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Starring Johnny Depp, Armie Hammer, William Fichtner, Tom Wilkinson
Directed by Gore Verbinski
What do you know about The Lone Ranger? Were you a fan of the original TV series? How about that 80’s reinvention that caused involuntary napping? Well, if you are from any current generation, odds are the answer is: Not Much. And who can blame you? Outside of the William Tell Overture (trust me, you’ve heard the music) Hollywood has done a pretty piss poor job keeping this particular legend alive.
So along comes Johnny Depp and a dead bird hoping to resurrect it. Depp decided he wanted to make a Lone Ranger film, but did not want to play the title character, as one would expect for an actor of Depp’s popularity. No, he wanted to play Tonto and showcase the equal partnership that exists between these two Western heroes.
The Lone Ranger follows the story of John Reid (Armie Hammer). John is a nobleman in the wild, untamed West. Fresh out of Law School, he believes in the law, integrity and decency. He believes the West is changing, and men such as railroad maven Cole (Tom Wilkinson) are the way progress will move forward.
When John accompanies his brother Dan and their fellow Rangers on a mission to capture the vicious Butch Cavendish (William Fichtner), they are ambushed and all but John are brutally murdered. This is not a ‘family friendly’ Western.
Tonto, played as though Jack Sparrow were Native American by Johnny Depp, comes along and finds John left for dead. After a strange white horse seems to indicate the spirits want him to, Tonto reluctantly saves John and brings him back to health. Tonto and John become unwilling companions, and eventually friends, as they seek to bring down Butch, and any others along the way that seek to bend the law to their whims.
This film is being shredded by critics, and I am writing this to say I strongly disagree. Is the film a little long? Yes, about 30 minutes too long. You could cut out most of the plot focusing on a legless prostitute (Helena Bonhem Carter) and Dan’s widow, which John has a really awkward crush on, and her son. Those are the points where the story really slows down. But the film is NOT bad and for most of its length, pretty fun.
Depp’s schtick is getting a little stale, and would love for him to get back into acting with his real face. That said, he never overshadows, in my opinion, the main character. To the contrary, I believe making someone of his stature Tonto lends to the equal partnership this film needed. The filmmakers have also added a backstory to Tonto that was never present in the series, which works for the most part. Some of the quirkiness of Depp’s portrayal is a little bland (feeding a dead bird, having an elder Tonto tell the narrative), but overall this felt like a fully fleshed out character.
Hammer was solid as The Lone Ranger. This is an origin film, and for much of the film, John is finding his way. He starts off bumbling, but as the film goes on gets stronger and stronger. By the end of the film, when it kicks into a rousing rendition of the famous theme song, he has fully developed into that which I expect from MY Lone Ranger. He still maintains his honest and decent nature, as well as the heroic demeanor the character demands.
Fichtner is great as always, he brings a level of viciousness to this character that I really did not expect. For a movie sold to families, this really surprised me. He literally cuts out a man’s heart. Not usually associated with that glowing Disney logo. Wilkinson does fine, but not nearly as strong or interesting as Fichtner’s performance.
Directed by Gore Verbinski, the similarities to Pirates of the Caribbean are impossible to ignore. All that is missing is a little supernatural twis…what’s that? Oh, well there is a spirit horse. I guess that counts. The point is, if you liked Pirates, there is a good chance you’ll enjoy this one. While it could have used a little tighter editing, the last 1/3 of the film, especially the ending action scene featuring the above mentioned theme song, was enough to make you jump out of your seat smiling like an idiot 10 year old.
So overall, The Lone Ranger wasn’t the best film I’ve seen this summer, but it is far from the worst. Depp manages to win you over, though not as quickly as Jack Sparrow did, and Hammer is perfectly cast as the title character. I would gladly recommend this, but be cautious of the overtly violent nature.
If $10 is the full price of admission, this one is worth $7.
Aaron Peterson
The Hollywood Outsider