Customer Ratings & Reviews

For those of you who don't know, this is based on the book of the same name written by Hunter S. Thompson. Although the main character has a different name, the book is somewhat autobiographical in nature, in that much of it is based on Thompson's actual early life experiences as a journalist. If you're on the fence about buying this movie, go ahead ........... "buy the ticket, take the ride" :-)

Whether you’ve enjoyed the book (written by a young Hunter S. Thompson) or are simply a Johnny Depp fan, you’re bound to enjoy this flick. Although not a direct adaptation, the film certainly keeps the spirit of the source material and Depp channels his inner Thompson (having played the Gonzo journalist once before in “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas”) to help bring the story to life. Depp plays Paul Kemp, an American journalist who moves to Puerto Rico to work for a dying Newspaper. Fueled by booze, and beautiful women, Kemp finds himself thrown into a world on the verge of revolution. He soon finds that greed, corruption, and commercialism have followed American businessman Sanderson (Aaron Eckhart) and his fiancée Chenault (Amber Heard) and he must decide between reaping the benefits of industry or preserving the nature of his new home. Director and screenplay writer Bruce Robinson (Withnail and I), perfectly captures the beauty and manic chaos of Puerto Rico while also allowing Depp to breathe life into a script that is naturaclly adapted from Thompson’s first novel. A few notes here; if you’re looking for one of Depp’s wacky or “unique” performances here, you won’t get it. Conversely, if you’re looking for the same type of drug-induced craziness Depp portrayed in Fear and Loathing then again, look elsewhere. Instead, what he provides is a realistic look into the motivations of a man who can’t be bought or intimidated and chooses to fight back with his words. With solid performances from co-stars Michael Rispoli, Richard Jenkins, and Giovanni Ribisi, “The Rum Diary” serves as both an entertaining story and a testament to tale first penned by Thompson in his youth.

the overall movie was great, I like the actors and the roles that they play

Johnny Depp play a drunk very well. Some very funny scenes

Its nice movie to watch and very interesting. i enjoyed

I love HS Thompson so this movie was interesting. This is a niche piece, borne out of Depp's friendship with Thompson.

If you like johnny, you will like this movie, the whole family liked it

If you are a Depp and Hunter S. Thompson fan- this is a great movie. It did not do very well at the theaters, but i loved it!

"The Rum Diary" gives Hunter S. Thompson and Johnny Depp fans what they want. Depp gives a remarkable performance as Thompson's alter-ego Paul Kemp. Through many misadventures, most involving a copious amount of rum, Kemp learns to find his voice as a writer, journalist, and a chronicler of all things gonzo. It's a must-see for Thompson and Depp fans, but be warned - it's not "Fear and Loathing..."-esque. It's a different kind of Thompson - actually the beginning.

This movie is not a Fear and Loathing. Sure there is a lot of humor, but it is not a gut busting hallucinogenic trip through the world of the weird. This movie is based on Hunter's earlier life and progressively, throughout the plot, delves into the very serious topic of the "Great White Shark". If your looking for a Fear and Loathing Part II, don't get this, but if your seriously into Hunter S. Thompson, The Rum Diary is a must buy.

If you liked Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas you should enjoy this film. Although the plot isn't as engaging, Depp still delivers an amazing performance.

Decent movie. Slow start. Some really good laughs throughout. Probably not the best movie Johnny Depp has ever done.

It starts off slow and somewhat weird but the ending is good, predictable.

A reporter, ideally, is supposed to seek out and expose the truth. If you can’t find the truth or your superiors don’t it want it published, make it up. At least that’s the preferred method undertaken at The San Juan Star in this bizarre comedy based on the novel of same name. Paul Kemp (played in typically off-the-wall fashion by Johnny Depp) is a novelist whose greatest work of fiction was the resume which got him a job at the Puerto Rico periodical. Determined to show the real living conditions outside the beach houses and five-star resorts, Kemp (Depp) experiences and recounts tales of dive bars, cock fights, and poverty among the local population. It becomes clear to him that his employers were looking for something they can print in a brochure, as opposed to the facts. While trying to satisfy his employers, Kemp encounters a local businessman by the name of Sanderson (played by Aaron Eckhart) after a chance encounter with his much younger fiancée Chenault (played by Amber Heard). Sanderson has a proposition for Kemp and Chenault proves to herself to be intriguing, unsatisfied, and just out of Kemp’s reach. While the accent’s gone and the surroundings are meant to be gritty rather than supernatural, Paul Kemp is played here as though he’s Jack Sparrow in a suit and tie for most of the film. He’s perpetually inebriated and skates from one ‘dangerous’ situation to the next without as much as a scratch. And while the later portions of the film seem to build toward some dramatic confrontation, what Kemp and the viewers are left with is disappointment.

I had high hopes for this movie solely based on the previews. The funny lines were indeed funny, but the story line was just not up to par. Johnny Depp is a very talented actor, and he did ok in this movie, however the story line dragged on a little too long. Some scenes were left to the imagination and my overall feel after the movie was that of "really, that was it?". I'm a Johnny Depp fan, but the movie just did not do justice to his talent.

Great movie. I really enjoyed watching it with my family.

This movie just can't keep me interested. By the end of the movie, just when I started to come around, it was over, along with a few screens stating what happened in the future. Now that would have been a good place to start.

I GIVE THIS MOVIE TWO THUMBS UP! GREAT AS ALWAYS FROM JOHNNY DEPP!

Another Hunter S. Thompson work transformed into a Depp work of art

The movie had a great story line that keep my interest.