The Lone Ranger Rides Again!

It’s been a while since I offered you a film review, but having thoroughly enjoyed The Lone Ranger, here’s a brief post on its merits.

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1950s Partners

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Since any guy in a black mask and a big white cowboy hat, of average build and youngish years, is going to look much like any other similar such guy, it was easy to recall my boyhood black and white TV viewing of the famous hero.

But Tonto (Johnny Depp) in this film is about as different as it’s possible to get from Jay Silverheels, who co-starred with Clayton Moore in the 1950s Western series.

See for yourselves!

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John Reid (Arnie Hammer) is a lawyer who returns to his Western home by train, only to get involved in an escape by a very nasty, murderous outlaw, Butch Cavendish, due to be hanged for his crimes.  Reid’s brother. Dan, is head of the local Texas Rangers, and leads a posse to recapture the villain. John joins in the pursuit, which ends in ambush and disaster.  Cavendish kills all but the Reid brothers, then eats the still-living Dan’s heart – told you he was nasty.

John is left for dead, but Tonto, who was also on the train, comes upon the scene and is burying the bodies, when John wakes up.

Thus begins a very quarrelsome partnership. They both have good reasons for wanting bad Butch nailed, but John is very much the lawyer, all for legal niceties, whereas Tonto just aims to kill the baddie,

Helena Bonham Carter is in the movie too, though not dressed in this manner.

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Being a Lone Ranger fan, I was not surprised that justice was eventually done, but not before a roller-coaster ride of sometimes slapstick, sometimes ferocious scenes.

Almost inevitably, Johnny Depp steals the show, his character somewhat deranged but with dry humour that left me puzzled to read that it was a box-office flop.

You can find the DVD in lots of Jakarta locations, and doubtless wherever you are too.