I saw
The Lone Ranger a few days ago. The scenes with the kid and old Tonto looked like they were going in a weird and crazy direction at first, but after the second scene of them together, I could see where they were going with them. Overall, they were good but could have been taken out of the film and you wouldn't have missed them. BTW, to TheFilmStage reviewer, these scenes take place in San Francisco, not New York. The movie even has a helpful subtitle and shots of the Golden Gate Bridge under construction to help you sort that out.
The film is obviously a long one, but it didn't feel that long watching it. If it had gone on longer than it already had, I probably would have noticed though. Armie Hammer was good. I think some people wished he were more gung-ho and less ambiguous, but remember, this film is about him becoming the Lone Ranger, it's not like he's been the masked man for years, so the characterization makes sense to me.
I thought Depp played well as Tonto. More subtle than other recent roles. As the film went on, he truly did come to feel as a man without a tribe. Certainly there's been criticism of a white man playing an American Indian. I thought it was interesting to note the way Tonto spoke in the film versus the other American Indians (particularly the elder) who talked as if they were taught English from the cradle. I'm sure for most American Indians in the 1860s, the latter portrayal was the more true-to-life and historically accurate.
I was very negative about Depp going into the film (having recently seen most of
Dark Shadows, it was hard not to be), but he definitely added to the film and I can't really see someone else playing the part in that way as effectively. Ruth Wilson was great and stunning (even though for some reason, I kept thinking she was Michelle Monaghan until I saw the end credits .
). It was a surprise to see Barry Pepper as Custer. True to the old western movie tradition, his two six shooters seemed to hold about 30 shots.
Plus the man jumped from a perfectly good train at some point, to pursue Tonto.
The action sequences were great, especially the finale. That was one long, great ride. I didn't think the violence was that bad. Reading reviews, I was expecting a lot more, but then reviews about this movie from film critics seem to be misleading anyway. Sometimes it feels like they're talking about a different movie from what they saw.
I liked the overall theme of the corrupt railroad. That was very historically accurate in theme (I can't say for specifics since I'm not that familiar with the creation of the Transcontinental Railroad itself).
The music was some of the best Zimmer has done in awhile. Basically go see it, because it's not going to be in the theaters long, the way the numbers are looking unfortunately.
