The Lone Ranger

A few years ago, The Tourist taught us that Johnny Depp’s presence in a film isn’t necessarily a guarantee for financial success. The Lone Ranger is seconding such a notion. Why people aren’t watching it, I don’t know. But I can pinpoint some of the problems inside the movie itself. Based on the popular characters originally heard on the radio, Depp stars as Tonto, in a more central role than the character is used to. Armie Hammer plays the titular Ranger, who dons the mask and hat to catch a creepy villain (William Fichtner) responsible for the death of his brother.

The film showcases many of the aspects one would look for in a western made by Disney. There are a number of funny moments and the chemistry between Depp and Hammer is strong. They play the typical odd couple with just enough believability to be heroes. The final showdown, which takes place on a few different trains, has Disney and director Gore Verbinski’s names all over it. It’s the type of outlandish action that made Pirates of the Carribean so successful. But the film never decides which age bracket it should fall in, which causes some problems. The witty banter and horse jokes appeal to all ages, but the violent deaths that occur definitely do not. A heart is eaten out of a man’s chest, a rail car full of silver crushes another and tons of people get shot. It’s a similar problem to the recent Disney flop Jack the Giant Slayer.

The script is also too complex for an origin story. A lot of time passes before Hammer’s character becomes The Lone Ranger and Depp’s expanded role means double the work in training to explain why the characters are the way they are. But let’s be honest, bashing this movie is a popular summer trend this year. It’s a Disney movie and it is fun. Hammer is on the verge of becoming a full-fledged star and this performance brings him one step closer. As for Depp, his Tonto is in the same vein as Jack Sparrow and the Mad Hatter. In fact, he does better here than he did in Alice in Wonderland, but success is measured in dollar signs, so history won’t see it that way. The Lone Ranger gives modern western a good shot and it hits more than it misses.

Each film earns either zero, a half or a full arrow in five categories. The categories are Acting, Writing/Directing, Emotion, Innovation and Overall Impression. The arrows are added up to equal the full score.