"Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson "

It's better than your average "A&E Biography" episode, and it hits most of the important notes, but "Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson" never really ignites or explodes in the unique ways that a great or even excellent documentary should.

We get talking head interviews. We get scads of photographs and old footage. There are re-enactments which are occasionally clever. Johnny Depp reads the writings (and while it struck me as redundant that the man who played Thompson onscreen is back to basically do it again, he knows the music well enough). The old friends weigh in and seem glad to be part of the club. The director works a little of the way into the obvious but overwhelmingly valid notion that the persona that made Thompson eventually melted him down. The movie does its job. Fair enough.

But the only real charge I got out of "Gonzo" was seeing the rare clips of Thompson appearing on a 1960's public debate program as well as the old game show "To Tell The Truth." The author, caught before the genius or the fermentation started and looking like a mere kid, seems shy but sly and I'll enjoy seeing the entire broadcasts if they're included on the DVD. I'd post any part of them here but this is one of those rare moments when YouTube's 600 trillion clips cannot offer me what I really most want.