“The Lone Ranger”

I live in America’s Southwest. Here we can find desert landscapes with plenty of breathtaking mountain ranges. So when it comes to picking a movie, Westerns are usually a genre that I do not see. However, ‘The Lone Ranger’ is a Disney movie which bumps it up to a must see movie for me. The Disney remake of the 'masked avenger' cost over $250,000,000. That is a big budget to bring this old Western back to life. It was shot in several states but mainly in New Mexico with Utah, California, Colorado, and Arizona sets.

The filmmaking team behind the blockbuster ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ franchise are back at it again. With director Gore Verbinski and producer Jerry Bruckheimer helming the project, and Johnny Depp as the top-billed actor, fans are sure to flock to the theatres for ‘The Lone Ranger’.

I had never seen the Lone Ranger, but I knew of it. If I got the question “who is John Reid?” on a game show my time would be up.

'The Lone Ranger' is an exciting adventure infused with action and humor.  The hero is brought to life through new eyes. “Native American warrior Tonto (Johnny Depp) recounts the untold tales that transformed John Reid (Armie Hammer), a man of the law, into a legend of justice. The two unlikely heroes must learn to work together and fight against greed and dishonesty. I was told that Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer did most all of their stunts and there certainly were a lot of them. It is one of those movies that looks great on the big screen.

In my opinion, this was one of Johnny Depp’s best roles, even though he had about four lines. His mannerisms and action scenes make “The Lone Ranger” a must-see summer flick. Despite a lot of people concerned with Johnny Depp portraying a Native American, it is my understanding that the production hired a Comanche consultant and received the blessing of other tribes through ceremonies during filming. I saw the screening with friends who are Native American and they also felt that Johnny Depp did a good job.

The entire movie felt like the wild-west opening to Toy Story 3; with train heists, exploding bridges, and last-minute escapes. Okay, maybe there was nothing comparable to a giant Ham zeppelin, but it was just as much fun.

If you are a Johnny Depp fan (or even if you aren’t *gasp*), and you enjoy fun, fast-paced, summer comedy-thriller blockbusters, I recommend checking out the Lone Ranger for yourself, when it arrives in theaters near you.