Review - The Lone Ranger

Pirates of the West!

Hi Oh Silver...AWAY!

I grew up with the Ranger, The Lone Ranger that is. Sunday mornings before going off to church I would sit and watch with my dad, the adventures of this masked crusader for good. They are good memories that I wasn't sure I wanted to appear in a new form, but I was game for anything.

This is a Lone Ranger origin story as we go back to see what made him start fighting for the common man on the frontier of the old west. It shares with us a possible way that Tonto came into his life AND how the classic horse Silver started with the masked man and his trusty companion.

The Ranger didn't always wear a mask, but at Tonto's insistence he would don the iconic symbol.

Now as things blow up, bad guys are chased, and good guys try to get out of some great situations. The Lone Ranger comes to life.

You can't take away the action from The Lone Ranger. Director Gore Verbinski gives life to the screen for 2 hours plus but I still felt something missing here.

Gone were the warm fuzzies for the character that I loved. The action, although rated PG-13 sometimes felt fairly harsh. There were gun battles that resulted in some point blank old west justice that may give folks fits if they try to sleep at night.

Johnny Depp as Tonto comes across as a lead (well he is the biggest star) but that's not want Tonto should be. Armie Hammer seems a little rough around the edges as the ranger, but that might clear itself up if we have future films to enjoy.

Overall, my time with the ranger was ok...it could have been trimmed up a bit (the run time takes it nearly 2 hours and 20 minutes) and it could have done some things differently. It's not awful, but I wonder aloud who the market for the final product is? Is it the fans of the Pirates movies? Then you are missing Johnny Depp in the right type of look to make that crowd swoon. Is it fans of the serial? I think this ultra shootout type of movie misses the simplicity for that crowd.

I think it will struggle....but you could do worse than spending 2 hours with this one...I know...a ringing endorsement right. Unfortunately, only a mild...if you can call it that, endorsement.

Hi Ho Silver....Away (to the next movie).

B-/C+

The Lone Ranger
Rated PG-13 for sequences of intense action and violence, and some suggestive material

Directed by Gore Verbinski
Starring Johnny Depp, Armie Hammer, William Fichtner, Tom Wilkinson, Ruth Wilson