Unless you were well-read and politically savvy in the late 60s and early 70s, you might not have heard of Hunter S. Thompson until the somewhat obscure Johnny Depp film Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas helped push him back in the limelight. But if you think the documentary-style Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson will take you back into that drug-soaked world, you’re wrong.

Known for his self-destructive ways, inebriated days and off-color behavior, Hunter S. Thompson was a larger-than-life character. But he was also a fantastic writer. It is to this side of Thompson that Gonzo pays homage.

Reviews of the film are full of praise. Variety says the flick “has a wealth of delightful archival footage to draw on, both directly involving Thompson and evoking the cultural landscape around him.” The Associated Press critic called it “a remarkably balanced look at a man whose creativity sprang from his perpetual state of imbalance.”

Thompson, a native of Louisville, Kentucky (as am I), pioneered his first-person narrative style of writing, Gonzo. He was a man who lived fast, and his was a life rich in experience. Thompson not only lived inside the rough-and-tumble world of the Hell’s Angels, but also followed the political campaign trail. He died the way he lived - quickly. Thompson, at age 67, shot himself in his home after telling his wife to buy plenty of towels in 2005. His estimated $2 million funeral bill was footed by Johnny Depp, who came to know and live with Thompson while he was studying for his role in Fear and Loathing.

If you’ve never seen Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, now is the time to do it. The film pays more attention to Thompson’s wild ways than his brilliant writing (often lauded by critics), but provides a rare glimpse into the mad, catch-as-can existence Thompson lived and worked within. Rolling Stone editor Wenner said that “Hunter wanted a persona, but he became a hostage to that persona.”

Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson includes video of the man himself, as well as snippets of interviews from editors and others who knew Thompson on personal and professional levels. The film is rated R and was given three stars (out of four) by the Associated Press. Gonzo opens this weekend.