The Lone Ranger
31/08/13 Filed in: Cinema
We went to see The Lone Ranger last week but I've only just got around to telling you about it. The film had poor reviews generally, although, interestingly, the audience figure for positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes is twice that of the 'approved critics'. That doesn't surprise me as I often like films that the 'critics' have panned.
So what about this one. Well, it's a comedy, although not in the Shakespearian sense as too many people get killed. Johnny Depp plays Tonto, and as in Pirates of the Caribbean, his makeup is flawless, and original. I liked Tonto, as I long ago sided with the 'injuns', having spent most of my younger childhood playing at shooting them. They were the good guys, but not in the western books and comics that I read in the 50s. But the Lone Ranger, the man that is, was not what I expected. He was portrayed as a bit of a twit, with Tonto providing most of the brainpower and wisdom. Now it's nice to see the injun put in this role, but for somebody brought up on westerns I found this diminution of the famous Texas ranger a bit hard to take.
So what about this one. Well, it's a comedy, although not in the Shakespearian sense as too many people get killed. Johnny Depp plays Tonto, and as in Pirates of the Caribbean, his makeup is flawless, and original. I liked Tonto, as I long ago sided with the 'injuns', having spent most of my younger childhood playing at shooting them. They were the good guys, but not in the western books and comics that I read in the 50s. But the Lone Ranger, the man that is, was not what I expected. He was portrayed as a bit of a twit, with Tonto providing most of the brainpower and wisdom. Now it's nice to see the injun put in this role, but for somebody brought up on westerns I found this diminution of the famous Texas ranger a bit hard to take.
As is now customary, or should I say obligatory, we were treated to plenty of special effects. The crashed train engine skidding towards the duo was as impressive as it was unlikely, but that's what special effects are all about. Plenty of cowboys leaping on and off trains, and once he had got over his twit phase an impressive bit of riding as the Lone Ranger rides Silver along the roof of the moving train.
I think in the end I felt a bit cheated, as the Lone Ranger was part of my upbringing and I suppose I didn't like to see a childhood hero reduced to a naive dude. A bit like David Niven's original Casino Royale, which poked fun at another hero, James Bond. When you have grown up with these iconic characters it's sometimes difficult to accept parody, well it is for me at least.
Helen, my wife, thought it was great, if that's any help.
I think in the end I felt a bit cheated, as the Lone Ranger was part of my upbringing and I suppose I didn't like to see a childhood hero reduced to a naive dude. A bit like David Niven's original Casino Royale, which poked fun at another hero, James Bond. When you have grown up with these iconic characters it's sometimes difficult to accept parody, well it is for me at least.
Helen, my wife, thought it was great, if that's any help.