The Lone Ranger Movie Review 0 1203

The Lone Ranger movie review
At the time of writing this, Disney’s latest blockbuster starring Johnny Depp not to feature the words Pirates of the Caribbean in the title has already proven a dud at the US box office (at least compared to its gargantuan $225 million budget) and reports say that it’s on the track to lose $190 million when all is said and done. Needless to say that’s not the situation in which the studio wanted to be with this thing.
Stars Armie Hammer (still most known for playing the suing Winklevoss twins in The Social Network) and Depp have spoken recently about it being the fault of US critics who have been bad mouthing the movie for months prior to its release and giving it a bad rap before people have had a chance to see it. Whether there’s any truth to that (I personally think that’s a load of rubbish), much of the blame can be laid squarely at the door of it simply costing too much. Even with Depp in the spotlight as Tonto, arguably overshadowing the title character, and all the requisite spectacle of a summer blockbuster, it’s simply too much of a big ask for it to make the type of money hoped for, especially when it’s trying to sell an awkward mix of old fashioned Western and modern day blockbuster, not to mention the strange image of Depp in make-up with a bird on his head.
Based on the character who first appeared in a 1930s radio series, The Lone Ranger centres on John Reid (Hammer), a big city lawyer and brother of respected Texas Ranger Dan Reid (James Badge Dale), who has come back to his home town. Unbeknown to John, the train is also carrying fugitive Butch Cavendish (William Fichtner) and a strange Comanche Indian named Tonto (Depp), both of whom are kept in chains. Cavendish makes his escape after his gang attack and derail the train, and Tonto gets thrown in the local jail. John is then deputised by his brother in order to help track down Cavendish but due to some double-crossing within the group of Rangers, they are ambushed and left for dead by Cavendish and his gang. Mysteriously, however, John comes back to life where he crosses paths again with now-escaped Tonto and the unlikely duo then pair up to bring Cavendish to justice. With Tonto and a mystical white horse along with him, Reid reluctantly puts on a mask to become the eponymous legend.
The film is at its strongest when it deals with mythmaking and how that has rippled through the years so that even children know who he is and want to emulate him with a toy gun and outfit. Indeed that’s exactly how we’re introduced to the story via a boy at a fairground Wild West attraction talking to who appears to be Tonto in his old age recounting his and The Lone Ranger’s adventures. It works to a point and is actually a rather clever way of easing us into the story but it can come across as gimmicky as it progresses.
The film comes to us from a lot of the same people who brought us the hugely successful Pirates franchise. The trouble with at least the sequels in that series was how messy and drawn out they became, with too many characters and storylines vying for screen-time that it became confusing and dull. Fortunately The Lone Ranger is much more of a straightforward affair, telling a relatively simple tale of double-crossing, horseback adventure and the forging of a legend that has since become a household name.
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Johnny Depp as Tonto and Armie Hammer as The Lone Ranger
It’s just a shame, then, that much of the fun gets lost in the sludge of an overlong runtime – it clocks in at just shy of two and a half hours, a bad habit director Gore Verbinski and Co. have picked up from working on Pirates – repetitive scenes of Depp’s offbeat Tonto perpetually giving sideways looks and quipping at every little thing The Lone Ranger does and set-pieces that, despite its grounded Wild West setting, rely too much on CGI. And the over-the-top approach to just about every aspect of the action and the exaggerated character personas sits at odds with the implied brutality of the story; cannibalism and genocide are among the topics covered. The spectacle all looks fantastic because of course it does, it cost over $200 million to make, but one wonders why it needed to cost so much when plenty of films made for half the cost look just as good.
The script is co-written by Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio, two of the writers of the Pirates franchise, alongside Justin Haythe (Revolutionary Road, Snitch) and it feels very much like one written by committee. It’s bland and bloated with underwritten characters and a plot that, while mercifully simple to follow, is basically a string of quirky gags involving Depp and straight man Armie Hammer – who never have good enough chemistry together to make it work as any sort of unconventional buddy movie – leading from one giant set-piece to the next. There’s aesthetically pleasing use of the surrounding landscapes by Verbinski and a peppy, heroic score by the great Hans Zimmer, both of which frequently hint towards Sergio Leone’s classic Western Once Upon a Time in the West (as does this similarly epic runtime). But it only reminds you how masterful that film is rather than being any sort of pleasing nod to it.
Aside from Depp, who’s racially dubious casting just doesn’t sit right throughout, we have Hammer in the lead role and he’s likeable enough though he doesn’t quite have the kind of charisma necessary to completely pull the role off and bring him to life as a character beyond the iconic mask and horse upon which he rides. There’s some joy to be had in the supporting cast, though some of them play characters who are more justified than others. Fichtner’s gleefully sinister Joker-esque bad guy complete with scarred face and menacing one-liners and Tom Wilkinson’s railroad tycoon manager are integral to the plot whereas Helena Bonham Carter’s hooker-with-an-ivory-leg (which just so happens to double as a gun) is merely there to perform an obvious function in a later stage action sequence. However, the focus is on the two leads and actually far more focused on Tonto than it is on the titular hero; it smacks of the studio knowing that audiences loved Depp’s quirky turn as Captain Jack Sparrow and are trying to replicate that with another wacky character. The film is a bit too much in love with Depp and his persona.
Overblown, overlong and, yes, over-budgeted, The Lone Ranger is a lumbering tip of the hat to the idea of legends and their stories, infused with creaky dialogue and humour that’s at once repetitive and clunky. It’s not without its sense of fun – a final showdown in, around and atop a speeding train is insanely well choreographed and is as exciting as it is visually spectacular – but you have to wade carefully through two and a half hours of flabbiness to find it.

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I'm a freelance film reviewer and blogger with over 10 years of experience writing for various different reputable online and print publications. In addition to my running, editing and writing for Thoughts On Film, I am also the film critic for The National, the newspaper that supports an independent Scotland, covering the weekly film releases, film festivals and film-related features. I have a passion for all types of cinema, and have a particular love for foreign language film, especially South Korean and Japanese cinema. Favourite films include The Big Lebowski, Pulp Fiction and 2001: A Space Odyssey.

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Tolkien Biopic to Be Released in May 0 5288

10th May, 2019 is when Tolkien will be released to the world, an autobiographical film that will revolve around the early days of legendary author J.R.R. Tolkien before he became the literary giant that he is today.

Here on Thoughts on Film we are big fans of his work and the recent films made by Peter Jackson. The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings (LOTR), are responsible for originating a universe that has gone on to inspire movies, animation, fiction, and modern media interpretations.



This is why Tolkien is regarded by many as the greatest fantasy author of all time. His creative stamp can be seen nearly everywhere in modern media. There’s the direct reinterpretation of his work in the recently released action roleplaying game Middle Earth: Shadow of War, where players are thrust into a major role in Tolkien’s literary canon. George R.R. Martin, who originated the now globally-popular Game of Thrones series on HBO, openly reveres LOTR as the inspiration for his work, citing the early death of Gandalf in Fellowship of the Ring as having a profound effect on his “own willingness to kill characters at the drop of a hat.” On the web, more Tolkien-inspired work can be found on leading slot portal Slingo and its many online titles dedicated to the fantasy genre, including Amazon Queen, Fae Legend Warrior, and Magic Castle, all of which feature elements that can be traced back to the author’s massive body of work. Technically speaking, the same can be said of nearly every major fantasy brand out there today, from Dungeons & Dragons to Magic: the Gathering. In short, almost every type of entertainment that features western fantasy can be traced back to the works of Tolkien.

In the upcoming Tolkien movie, the man will be played by Nicholas Hoult, whom is best known for Mad Max: Fury Road and Hank McCoy in the most recent X-Men movies. And now, the actor’s versatility will be tested as he steps into the shoes of the most iconic fantasy writer of all time. Starring alongside Hoult will be the actress Lily Collins as Edith Bratt – the woman whom Tolkien loved above all and is reportedly the inspiration for all “elven princess characters” in the LOTR series.

Helming the film is director Dome Karukoski whose CV includes 2017’s Tom of Finland, a critically acclaimed chronicle of the life and works of the controversial artist of the same name. And while media outlets haven’t yet heard from either the cast, director, or crew of the film, an official synopsis of the movie has been released via Collider. “Tolkien explores the formative years of the orphaned author as he finds friendship, love and artistic inspiration among a group of fellow outcasts at school. This takes him into the outbreak of World War I, which threatens to tear the “Fellowship” apart. All of these experiences would inspire Tolkien to write his famous Middle-earth novels.” It sounds like a real treat for film, literature, and Middle Earth fans.

Feature: 2019 Oscar Predictions 0 4031

I think it’s fair to say that the run up to this year’s Oscars has been a little messier than usual, from unexpected and bizarre wins at other awards shows (Vice winning Best Editing at the BAFTAs, anyone?) to ridiculous decisions by the Academy to change the show around.

The latter has proved a particular point of contention with both those in the industry to onlookers on social media, with choices such as not letting all the songs be performed to introducing a Best Popular Film category (whatever that means) to not airing four categories live; Editing and Cinematography proved a particular issue, sending the folks of Film Twitter into a Hulk-like rage.

Thankfully all of these decisions except for the one to not have a main host have taken the walk-back of shame; I look forward to Clint Eastwood talking to an empty chair again. Of course there’s still the issue of plenty of thoroughly deserving films, filmmakers and performances not being up for any Oscars at all (*cough* Toni Collette! *cough*) but of course that’s not an issue unique to this year.

The show must go on, as they say, and I thought a week out from this year’s ceremony I’d throw my hat into the ring as far as predictions goes. Below I’ve listed what I think will win in each category, as well as what I personally would like to see pick up that little gold man come next Sunday evening.

Best Picture

Want to win: A Star is Born
Will win: Green Book

Lead Actor

Want to win: Bradley Cooper (A Star is Born)
Will win: Rami Malek (Bohemian Rhapsody)

Lead Actress

Want to win: Olivia Colman (The Favourite)
Will win: Olivia Colman (The Favourite)

Supporting Actor

Want to win: Richard E. Grant (Can You Ever Forgive Me?)
Will win: Mahershala Ali (Green Book)

Supporting Actress

Want to win: Emma Stone (The Favourite)
Will win: Regina King (If Beale Street Could Talk)

Director

Want to win: Alfonso Cuarón (Roma)
Will win: Alfonso Cuarón (Roma)

Animated Feature

Want to win: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Will win: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

Adapted Screenplay

Want to win: BlacKkKlansman
Will win: BlacKkKlansman

Original Screenplay

Want to win: First Reformed
Will win: The Favourite

Cinematography

Want to win: Roma
Will win: Roma

Documentary Feature

Want to win: Free Solo
Will win: Minding the Gap

Foreign Language Film

Want to win: Roma
Will win: Roma

Film Editing

Want to win: BlacKkKlansman
Will win: Bohemian Rhapsody

Sound Editing

Want to win: A Quiet Place
Will win: Bohemian Rhapsody

Sound Mixing

Want to win: A Star is Born
Will win: Bohemian Rhapsody

Production Design

Want to win: Roma
Will win: The Favourite

Original Score

Want to win: If Beale Street Could Talk
Will win: Black Panther

Original Song

Want to win: Shallow (A Star is Born)
Will win: Shallow (A Star is Born)

Makeup and Hair

Want to win: Mary Queen of Scots
Will win: Vice

Costume Design

Want to win: Black Panther
Will win: The Favourite

Visual Effects

Want to win: Avengers: Infinity War
Will win: Ready Player One

Animated Short

Want to win: Bao
Will win: Bao

Live Action Short

Want to win: Marguerite
Will win: Marguerite

Documentary Short Subject

Want to win: Black Sheep
Will win: Lifeboat

Do you agree? Disagree? Feel free to leave your predictions/wishes for the winners below or tweet @TOF_UK or @rosstmiller.

Roll on Sunday!