Tuesday, April 14, 2015

Take 21: The Lone Ranger

Tuesday: Take - My "take" on a film


The Lone Ranger

I watched The Lone Ranger (2013) in spite of the reviews because, well, to put it in two words: Johnny Depp. Oh, okay, I also wanted to see the cinematography. 

When the film was still in production, I read that the filmmakers wanted to avoid using CGI as much as possible. (Wish I could find that article now, for reference.) I don't know how much CGI was used, but the film contains magnificent shots. I regret not seeing it in the theater; it's big screen worthy.

The opening scene, set in 1933, surprised me. What? I thought this was a western! Turns out the story comes from a very elderly Tonto (Johnny Depp) as he tells a young boy about The Lone Ranger (Armie Hammer), adding a bit of mystery. Is this the rambling of a carnival-employed Native American? Is this legend? Or real?

If you expect a completely serious western in The Lone Ranger, you will be disappointed. The film contains numerous comedic elements, even hokey humor at times, but I got a kick out of it. Even Silver has comedic scenes, leading Tonto to say, "Something is very wrong with that horse."

According to IMDb trivia, the original plot of the film included "supernatural elements and Native American mysticism" but was later revamped. Still, a few supernatural elements remain.

Tonto describes Butch Cavendish (William Fitchner) as "an evil spirit born in the empty spaces of the desert with a hunger that cannot be satisfied and the power to throw nature out of balance." This explains some creepy rabbits. And the horse.

Glad I didn't allow nay-sayers to keep me from watching The Lone Ranger. Entertaining and fun, with stunning visuals.


Notes on content:
  • Some mild profanity, and some religious exclamations.
  • A brothel scene reveals abundant cleavage, but no sex or nudity. (Little more risqué than you might expect in a Disney film, though.)
  • The violence, for the most part, resembles older westerns where it's obvious someone is shot, maimed, or killed, but without gore. The camera rarely focusses on blood or wounds.

8 comments:

  1. Trudy, I agree, the cinematography was outstanding. Depp is a fine actor, very versatile. I like that he takes on all kinds of roles and refuses to be type cast.

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    1. You are right, he's certainly played a wide variety of interesting and quirky characters.

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  2. I enjoyed this movie, too. The naysayers just don't get it. The Husband and I saw it via Netflix. We liked the crazy humor of it all. Hammer and Depp worked well together.
    The View from the Top of the Ladder
    Take 25 to Hollister

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    1. The humor in the film was an added bonus, for me. I didn't expect any comedy, so I was delightfully surprised.

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  3. Hi,
    I didn't watch the film because I don't think it has made it to Germany yet. It usually takes a long while, but thanks for the info. I will be on the look out.
    Visiting from the A to Z Blog Challenge 2015.
    Shalom,
    Patricia at Everything Must Change

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    1. Thank you for visiting my blog. I hope you enjoy The Lone Ranger if you get a chance to see it.

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  4. I LOVED The Lone Ranger. I know the reviews were not that great but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I also agree the cinematography was stunning.

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    1. Maybe it will eventually build a strong following and get the credit it deserves, huh?

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