Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)

Johnny Depp fans, drug users, and existentialists alike have been raving about this movie ever since it came out. There was some serious buzz generated around it when I was in high school, and everyone seemed to imply that A) it is a must see movie and B) it will change your life.

It’s not, and it won’t. Unless of course you happen to be a Johnny Depp fan, a drug user or an existentialist.

Maybe it fell victim to nearly a decade’s worth of hype, but I was disappointed with Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Johnny Depp really creates his character with vivid, almost disturbing, realism. His commitment to the character is the strong point of the film. The story has its moments of strengths, but grows tiresome at the end. Depp plays real-life “writer” Hunter S. Thompson as he wanders through the wastelands of America to cover some story for a newspaper or magazine (I don’t honestly recall which). To help cope with his assignment, he and his partner have a case full of narcotics, a veritable who’s who of psychoactive substances.

They shoot up, get high, wander around, and barely remember to cover their assignment. The film reaches a breaking point in which the two become so hopelessly strung out on drugs that they don’t remember what’s happened for some period of time, which is probably a good thing. The film shows how drugs distort and ultimately destroy one’s mind, and yet, while Depp’s character sobers up and seems like he’s getting off the horse, he’s reassigned and restocks his stash for another merry adventure in semi-unconsciousness. Roll credits. The End.

The film doesn’t try to validate the irresponsible abuse of drugs, but it also certainly doesn’t attempt to tell its audience to steer clear of them. It’s a semi-biographical movie about a quasi-remembered trip. The final half hour plods along with uncertainty as to whether Depp’s character is going to resolve this mess and whether there needed to be an additional 30 minutes to the story.

The movie doesn’t have a statement to make, it doesn’t stand for anything, and there’s not much plot progression outside of a couple of strung out junkies. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is simply there to be there, which it does quite well.

RATING: 3 out of 5

Lethal Weapon (1987)

You’ll be hard pressed to find a “Buddy Cop” flick with as much pop and energy as Lethal Weapon. While several cop movies incorporated riveting balances between drama and humor, Lethal Weapon makes the formula work while sharing screen time between two completely different personalities.

In a way, it’s a fish-out-of-water scenario, except that the cops are on their home turf. Their biggest issue is how to trust and deal with each other. Instead of just being a “crazy cop,” Mel Gibson brings depth to his character (Detective Riggs), making us feel compassion for him and justifying some of his antics. On the flip side, Danny Glover (as Detective Murtaugh) presents us with an older man ready to slow down. He’s very believable and very practical.

The relationship and growth each brings to the other really makes the film more than a schlocky stunt-fest like its endless number successors and imitators. Speaking of stunts, the stunt work is nearly seamless and largely believable. The plot is a bit out there, but what should we expect from a cop drama/comedy?

It’s original and creative enough to be heralded as a model for the sub-genre, which has allowed it to enter the cultural consciousness as well. Rightfully hailed as a classic, Lethal Weapon is a ride worth taking.

RATING: 3.5 out of 5