When I first saw the previews for The Rum Diary, I felt like they were trying to reconnect with Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. A Fear and Loathing 2 would be awesome, and I welcome an attempt at a sequel. Sadly, The Rum Diary wasn’t it, nor was it ever intended to be.
The Good:
The Rum Diaries was quirky, funny, and somewhat entertaining. Johnny Depp fit the role perfectly. It isn’t your typical shoes to fill, and reminds me of his roles in Blow, or Fear and Loathing. Depp’s role alone was enough to make this film worth watching. However, there isn’t much more good to be said.
The Bad:
Why is it I feel like I tear apart everything I watch lately? Is it just me or are movies really starting to blow? In the case of The Rum Diary, it just wasn’t very good. While there was a bit of a storyline there, I’m not sure that it ever went anywhere, or if it did, it was just going in small circles. Here’s what I can tell you about the film:
Reporter get’s hired to work for newspaper. Same reporter gets hired to publicize a new motel complex. Everything goes to shit.
There, I just saved you two hours. But seriously, the story never actually went anywhere. Very disappointing.
Very seldom do I do this, but some of the cinematography was terrible. There were a few beach scenes that appeared to be shot with a Handycam and absolutely no attempt to keep a steady shot. Very aggravating.
Conclusion:
While Depp’s role in the film was entertaining, and ultimately made me smile, it was not enough to save The Rum Diaries. I would recommending taking a pass on this one. It may be worth a Redbox visit if you have absolutely, nothing else to view.