Review: The Lone Ranger - Now on Blu-ray/DVD

Cast: Johnny Depp, Armie Hammer, William Fichtner
Director: Gore Verbinski
Country: USA
Genre: Action | Adventure | Western
Official Trailer: Here

Editor’s Notes: The Lone Ranger is out on Blu-ray and DVD today. Special Features include: Armie’s Western Roadtrip, Riding the Rails of The Lone Ranger, Deleted Scene, and Bloopers.

Bringing The Lone Ranger to the big screen in an age when most audiences will neither know or care of the character’s history is a brave undertaking. But it’s also a logical one. Unlike with many of the summer blockbusters that set about enticing hard earned money from eager fans The Lone Ranger does not carry baggage; or saddle-baggage if you will. Imagine the furore if The Avengers (Assembled) had missed its Hulk sized target, consider the wailing and sobbing had Iron Man 3 disappointed the hard core fan base, and more so, if Kirk, Spock and crew had journeyed where no franchise should ever go! No, the strongest advantage this film has is that most people do know so little about it.

Bringing The Lone Ranger to the big screen in an age when most audiences will neither know or care of the character’s history is a brave undertaking.

As with all origin stories the majority of the running time is spent piecing together the various ingredients and symbols recognisable in the two lead characters, although in this case Tonto (Johnny Depp) would appear to be almost an entirely new version complete with dead, and overfed, avian headwear. John Reid (Armie Hammer) is an idealistic young lawyer determined to change the world. While travelling home he meets Tonto chained up in a cart with Butch Cavendish (William Fichtner) who we are certain is no good as he is filthy and wearing black, and who is on route to his own hanging. In age old tradition Cavendish is busted out by his gang, Tonto ends up in jail and Reid joins his brother’s posse to chase down the bad guys. On this ill-fated pursuit all but Reid are killed and when he comes round Tonto is there to tend to his wounds and enlist his help in pursuing Cavendish as he has his own score to settle. Throw in the complications that the flesh eating Cavendish is in the employ of railroad baron Tom Wilkinson and the back-story of Reid being in love with his brother’s widow Ruth Wilson we have pretty much the basic plot.

The performances are perfectly passable on the whole although Hammer is at times a little too dull for a role that requires more charisma and bite.

The key thing with The Lone Ranger is that it must be taken for what it is. This is a caper in the same thematic genre of Pirates Of The Caribbean (an unavoidable comparison) and the Indiana Jones films (the fun element is similar if less effective). There are too many references to supernatural happenings, talking animals and ridiculous coincidences for it to be otherwise so anyone expecting a western in the same vein as a Sergio Leone will be sorely disappointed, although the open expanses and beauty of the wild west are given plenty of screen time.

The performances are perfectly passable on the whole although Hammer is at times a little too dull for a role that requires more charisma and bite. Ruth Wilson and Tom Wilkinson are sorely underused and are somewhat familiar in their stereotypes while Fichtner is entertaining as Cavendish. It is Depp again however who stands out in a Gore Verbinski directed production. The film revolves around him at all times and while the performance is different from Captain Jack there are the same personality quirks and mysterious references. That said, there is plenty of humour here and Depp is as always a good vessel for lines that require eccentricity in their delivery.

On the whole The Lone Ranger is an enjoyable journey, if, as everything seems to be in 2013, a little too long. The film will probably garner more fans and greater respect as years go by but with no sequel yet announced in a world when release dates are booked before scripts are written this may be the only outing for the masked man and his sidekick. If that turns out to be the case then enjoy the action packed finale backed by the familiar theme tune that will definitely stay with you.

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John Townsend

Staff Film Critic

My interest in film originated from the excited anticipation of waiting to find out which new film would be shown on television as the Christmas Day premiere, which probably says more about my age than I would like! I am a lover of all things cinematic with a particular interest in horror and began writing and reviewing as an excuse to view and discuss as many films as possible, with as many people as possible.

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