Customer Reviews

Conspiracy Theory [VHS]

5 star:		(69)
4 star:		(28)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

I was shocked at how much I enjoyed this movie. When it hit theaters I wasn't interested in seeing it and only saw it recently. Being a huge Star Trek: The Next Generation fan, it was a cheap thrill to know that Patrick Stewart would be in this film... and he proves what an incredible actor he is. His character (Jonas) is so evil, you want him to just die, already!

Jerry Fletcher (Mel Gibson) is a cab driver in New York City. He is a nutty but harmless (or is he?) conspiracy theory junkie. He has all sorts of theories about crop circles, crime, government control, you name it.

He is sure that people are out to kill him, so he always sets up an elaborate escape plan and sets booby traps everywhere in his slum apartment. Jerry is unexplicably obsessed with Alice Sutton (Julia Roberts), who is an attorney with the Department of Justice. He continues to stalk her and tries continuously to contact her to espouse his latest theories. Alice feels sorry for Jerry and thinks of him as a sometimes annoying, but caring, sweet, lonely man who is a little touched in the head.

Jerry has a self-published newsletter he sends out to a whopping 5 subscribers. As a number of them start mysteriously dying one by one, Alice suddenly starts to believe there is more to Jerry than just being a nutty cab driver.

Those who couldn't stomach "The Marathon Man" may have trouble seeing similar torture scenes at the hands of Jonas, but they are brief in comparison. The film is a total thriller that had me on the edge of my seat. The plot was so well thought-out, that while you're watching in suspense, you don't find yourself saying, "that's ridiculous!"

If you have any doubt whatsoever that Mel Gibson is one of the greatest actors of our time, buy this movie and dispel those doubts once and for all. Gibson's portrayal of the unhinged Jerry Fletcher is nothing short of astonishing. Rambling in broken, unfinished sentences, and in facial expressions that speak volumes, revealing the depth of his character in layers, Gibson gives an incredible performance.

The conspiracy-laden plot has enough twists and turns to keep you guessing, and the suspense is fantastic. Another EXCELLENT movie in Mel Gibson's enviable repertoire. Julia Roberts does a serviceable job in the movie also, though not a stand-out performance.

The only clinker in the movie is Lauryn Hill's version of Frankie Valli's classic "Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You." Hill's version is a travesty that absolutely, positively RUINS that great song. Leave it to a modern-day singer/rapper to completely SCREW UP a classic song. Fortunately, you can fast-forward past it when the credits roll.

Other than that, great movie, highly recommended.

1. The story is unique, exciting, and well-constructed. You don't know whether Jerry Fletcher (Gibson) is really a kook, psycho, or all of the above until the very end. It is an inspired moment when we finally find out. True 'suprise endings' are rarely well-done in Hollywood, (not since THE STING), and this one rocks. 2. Mel Gibson's acting amazes me again. I was never a Gibson fan until TEQUILA SUNRISE, when Mel dropped his Aussie accent and impressed many. Then, BRAVEHEART, became my all-time fav (what a great story of courage, etc.) 3. The unlikely romance between Jerry and Alice is breathtaking. That a total loser like Jerry can overcome himself and win the heart of this woman inspires us all. You will cry at the end. 4. Finally, the production and SFX will impress even the most jaded moviegoer. It is peculiar how fast we became bored with gigantic SFX and CGI technology, but these action sequences are really well done with a flair that relies on ingenuity rather than just throwing money at the audience.

My title pretty much says it all, but I will elaborate. Mel Gibson plays a crazy (in a quirky way) conspiracy theorist who happens to be right about one of his theories. This leads to a whole web of intrigue involving the death of Alice Sutton's (a Justice Department employee/object of Gibson's affection played by Roberts) father, brainwashed assassins, black helicopters, and more. The many "chase" scenes where Mel must run from the spooks are thrilling and fresh. They didn't just rely on the old cliche's you've seen millions of times. During the finale, when the mystery is finally revealed to you, and all the action reaches it's climax, you'll be falling off the edge of your seat, I DARE you not to! The final scene I think is one of the best in the movie I think, if not certainly the most emotional. Anyone who's been forced to give up someone they love for any reason will agree with me I'm sure.
Yeah this movie didn't win any awards, and frankly didn't deserve any, but it was FUN and it ENTERTAINED, and those are the first responsibilities of any movie and accomplishing that is worthy of praise. Go buy it, you won't regret it.

I would definitely have to say that "Conspiracy Theory" is one of my favorite films of all times. The overall premise, pacing and the performances given by the actors lends heavily to this opinion. The one intriguing yet very strange thing about this movie is seeing Patrick Stewart playing the bad guy. After years and years of parts in which he is generally one of the good guys and then of course, his role as Captain Jean Luc Picard on Star Trek The Next Generation solidified his status as the "ultimate" good guy, it's very difficult to see him on the wrong side of the script. As usual though, his performance is as top notch as it is in any project he immerses himself.

Mel Gibson's performance as Jerry Fletcher in this film is quite a show. Just imagine his demeanor as Riggs from the "Lethal Weapon" movies and "crazy" it up a few notches and you have Mel Gibson as Jerry Fletcher, an Oscar caliber performance unrewarded. What can one say about Julia Roberts; she does her thing in this film and it works very well. That's the one strange thing about Julia Roberts, in most of her films, you don't see a very drastic difference in her performances, she pretty much does the same thing film for "most" of her films and they keep on being box office hits.

As testament to the quality of this film, one only needs to look at the name of the director which is Richard Donner. For many years now, Richard Donner has directed some of the most successful television shows and films ever produced such as; "Gilligan's Island," "The Rifleman," "Superman" the movie in 1978 and all four of the "Lethal Weapon" movies, hence Mel Gibson's casting in the lead role of "Conspiracy Theory." Needless to say, if you see his name as the director of a new film, it will definitely be worth your time to watch.

The Premise:

Jerry Fletcher (Mel Gibson) is an extremely neurotic cab driver in New York City. Very early in the film, you'll see that he appears to be obsessed with a lawyer by the name of Alice Sutton (Julia Roberts). As the title of the movie suggests, Jerry sees conspiracies every where and despite telling everybody about it to include Alice, nobody seems to believe him and he doesn't even appear to believe himself until Dr. Jonas and his crew steps in and abducts him...

What follows from there is clearly one of Mel Gibson's best films that I've found to be quite enjoyable over several different viewings as this film is quite well worth multiple viewings. I highly recommend this film to any and all who are interested in films from this genre of action/adventure and mystery. {ssintrepid}

Special Features:

This is the only downside to this DVD version, a serious lack of special features.

-Production Notes
-Theatrical Trailer

I never thought I'd ever see these two actually act. I mean did they get paid good or what? Julia, like Mel has a history of same-old, same-old movie making. Prior to 'Conspiracy Theory' both Julia and Mel had made a career of mediocre movies...with the possible exceptions of Mel's 'Mad Max' flicks, except they got pretty formula after number one. Up till now, Mel's forever stuck in the 'Lethal Weapon' mode and Julia had been stuck in the 'Best Friend's Wedding and Notting Hill' mode. The long-term effect of all this mediocrity has been Julia's turning into a human stick figure...which just accentuates her huge mouth and liver-like lips. With Mel, the effect has been to make his up till recently charming Aussie accent to fade away. He now sounds like a farmer from Iowa. But this movie vindicates them both. Never have I seen Julia actually 'act' before and Mel, my god I almost died when he didn't get the Academy Award for 'Actor showing most promise' in a starring role. I theorize maybe that strategically putting Patrick Stewart in the movie as the corrupted Government Bad Guy acutally cowed Julia and Mel into earning their pay. Patrick was, after all, the only one with a B.A. in acting from an accredited acting school in Britain...where it all began...so that paid off. Oh, the plot was okay, and the action was so-so. But, oh, I am just so happy that in my lifetime I got to see them both act...and together in a single movie.

Great movie! Mel Gibson plays the part of Jerry Fletcher, a paranoid taxi driver that sees conspiracy theories all over the place. Julie Roberts plays Alice Sutton whose father had been killed by an unknown assailant, who she is still trying to find. She is a working official in the D.A.s office (I think) and Jerry is infatuated with her. He once saved her and ever since then he has kinda stalked her.

As I said before, he sees conspiracy theories all over the place and one day he brings one to Julia asking her to get the information he has found to the President, and of course, it goes in one ear and out the other with the attitude of "oh sure". He sends his little newsletter to a few people who have subscribed to it and then enter Dr. Jonas and his goons. He gets kidnapped, then, hurt, escapes to find Alice, ends up in the hospital, escapes that with Julia's help and then it really gets interesting!

With everything that has gone on during the last few years, it makes for a more believable movie than ever. The acting was great and of course it wouldn't be complete without the touch of romance included. Very enjoyable!

I am a little unsure why this film didn't receive higher critical acclaim. I found it to be excellent. Mel Gibson's character is introduced to you as a bit of a mystery, but it is quite obvious that he has some ploblems. Extreme paranoia and stalker tendencies being a few of them. Julia Roberts is with the justice department, and is the object of his affection. The story as it unfolds reveals more and more of Jerry's (Mel's) past, as the dark side of government forces start to hunt him down. I won't reveal too much of the plot because it really would spoil it. The movie has an excellent cast, just the right tone, an intriguing plot and a surprise ending that fits this unusual film perfectly. I am not a huge Mel Gibson fan, ( I need to say this to give credence to my opinion) but he deserved an Oscar nod for pulling off this very difficult performance so believably.

This movie with Mel Gibson and Julia Roberts is part thriller, part comedy, and entirely entertaining. Out of the 300+ movies that I currently own, this is one of my top 5 for number of viewings. The plot is well summarized by other reviewers, so I won't get into that, but Gibson's performance is just great -- he always does a good job playing the crazy role. The humor weaves in and out of various situations.... the scene with Jerry's apartment burning always leaves me in stitches as Jerry explains to Alice about the aparment and the things in it. Everytime I see this movie I just like it more. See it.

This is one of the most under-appreciated movies ever made. It has everything - relentless suspense, surprising humor, and even a subplot that highlights an endearing - and chaste - love story (which in itself is a miracle these days). Mel Gibson's performance is amazing (he should have been nominated for an Oscar), and Julia Roberts is simply perfect. It's a film that gets better every time you watch it. It's a MUST for your movie library. If you don't believe me now, you will some day.