Movies Reviews

The Lone Ranger – Movie Review CLIPS ADDED!

By Anne Brodie Jul 2, 2013, 13:37 GMT

Based on the iconic "Lone Ranger" character created by George W. Trendle and developed by Fran Striker. "The Lone Ranger" is a masked Texas Ranger in the American Old West who rights the injustices he encounters with the aid of his wise Native Americancompanion, Tonto. ...more

It’s hard to take too seriously a film that is entirely tongue-in-cheek other than to say that it is entertaining and depth free. It is based on a TV show after all, from a century ago that entranced people mostly older than the filmmakers. It has earned an iconic status.

Who can’t sing the theme music – The stirring William Tell Overture – and who doesn’t know that Tonto, his sidekick, was a cool cat? L.R.’s war whoop was “Hi Ho, Silver! And away!”. Nuff said. It will tickle folks despite a few wrinkles.

The Lone Ranger and Tonto have a cute meet worthy of filmdom’s cutest romcom couples. They should never have hooked up on paper. The Ranger is a society boy from back east, a lawyer, dressed to nines for the dustiest days of the Wild West. He is polite, genteel, has teeth of blazing white and backbone.

Tonto, a local rogue Native American is an eccentric, with a perma crow on his head and decorative bits and bobs, and long flowing hair.

He uses intuition and tradition to solve the tough problems and resorts to trickery and humor. He is the comic relief to Ranger earnest do-goodism and he is the star of the film. It’s not The Long Ranger despite the title and the weight of the Lone Ranger mythos.

Things start as a young kid kitted up in Wild West wear comes across a museum display of a Native American, a living display. Depp in ancient makeup regales the kid with tales of the Old West and John Reid, the legendary gunslinger lawyer who started life as John Reid and wound up a defender of the right in the lawless frontier territory.

The stories are fun. How they fended off train robbers, blew up a bridge, and helped the common folk in swashbuckling style. The kid listens wide eyed and somewhat disbelieving, as the stories unfold. The old Indian is Tonto, reliving the old glory days like any old man stuck with nothing to do but sit in a museum display case.

Depp plays Tonto as a bookend to Jack Sparrow. Tonto’s not a drunk, but he’s a character with tremendous charm and eccentric ways and that unmistakable wild and woolly look. His movement and delivery are sensational. He brings comic significance to the slightest gesture.

Armie Hammer as Reid is full on storybook Prince Charming in a coat of dust, with chiseled looks and brilliant teeth. He’s a total straight arrow, deeply dedicated to justice and the American way of life. He and Tonto are opposites and yet of the same cloth. And he is second fiddle to everything Depp.

The supporting cast is interesting - William Fitchner hikes his lip as Butch Cavendish (yes) and seethes with evil. Tom Wilkinson, the incredibly versatile British actor is the local Boss, determined to dig up and pave over the west if he can make some millions. There are millions to be made in them thar silver hills. Barry Pepper is the morally confused soldier plotting with the evil Boss in innocent ignorance.

There are major, killing problems with the CGI. It’s rough, grainy, sharp edged and inhuman. But the stunts, the sweetness of the film and Depp’s ironic sarcasm are fun. It’s long but entertaining enough.