he too delivers a top-notch acting performance. Only the Monty Python trained mind of Terry Gilliam could have gotten a handle on the film´s subject matter and it shows. A "Who´s Who in Hollywood" list of actors show up for cameos as well. Tobey Maguire, Ellen Barkin, Gary Busey, Christina Ricci, Mark Harmon, Cameron Diaz, Penn Jilette, Flea, Harry Dean Stanton, Tim Thomerson, Verne Troyer and Lyle Lovett are some of the familiar faces seen during the two hour running time of "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas."

How does the film stack up to the book? I´ve never had an opportunity to read Hunter S. Thompson´s work. It I something I would like to do someday, as I have read snippets of his gonzo journalist. He had an interesting way with words and his drug fueled tirades are something else. I do have a good friend who is a strong fan of the late writer´s work and he loves this film and places it among his all-time favorites. I have heard that many people passed over the story because of its complexity, but that didn´t stop Terry Gilliam. My friend, Jeremy, states it pays homage to "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" and captures the spirit of the author´s work. For now, I will have to accept the hearsay I have on the subject of the film´s honesty to the written material, but certainly after watching the movie I must make a concerted effort to read the entire book.

This unique, unusual, character driven, drug induced story may be hard to describe and I admit to not having an easy way to tell you what is so great about it. Johnny Depp serves as the film´s primary star and narrator. He has a great handle on the material and assaults Hunter S. Thompson´s famous party binges with fervor and class. This dialogue heavy film truly shines under Depp´s acting chops. The monologue about the drugs in the trunk is pure gold. Depp´s comments about giving the alcohol to the lizards and his discussion on how to handle a traffic cop are truly memorable moments. Did you know you should never slow down and pull over for a cop? Watch the film and you can find out what to truly do. Depp is robbed of his usual good looks and long hair and portrays a middle-aged balding man who is never seen without a cigarette in his mouth and proves once again that no matter the role, he can fit into the character´s skin. I enjoy "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas." It is unique and different from the typical movie. The film is full of laughs and the main actors are just magnificent. I wish I could describe the film better, but take my word and give it a good look.


The HD DVD:
Video: I was asked by a few people to bring along my Xbox 360 and HD-DVD player to try to persuade them to make the move to the fledgling format. The two films I took to the new tech screening were "Peter Jackson´s King Kong," "The Searchers" and "Fear in Loathing in Las Vegas." My HDTV set is not particularly large, so I was overjoyed at the prospect of watching a couple high definition films on a 60" + television screen. My efforts were successful, as two of the four people have now purchased HD-DVD players. Regardless, I took "King Kong" along to showcase the format, but was surprised at how good of quality "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" was in high definition. One would not expect a film of this variety from 1998 to be as stunning as it is in high definition, but it truly is a good transfer.

Its 2.35:1 VC-1/1080p image is extremely good. Universal has done an admirable job since the format´s launch day in providing stellar transfers. "Fear in Loathing in Las Vegas" is no exception. The film is colorful and its ´drug´ moments are full of scenery and color. There are reds, greens and blues to every degree. Some scenes are light and others are very dark. The film truly does feature a rainbow of color and the transfer holds up perfectly. Shadow detail is superb, as is picture detail. The only complaint was during the sandstorm that took place during the Mint 400. But what do you expect for a sandstorm? It´s dusty after all. I truly was blown away by the quality of the film and after seeing the glory of HD-DVD on a massive television – I wish I could fit one into my screening room.

Audio: Picture quality was not the only surprise delivered by "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas." The soundtrack was another pleasant surprise. Dolby TrueHD 5.1 is featured on the disc and where other more deserving titles from Universal such as "King Kong" and "The Hulk" have not been graced with the format, this little film is. And it sounds superb! Again, the ´drug´ sequences are good displays of what HD-DVD can do and the TrueHD audio delivers in spades. In addition to the TrueHD track, Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 in provided for English and a Dolby Digital Plus 2.0 mix is included for Spanish and French speaking folk. The film is dialogue heavy and even during the most intense audio moments, the film holds up nicely. All six channels burst with sound throughout the film. The surrounds have a lot to say and the bass thumps heavily. The soundtrack helps Terry Gilliam achieve the success he had in bringing this material to life and the sound design department deserves kudos and should be thanking HD-DVD for doing such a wonderful job with their work.

Extras: The DVD of "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" that is part of my collection is the Criterion release, which is one of the most successful releases for that DVD dignitary. The Criterion release features a number of commentary tracks and hours of bonus materials that are sorely missed on this Universal HD-DVD release. The Deleted Scenes from the Criterion and Universal DVD release are included here. These three scenes run for a few minutes, but doesn´t necessarily add anything to the picture but has a few unique moments that top anything kept in the theatrical release. A very brief Spotlight on Location featurettes is tossed in and takes a look at Hunter S. Thompson. This is a weak supplement that glosses over the complex subject matter all too briefly. Finally, a theatrical trailer completes the short list of features. One wishes for more, but this reviewer is content that the film has been released already on a next generation format.


Final Thoughts:
"Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" could be considered a cult classic. It is certainly unique. I have been following Terry Gilliam and his films ever since I was first introduced to the classic "Brazil" on Criterion LaserDisc. The American member of Monty Python has an different take on life and it shows in his films. If it is a Terry Gilliam Film, it is a unique film. Hunter S. Thompson´s book may very well be the most demanding and interesting source material tackled by the director. I have heard of those that do not like the film and I know of at least one person that absolutely worships the movie. In three words – it´s worth seeing. The HD-DVD release is surprisingly top-notch in both sound and video and I loved seeing the film on a very large television and enjoyed the sound when I witnessed the TrueHD soundtrack in my own screening room. The supplements are lackluster and I hope that either Universal will work out a deal with Criterion and revisit the film down the line.


Video: 9/10
Audio: 9/10
Extras: 3/10
Film Value: 9/10

Dean Winkelsprecht (DVDTown.com)