Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #6656 in DVD
• Released on: 1998-09-25
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: PAL, Widescreen
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English, Arabic
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 130 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
What is it about director Richard Donner that Mel Gibson enjoys so much that he's appeared in five of Donner's films? Is it the on-set pranks? Could it be the big-budget perks and $20 million paychecks? Or is it just a well-stocked catering table? Whatever the case, the Lethal Weapon star and director teamed up again, along with fellow superstar Julia Roberts, for this typically glossy, entertaining but ultimately hokey thriller. Gibson plays New York cab driver Jerry Fletcher, whose wacky belief in conspiracies finally hits on a coincidental truth involving an evil figure named Jonas (Patrick Stewart) and a secret program of government-funded mind control. Roberts plays the Justice Department attorney who finally believes in Jerry's paranoid ramblings. With a plot (from LA Confidential co-writer Brian Helgeland) that's a lot of fun as long as you don't think about it too critically, Conspiracy Theory benefits immeasurably from the charisma of its high-magnitude stars. --Jeff Shannon

Special Features
Wide Screen
English
English
Region 2
Dolby Digital 5.1 English
Dolby Digital 5.1
Interactive Menus
Production Notes
Scene Access
Trailer
Arabic
English

Synopsis
A crackpot Big Apple cabbie finds himself in a heap of trouble after his self-published conspiracy 'zine elicits the interest of some shady government heavies--and leads to the unexplained murders of all five subscribers. As the J. Edgars close in, he takes to the lam with the one person who may be able to help him--a Justice Department attorney with a mysterious murder of her own to solve.

Customer Reviews

The Boy who cried "Wolf"
Imagine that you are a little paranoid (not much imagination required for me!), you see conspiracies everywhere, and you tell people by publishing all of them in your own magazine. People think you're a crank, a nut, you're written off as another one of those Government is hushing things up looneys. Imagine then if one of your many theories is right on the money and the conspirators are out to get you. You don't know why and no-one believes you - you're the little boy who cried Wolf!

Mel Gibson plays the part of Jerry Fletcher, a New York Cabbie, being chased by the sinister Government man Dr Jonas (Patrick Stewart). Only one person half believes Jerry and that is Justice Department Attorney Alice Sutton (Julia Roberts) and together they run, and on the way discover the secret behind why Jerry knows what he knows and who he really was.

A far from great film with some very average performances - I must say that Patrick Stewart was at his least believable - but the plot wasn't bad. In this current climate of belief that our governments are lying to us, perhaps this movie will undergo a revival. Conspiracy Theory wasn't a bad movie, not when others of the same ilk are taken into account, but probably not on many people's must see list. Some great sequences though, especially the way that Jerry's apartment was wired to destroy all usable evidence should the government come knocking.

I quite enjoyed this flawed production, maybe you will too.

An incredible Film, with good actors.
The story of a paranoid man trying to persuade others of his strange fears and beleifs is one that most of us have seen before. However this film is different, not only do all the actors play their parts incredibly well, but the paranoid fears of the hero begin to come true!

It also includes a brilliant performance of Patric Stewart playing the part of the evil matermind (Well known for his Picard in Star-Treck the next generation) This is a fantastic film that in well worth watching.

Didn't understand why it was so underrated by the critics.
The thing that stands out for me in this movie is the wonderful (and underrated) performance given by Mel Gibson. His part calls for an uneasy balance between a paranoid psychotic and romantic leading man and he treads that fine line beautifully. Despite all his craziness, he is totally likeable and his relationship with the Julia Roberts character is wonderfully complex and believable. Julia Roberts also gives an excellent performance and the chemistry between the two leads is perfect.

All in all, I loved this film and didn't understand why it was so underrated by the critics.