
Director: Gore Verbinski
Year: 2013
Rated: PG-13
Rating: * * * Stars
Cast: Johnny Depp, Armie Hammer, Tom Wilkinson
The Lone Ranger is a big expensive movie with lots of ideas.
After all, director Gore Verbinski is known for that sort of thing (it's an
admirable trait but it may be his downfall). At a budget of over $200 million
dollars, you can tell that every inch of the screen was well spent. The period
detail and set design are all top notch. But here's the thing, a lot of Gore's
films have an abundance of plot threads, tend to be rooted in confusion until
the final twenty minutes wraps things up, and suffer from a well intentioned,
yet abundant amount of over length. "Ranger" mind you, is one of
those vehicles. However, I'm going to hold my breath and recommend it. Yes,
it's an adequate crowd pleaser but it probably could've been trimmed down by
about a half hour. In hindsight though, this is a film that in my mind, secures
its place in any summer movie goer's checklist. Its got Johnny Depp teaming up
once again with Verbinski (these two have a solid track record you know).
They've made a handful of
Pirates of the Caribbean
movies together and if you are a fan of those endeavors, you'll for sure enjoy
this take on the famed 1950's T.V. show. Now it is for statutory purposes, a
mild adaptation on that ancient sitcom as well as the 1930's radio program. But
make no bones about it, we're talking "Pirates" of the old West here.
Depp playing Tonto, riffs on his goofy, likable turn as Captain Jack Sparrow in
that Disney theme blockbuster (he also sort of channels the voice of his Hunter
S. Thompson character in
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas,
who knew?). We also have an up-and-comer in Armie Hammer inhabiting the title
role. Despite what you might have heard, I think he was well cast (Depp too for
the same reason). The character of the mask hero (John Reid is his alias)
needed to have a strong screen presence and an intimidating look. In real life,
Hammer is 6'5" and he puts the napoleon complex of most actors being short
to rest. All in all, "Ranger" entertains you with its tongue and
cheek humor, its rollicking action sequences, and its accurate, stylish look of
that time period (late 1800's to be exact). Also, it rides the curtails of the
trait made popular by the "Pirates" movies in which you witness how
many times characters escape death or peril in a 2 hr. 30 minute exercise. To
be honest with "Ranger," I may have lost count, and that was only
about an hour in.

Not quite deciding whether it wants to be an action
adventure or a full-on comedy (there are scenes that literally separate the
two, especially with the background music),
The Lone Ranger tells the story of
John Reid (Hammer), a Texas district attorney who while on train ride to visit
his brother (ranger and fellow law enforcement officer Dan Reid), finds himself
in the middle of a robbery/hijacking orchestrated by cowboy thugs (William
Fichtner as Butch Cavendish, is the ring leader with a sort of penchant for
human hearts) with nasty facial scars and unkempt, yellow teeth. The thugs
escape only to kill John's brother later in an act of unclear revenge. Hammer's
character decides to hunt down the killer of his brother with the help of an
eccentric, playful indian named Tonto (Depp, carrying a dead bird over his head
that he actually pretends to feed). By doing this, Reid unknowingly becomes
"the lone ranger" through the act of masking his identity via name
and appearance. Why you ask, because as Tonto states, "all good men must
wear mask."
As far as casting goes, Depp plays yet again, a kooky
liberated character. Hammer, so brilliant playing twins in
The Social Network,
is a bold, risky choice that sort of pays off as long you don't take him too
seriously like the more famous Superman and Batman. You see, within almost
every frame, there are countless extras and bit parts. But the strongest hint
of acting belongs to supporting player Tim Wilkinson (railroad tycoon Latham
Cole). As a former Oscar nominee, he gets the film's juiciest dialogue. He's truly
has one of the best acting voices in
Hollywood.
Alas, he doesn't get to spice things till well past the halfway point.
In essence,
The Lone Ranger could've done without a few
hiccups here and there. For one, I found the present day scenes with Depp as an
old man (possibly 90 years old and reflecting on his life via side show) sort
of unnecessary but mildly amusing (Was it a fantasy? Did it come from the kid's
mind who was listening to Tonto's yarn spinning). In my brain I tried to avoid
the notion, you know that maybe all the events in "Ranger" might have
never took place (I'm not a huge fan of this concept). Also, toward the
climatic train chase that really ties the whole thing together, you have an out
of place helping of
The Lone Ranger theme music coming on. I got annoyed by it
because it didn't actually fit the flow of the scenes (why do the filmmakers
feel it necessary to pay tribute to network shows they are adapting. For gosh
sake's the movie is its own entity). Nevertheless, this is the type of cinematic
toy that gets by on its strengths. It's campy goodness that succeeds with the
humor and likability of the leads, the
Indiana Jones style of escapism, and
the rock n' roll style of Mexican standoffs (I hope Tarantino doesn't get
jealous). I don't know if I'd hail it as groundbreaking, but with two and a
half hours to kill, this is pure summer matinee bliss. And to echo the first
part of my review, a plethora of film ideals is better than little or none at
all.
Written by Jesse Burleson
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