Film Review: The Lone Ranger

The Lone Ranger    6/10

Director: Gore Verbinski
Starring: Johnny Depp, Armie Hammer, Helena Bonham Carter

Plot: A tale following the transformation of a dedicated man of the law, John Reid, to a man of justice.

It’s surprising this film ever made it to the silver screen; budgetary problems (reaching a staggering $215 million), a chicken pox outbreak and wildfires just a few of the setbacks. Before the film even hit screens, the giant blockbuster was already deemed a ‘failure’ by critics and seems to have suffered financially because of it.

The top tip for watching The Lone Ranger is to not take it too seriously. From the get-go, it becomes a giant, action-packed Western with action scenes bordering on barbaric at times. It is, however, a 149-minute form of escapism, with comedic performances from Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter working perfectly. Depp (Tonto) is incredibly loveable as the Native American warrior; it’s a shame, because the character could only benefit from fleshing out a little more with a sequel.  Armie Hammer also pulls off the role as the Lone Ranger very well; Hammer finally returns to a role more solid (similar to that of The Social Network) after taking on a – frankly embarrassing – part in Mirror Mirror. Helena Bonham Carter, as usual, is fantastic as Red Harrington, thrusting up her leg to reveal a gun at the foot of her heel. Whilst being completely unnecessary, Carter’s part in the film is a breathe of fresh air during the slightly dreary middle act.

Also, the plot of the film seems interesting from the start, yet the entire piece suffers from constantly stopping and starting. It finally finds its feet in its final hour (at which point, critics had probably lost interest and began writing their sour reviews!) For those who are familiar with the original Lone Ranger there is a real touch of nostalgia during this part. However, as the film attempts to recapture the originality of the first Pirates of the Caribbean film, The Lone Ranger doesn’t have the same supporting cast, driving force in storytelling or audience craving more.

In Conclusion: The Lone Ranger is full of unbelievably chaotic (yet enjoyable) action sequences and a number of light moments throughout. Not to mention the main cast who all do their best. It does, however, suffer from an overly long running time as well as taking a while to find its feet as an enjoyable, adventurous family film.