[Films] The Lone Ranger

Last night I took the chance of catching up on another film that I missed first time around at the cinema. The Student Cinema were showing the Lone Ranger, and I thought I’d go along and see whether it was as bad as its box office performance made it out to be.

The Lone Ranger stars Armie Hammer as the eponymous hero, and Jonny Depp as his native America sidekick, Tonto. It reputedly had a massive budget from Disney, who were hoping for another Pirates of the Caribbean style success, but made equally large losses internationally. I have to say that I don’t understand why, as it’s a wonderfully entertaining piece of cinema that is simply great fun.

I think the logo for the film is quite evocative too. (Credit: collider.com)

Let’s start with Jonny Depp. He’s basically playing Jonny Depp again – a slightly odd and eccentric character with some strange mannerisms, who is a better person than he likes to pretend. Tonto=Jack Sparrow with a dead raven on his head essentially! Not that that’s a bad thing; Jack Sparrow was a highly entertaining character, and the basis for a successful franchise. Tonto is slightly less successful here, mostly I think because of the undertones of potential racism, and because we’ve seen it before. But the interplay between Tonto and the Lone Ranger is very funny, with a classic straight man versus comedic player feel to it.

Armie Hammer, despite some reports to the contrary, is very good as the Lone Ranger. He brings the right amount of naïve idealism at the start of the film, followed by the descent of a man forced to make hard choices, but who always tries to do the right thing. It’s a very good performance, and a credit to him that he’s not overshadowed by Depp (as Orlando Bloom and Kiera Knightly were in Pirates).

Jonny Depp as Tonto, and Armie Hammer as the Lone Ranger. (Credit: downloadwallpaperhd.com)

The film has a slightly odd structure to it, it has to be said. It starts in the ‘future’ of the main story, with Tonto telling a story to a young boy. We then move into the main feature, but it’s occasionally interrupted by reversion to the young boy-Tonto narrative. Fortunately these aren’t too intrusive, with the boy merely seeming to act as a proxy for the audience, asking the questions expected by an enraptured listener/viewer.

I’ve mentioned Pirates of the Caribbean a few times, and the film very much feels like ‘Pirates of the Old West’ at times. That’s not particularly surprising given the presence of Depp, or the directorial team behind the film. The set-pieces and stunts have a very ‘Pirates’ feel to them, although the storyline is slightly more down-to-earth is has to be said. Yes, there are hints of magical goings on, including a very bizarre horse, but the focus is very much on human failings

Ok, so there's a spirit horse. But whatever. There's something very wrong with it. (Credit: lettherebemovies.com)

The film is greatly enhanced by another score from Hans Zimmer. Like many of his more recent scores it has the bombast we’ve come to expect, but with some more subtle moments. The standout track on this soundtrack is the brilliant riff on the William Tell overture, which forms the audio accompaniment to the long final action scene. Based on a runaway train (or two), this is possibly the best scene in the entire. Certainly as far as spectacle goes it’s unsurpassed, and again echoes ‘Pirates’, particularly the waterwheel scene in the 2^nd ‘Dead Man’s Chest’.

So no spoilers, but that final scene ends with a train falling into a gorge. It's a cliche, but it's awesome. (Credit: katenkaboodle.com)

If you like the Pirates of the Caribbean films, then I can’t recommend this film enough. Don’t believe the box office figures –see it, and I’m sure you’ll have fun. Similarly, if you like a bit of fun and silliness in your story, but with plausible character motivations (and some cowboys), check out the Lone Ranger and enjoy a couple of hours well spent.