THE LONE RANGER DVD (2013)

SYNOPSIS: Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer star in The Lone Ranger, from Jerry Bruckheimer Films and Director Gore Verbinski. It’s a wild ride of high velocity action, explosions and gunfights that brings the famed masked legend to life through brand-new eyes. The Lone Ranger (Hammer), the last of his kind, teams with Tonto (Depp), a dark and mysterious vigilante, to seek vengeance after justice has failed them. It’s a runaway train of epic surprises, as these two unlikely heroes must learn to work together before the ultimate showdown between good and evil explodes.

MOVIE REVIEW:

It turned out that the year’s most penned (and box office flop) summer blockbuster is one of my favourites. At the minimal, I can say I share the same taste as Quentin Tarantino.

Disney’s biggest turkey after John Carter belongs to none other than Johnny Depp’s The Lone Ranger, an action Western adventure that is based on a radio show in the 1930’s. Seriously who cares when the end product is so full of thrilling bits, comedy and action. It’s such a pity many avoid it like the plague.

As per his usual practices, Depp puts on tonnes of makeup for his role as Tonto, a Native American Indian who pairs up with newly-mint lawyer John Reid (Armie Hammer) to take on a bunch of outlaws led by Butch Cavendish (William Fichtner) and corrupt railway tycoon, Latham Cole (Tom Wilkinson). Of course, the script by Ted Elliott, Terry Rossio (both scribers from the Pirates of the Caribbean series) and Justin Haythe is much more bloated and complicated in actual fact. But if you can sit through Pirates’ booty full of inconsequential characters and events, The Lone Ranger’s excesses in comparison is way less overblown.

The biggest problem with The Lone Ranger is the middle act where much is focused on John’s recently widowed sister-in-law, Rebecca (Ruth Wilson), an unnecessary detour to visit Depp’s frequent partner-in-crime, Helena Bonham Carter as a saucy brothel owner Red Harrington and the introduction of random characters liked Captain Jay Fuller (Barry Pepper) and the mischief of Cavendish’s henchmen. The many subplots posed more of an endurance test than crucial plot mechanisms to keep the story going.

Yet you can always rely on Johnny Depp’s wacky theatrics and silly humour to save the day. While only Depp can find laughter in the form of a dead bird perched on his head, Armie Hammer on the other hand is relegated to a sidekick to Depp’s Tonto. His John Reid make even worse by his constant whining and indecisiveness despite the movie being named after his character. Even for a origin story, it takes far too long for the lone ranger to start galloping on his white horse.

Ultimately, you got to credit director Gore Verbinski’s visual sense and his wise usage of the US$250 million budget which sparkles in every scene and sequence. The physical Western sets are extravagant and detailed. The climatic train chase especially with flawless CGI thrown in are rousing to say the least, accompanied by Hans Zimmer’s mix of William Tell Overture, it’s probably the craziest, wildest action sequence this summer.

You got to experience The Lone Ranger yourself instead of hearing how bad the movie is. It’s actually a solid summer blockbuster that is tailored to entertain the audience.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

Deleted Scene recounts a locust attack scene that was never fully realized and presented here in its crude pre-vis form. A nice 4 minutes Blooper Reel showing the cast fumbling with props and animal is also included. 

AUDIO/VISUAL:

Displaying a balanced level of blacks and contrast, the overall visual details and colours are remarkable. Same goes for the sound mix which are tremendously encompassing and bound to rock your home system.

MOVIE RATING:

DVD RATING :

Review by Linus Tee