I’m actually not sure what the expectations were for Johnny Depp’s “The Rum Diary,” but it seems to have hit the “middle-of-the-road” mark with both critics and audiences, according to Rotten Tomatoes.

While audiences have given it the benefit of the doubt by giving it a 60%, the critics weren’t too happy with it, giving it a rotten 51%. Want to know why they gave it such a bad rating? Check out some of the critics’ reasoning below.

“There’s a reason why ‘The Rum Diary’ didn’t find a publisher until a late-in-life Thompson resurgence, and it’s clearer still in this adaptation–there’s no real drama here.”–Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger

“Essentially an affectionate and personal project to honour Thompson’s memory, ‘The Rum Diary’ occasionally strains to evoke the journalist’s surreal black humour…While that earlier movie [‘Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas’] desperately wanted to blow your mind, ‘The Rum Diary’ is content to tickle your feelings of nostalgia.”–Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail

“‘This may be a matter of sensibility, but I just don’t find this sort of self-absorbed counterculture non-narrative interesting.”–Eugene Novikov, Film Blather

If you’ve seen the film, what did you think of it? Was it a spectacular feat of gonzo journalism storytelling to you, or was it just ridiculous (which, as far as gonzo journalism is concerned, might be a good thing)? Give your opinions below.