The Lone Ranger

 
Director Gore Verbinski and actor Johnny Depp’s deconstruction of the “legend” of “The Lone Ranger” came in for some heavy bashing by a majority of film critics who all seemed to jump on the bandwagon after initial reports circulated about problems with the film. Well, the film isn’t all as bad as the critics — many of whom seem to have it in for Verbinski and Depp — would have you believe. In this two-and-a-half-hour opus, the famed masked hero is brought to life through new eyes, that of Native American spirit warrior Tonto (Depp), who recounts the untold tale that transformed idealistic lawyer John Reid (Armie Hammer) into a legend of justice. The story line: Shortly after the Civil War, Reid rides with his Texas Ranger brother to apprehend notorious bandit Bruce Cavendish (a very, very nasty William Fichtner) and his gang. The Rangers are ambushed and the only survivor, Reid, is rescued by the renegade Comanche, Tonto (Depp), and brought back to life as the masked man. The pair pursue Cavendish and get involved in other adventures, including a Comanche uprising, fights with the U.S. cavalry, a blown-up silver mine, and an attempted takeover of the transcontinental railroad. The film abounds with equal amounts of odd-couple comedy, explosive special effects action and Western shoot-em ups. All the irreverence, cockiness and cheekiness that made “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl” such a pleasant surprise are here, though with more wild shifts in tone. As many other critics have pointed out, the film is too long, with extraneous, almost silly comedic bits (overdoing the conceit of Reid as a bumbler and Tonto as a wild-eyed, crazy mystic) that could easily have been cut. Nevertheless, the film is exciting, darkly funny and full of ideas as it surveys mid-19th century Manifest Destiny, genocide, greed, and the myth of the Wild West. And when the William Tell Overture kicks in during the final sequence, it’ll bring tears of joy to your face. It’s well-worth watching — just stock up on the popcorn. Co-stars Helena Bonham Carter (as a madam with a shooting ivory leg), Tom Wilkinson (as a corrupt business tycoon) and Ruth Wilson (as the Lone Ranger’s love interest). Extras: Blooper reel; deleted scene; “Riding the Rails of The Lone Ranger” behind-the-scenes featurette on the train sequences; “Armies’s Western Road Trip” location tour; “Becoming a Cowboy” featurette that follows the cowboy (and cowgirl) cast to boot camp, where they got a chance to experience what their characters would really be living like in the Wild West. Vitals: Director: Gore Verbinski. Stars: Johnny Depp, Armie Hammer, Helena Bonham Carter, Tom Wilkinson, Ruth Wilson, William Fichtner. 2013, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 149 min., Western Action, Box office gross: $88.559, million, Warner.