What were you guys expecting from this movie? Were you expecting a masterpiece with a screenplay that tugs at the heartstrings with Oscar worthy performances? If so, then you will hate “The Lone Ranger.” Were you expecting a fun popcorn flick with great action and enjoyable performances? If so, then you will probably like “The Lone Ranger.” Yes, it has a couple of unnecessary subplots and the characters were handled poorly, but “The Lone Ranger” is some of the most fun I’ve had at the movies in a long time due to the film’s fun action and surprising humor.
“The Lone Ranger” is based on the radio serial from the 1930’s. I’ve never seen anything Lone Ranger before so this review is a review of the film on its own.
“The Lone Ranger” follows John Reid (Armie Hammer) who, after getting shot and nearly killed, has become a masked vigilante named The Lone Ranger and has teamed up with an Indian named Tonto (Johnny Depp) to find the guys who shot him and bring them to justice.
The trailers revealed a whole lot more than that but I don’t want to reveal much about the plot for those who don’t want to know anything about the film. Actually, there is a LOT more to that initial premise including a couple of subplots which were completely unnecessary. This movie runs at an astonishing two and a half hours long and goes so far with its initial premise that it got a little ridiculous. Instead of the movie just being about revenge and justice, the film has a couple of subplots which should’ve been saved for a sequel. And those subplots never met their potential or really served much purpose to the movie at all mainly due to their poor execution in the screenplay.
This movie isn’t the most well written film out there with a lot of unnecessary garbage thrown in. The subplots were never fully realized and a lot of characters were handled a little poorly. At the beginning of the film, John Reid wouldn’t kill a fly and wants all criminals to go to court. At the end of the film, The Lone Ranger has killed quite a few people and almost left a character to be buried alive. The beginning of the film with Tonto and the little boy was a waste and Ruth Wilson’s character ended up playing the cliché damsel in distress. That doesn’t mean the script is all bad though. This movie is actually hilarious with me laughing out loud quite a few times in the film. It might not be the smartest humor but as long as it makes you laugh then who the hell cares how smart it is.
The movie also has pretty decent performances. I really like Armie Hammer and I thought he did a really good job in the film and Johnny Depp does play the Captain Jack Sparrow character again but he’s still good in the role and is entertaining to watch. The two also had good chemistry with each other. The two characters don’t really like each other throughout a good chunk of the film with The Lone Ranger just using Tonto to point him in the right direction, but Hammer and Depp still had a great presence together on screen. The supporting cast was mostly solid but nobody really stood out and made any impression on me.
What this movie has to be commended for is its visuals and sound because they are fantastic. The film looks great and its lack of colors (the film has mostly blacks and whites, sorry that sounded so weird) only added to the overall atmosphere of the film. My biggest worry with “The Lone Ranger” was that the action would go a little too over the top for my tastes and while the film does push its boundaries a little bit during some of its action sequences, it’s still unbelievably entertaining and looks great. Finally, the sound in the movie is incredible. The gunshots, explosions, and music all blast out of the speakers making “The Lone Ranger” a film that’s better to see on the big screen with surround sound.
THE VERDICT
Critics who judge movies solely on their story and characters will rip “The Lone Ranger” to shreds. Critics who judge movies based on what they are (in the case of “The Lone Ranger,” fun popcorn entertainment) will favor the film a lot more. The film could’ve cut a few of its subplots and paid more attention to its characters, but the movie is entertaining beyond belief with great visuals and lots of laughs. I walk away from “The Lone Ranger” with a smile on my face even though I wouldn’t even call this movie “great.” If you want to mindlessly watch a movie and shove popcorn in your face then go see “The Lone Ranger.” If you want a great story and characters then I’m sure Grown Ups 2 will satisfy your needs when it opens next week.
For reviews and more from me, Petey Oneto, you can check out my blog but be sure to check back with Resident Entertainment for more of my posts in the future.
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