Review of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998) by Ryan H — 04 Sep 2011
Well, what to say about Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas? It hurts for me to give it 3 stars, partly because it's my man Terry Gilliam, and the other part is because it successfully made me feel like I was on drugs.
The only way I can compare the experience of Fear and Loathing is to the experience of Enter the Void. Every second of the film takes you on a trip without stopping for a breather. It all starts with the bats.
My problems with the film is like many other people's problems with the film: it gets to be repetitive after a while and there isn't much character development. You keep going on a crazy ride that just keeps going round and round, but you never really feel like you go anywhere.
This is part of the madness. This is what makes Fear and Loathing such a wild ride. However, this doesn't mean that it stopped me from being bored. After a while I was just waiting for it to be over.
Perhaps if they cut out some stuff and made it an hour and a half it could have been a stronger film. I understand the style of storytelling they chose (well, maybe not all the way since I don't know Gonzo journalism very well), I just don't know if this film was made for someone like me.
Gilliam does a great job grabbing his audience, I just wish he never let go.
This review of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998) was written by Ryan H on 04 Sep 2011.
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas has generally received positive reviews.
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