Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas [R]

Strap yourself in for a drug-crazed trip across the desert with sports journalist Raoul Duke and his attorney Doctor Gonzo. With the heroes indulging in every vice known to man, this is sure to be a trip that takes them and the audience on a lofty high.

From ex-Python member and cult director Terry Gilliam comes the out-of-the-mind drug-infused road trip that is Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. A truly unique movie that will have you as dizzy and disoriented as its heroes.

Sports journalist Raoul Duke and his American Samoan lawyer Doctor Gonzo hit the road for Las Vegas to cover a desert motorcycle race. Fueled with a mind-blowing amount of drugs, bought on the advice from a magazine, they're out to take hedonism to its highest, indulging in every vice that comes their way in search for their own take on the American Dream.

Based on the book Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey Into the Heart of the American Dream by Hunter S. Thompson, the film shows our headcase heroes making it through this trip one hit at a time. Four days, three nights, two convertibles, and one city.

Johnny Depp is Raoul Duke and is simply mesmerising to watch. With inner monologues, constant cursing and yelling, wide eyes and hypnotic hand movements, Johnny's performance, as with anything he does, is nothing short of brilliant.

Benicio Del Toro is Doctor Gonzo and he's wonderful to watch. I suppose, we're only seeing the effects from Johnny's point of view, but Benicio seems to have a much harder time in this flick. Spending his screen time yelling, cursing, threatening, vomiting, and everything in between, Benicio plays the character that shows us the harder and more unpleasant effects of drugs. Whereas with Johnny's character, although we see that he does suffer what with the paranoia and rash escape plans, it's more concerned with the hallucinations and that dizzying high. You do spend a fair bit of time in this flick going "oh man, poor Gonzo".

With a wonderful soundtrack and rather confusing and sometimes shocking wake-up scenes, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is a classic drug movie that you definitely have to see at least once before you die. An awesome trip.