Finally saw the Lone Ranger....

[Nostalgiabuff]

....and, I have to say I really liked it. I was hesitant about buying it because of the reviews so I put it on my Christmas list. My wife really enjoyed it too.

two major missteps as far as I was concerned, one was making Tonto the main character in a movie called the Lone Ranger. the other was basically making both of them fumbling idiots getting by on pure luck. I mean LR refused to pick up guns most of the movie yet when he does he makes shots an expert marksman would have trouble with.

otherwise, like I said I really liked the movie for what it was. there was a lot of humor with Tonto and overall I did think Depp did a good job, he just isn't the Tonto I grew up with. I look at it as a different take on a beloved property. Like Burton's POTA, or Abrams Trek. Different, but still fun to watch

[wayne foundation 07]

I haven't seen it yet, I guess because of the same reservations. Glad you liked it, I'll have to give a shot now.

[enyawd72]

Yeah, I think overall the film was a missed opportunity. Once again, it tried to be all things to all people, and fell short on all counts. Depp's Tonto was too weird for my tastes, and as you said, having LR play second fiddle to him was a huge mistake.
They could have established the LR as a serious action hero, instead we got the Lone Goofball and his wacky Indian pal.

And what was up with that horse?!

[Earth 2 Chris]

I hesitate to see this again. I left the theater scratching my head asking "Why? Why did they go THAT far in the other direction?". Time hasn't made me think better of this film, I'm afraid. Visually, it looked great. You just know Hammer would have been a great, serious Lone Ranger.

I guess in a way it's like when I realized how campy the 66 Batman series was, and I was knee-deep in my "Batman MUST be a grim avenger of the night" phase. I was frustrated with the 66 show because West and Ward were being too square, and the villains were too over the top, and the plots too goofy. I later came back around to loving the show again on it's own merits.

The only problem is, this Lone Ranger was probably the character's last shot at a film for a long, long time. There will be no sequel (obviously, it bombed), and just like in the 80s, the Ranger has to go back into mothballs for 20 to 30 years until he's no longer radioactive...sigh.

Chris

[johnnystorm]

I think I'll wait until it runs endlessly on FX like Green Lantern. I do find it interesting that when they were advertising it originally, the commercials almost all played up Depp's Tonto and the quirky humor he thought he was bringing to the role. Now for the DVD release, it's an action film and the emphasis is on the Lone Ranger.

[Nostalgiabuff]

I thought the horse bits were actually funny, but it was bringing in a super natural aspect.
to me, the vampire rabbits were the odd part, but I admit I did laugh

[wayne foundation 07]

I thought the horse bits were actually funny, but it was bringing in a super natural aspect.
to me, the vampire rabbits were the odd part, but I admit I did laugh

vampire rabbits ?

[Earth 2 Chris]

I do find it interesting that when they were advertising it originally, the commercials almost all played up Depp's Tonto and the quirky humor he thought he was bringing to the role. Now for the DVD release, it's an action film and the emphasis is on the Lone Ranger.

Yes, I noticed that too. Disney is a master at re-marketing things. I think if they'd went with this actual approach for the film, it may have done better, or at least sat better with those who did see it.

The argument, of course is that the film would not have been made without Depp and company's involvement, and that audiences won't pay to see a "straight" western any more.

I still think there was a happy medium somewhere in between what most of us wanted, and what we got with this film.

Chris

[drquest]

I think I'll wait until it runs endlessly on FX like Green Lantern.

Lone Range is miles better than Green Lantern.

Is LR a great movie? Not great, but it was considerably better than the reviews led you to believe. I'm not sure what all the hate for the movie was to be honest, it's an action flick set in a fantasy type old west.

[hobub]

I'd like to see it done some time in the same manner of Christopher Nolan's Dark knight series. That would surpass Clayton Moore and put it up there with the likes of Tombstone or 1961-66 b/w pre-sensor ship Gunsmoke (which thanks to encore westerns, I've become a huge fan).

[samurainoir]

I was entertained, and I don't think doing a Western using the Pirates of Caribbean is a bad idea either, just didn't seem quite right for The Lone Ranger.

Not a huge Zack Snyder fan, but I actually think he would have been my choice to give this film a unique stylistic look and gritty pulp feel.

On the flipside, Man of Steel could have used more humour. Not into out and out action comedy, but just like Marvel movies such as Avengers give you a chance to laugh just to break the tension of a scene.

[Aricosaur]

The only part of that film I enjoyed was the action sequence where the William Tell Overture was playing. And some of the bits with the horse were funny.

[Nostalgiabuff]

i'll say this, it was not a good Lone Ranger movie. it was a very good movie though. I liked it and am glad I got it for Christmas so I can watch whenever I want.

The only part of that film I enjoyed was the action sequence where the William Tell Overture was playing

I was concerned they were going to leave it out altogether but I am very glad they put it in. no matter what other complaints to make about LR and Tonto in this movie, you could not call a movie Lone Ranger and not use that theme.

I also loved Tonto's reaction when John finally does the "hi ho silver, away" thing. that was classic

[MIB41]

We rented this last week and both I and my wife were very much entertained. I wasn't crazy about John Reid not being an actual Ranger in the beginning. I thought that took away some of the natural grit that should have been part of the hero. But as the movie wrapped up, I understood why they went that route. As a prosecutor, John Reid believed in following the letter of the law. But that devotion also had made him blind to the corruption within the law. So if he wanted to truly represent those ideals, he would have to represent them masked instead of being part of an institution that was corruptible. It was an interesting idea. And I did enjoy Depp in the role of Tonto. In my mind he saved that movie. I never could have made it through the film without his performance. His back story turned out to be quite intriguing and not so predictable as the traditional tale in television and books. That was a nice tweak to the legend. His moments with Silver were great. I only wished they had given the Ranger a little more backbone. While I liked the general ideas they pushed, I thought they started John Reid off in a bad place to have him fully developed by movie's end. That was a pretty big leap to make in one story. Overall it was a fun movie, but I can see where diehard fans would have been disappointed. From the standpoint of performances and production standards, the movie was excellent. You could see where the money went. They just got a little too radical with the transformation of Reid into the Ranger. I think they could have accomplished the same story goals and still retained some of those traditional qualities that fans enjoy in their hero.

[YoungOnce]

We enjoyed it at the theatre... Just great popcorn fun as far as we were concerned. I couldn't understand the hate, other than if you were wanting a more serious tone. But frankly, after the dark and brooding Batman and Superman flicks, we were ready for some fluff.