The Rum Diary

Johnny Depp - check

Rum and ting - check

Exotic locations - Check

No Brainer right?  Wrong.  Its Hunter S Thompson which means it will be a bit trippy, written with creative flair that the words and sentences create beautiful images in your head.  Any film based on Thompson's work is alternative, for the person that likes to think about what they are watching.

This film was sold as mainstream, mainstream actor/locations/funny bits in trailer/major cinema release.  All those things above must mean most people/The masses can watch it and enjoy it right?  No.  The film has all mainstream elements except the story/script.  Most will go to watch Johnny Depp be very Deppish because that's what he does.  Problem is this film is not made for the masses and that's where it fails.  Most of the people in the audience just didn't get it. 

I quite enjoyed it but noticed all the best bits were in the trailer.  No one laughed when they should have been laughing so I felt like I was the only one in the room actually 'getting it'.

Its a real shame as I really liked Fear and Loathing... (another fabulous but equally trippy Thompson/Depp creation) and this fits with that mould. 

Its not a must see, worth getting on DVD.