The Lone Ranger

Plot: Native American warrior Tonto recounts the untold tales that transformed John Reid, a man of the law, into a legend of justice. (via.)

Matt's Rating: C+

Matt's Review: I can't get that god damned William Tell song out of my head.

There's not much substance to this summer blockbuster. It's a fun film that is loaded with runaway trains, gun fights, and leaping white horses, but it lacks any of the things that make good superhero movies...good. You never truly root for the Lone Ranger, it's incredibly predictable, and none of the characters have any depth.

Armie Hammer actually does a decent job of portraying this new Lone Ranger. The problem lies in the fact that he's too goofy. This is not the fault of Hammer but its just how Gore Verbinski and the writers have transformed the character.  If you're looking for an intense new Lone Ranger, you wont find it here. And ultimately that's the biggest problem with the film. There is virtually no change in Armie Screwdriver's character. He starts as the anti-gun slightly bumbling lawyer named John Reid and transforms into a gun wielding bumbling guy in a mask named The Lone Ranger. He never finds that edge that you would hope your new hero of the west would have.

There is also no theme or message in this action packed summer flick. Where films like Man of Steel, Dark Knight, and Iron Man show the origins of heroes with a solid theme or subplot, Lone Ranger just shows his quirky origins without any of the additional elements needed to tell a compelling story.

The movie tries to get a little dark at times but never holds that mood long enough to maintain a constant tone. We watch through a reflection in John Reid's eyes as a man cuts out another man's heart and eats it. But this gory moment, and the feelings that come with it, is never replicated. So, in the end this scene sticks in your mind simply because it was out of place.

While in the Pirate films Verbinski showed us why he is a talented version of Michael Bay, in Lone Ranger he misses in all the ways he succeeded during his last franchise. The action sequences are a little too long, the characters are flat, and the suspense is virtually non-existent.

On the bright side, Johnny Depp is great and he and Armie Crowbar have really good chemistry. In fact, they are the sole reason I could add the "+" to the" C" I was going to give the film. Depp brings the same life and comedy to Tonto that he brought to his part in Pirates. In fact his scenes with the white horse (another bright spot in the film) are some of the best moments in the film. But it might not be a good thing that the best parts of a movie are between your highest paid actor and an animal. 

It's a fun summer movie but nothing more than that.