The Lone Ranger
6/10
Director: Gore Verbinski
Starring: Johnny Depp, Armie Hammer, Helena Bonham Carter
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.
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