The Lone Ranger

With its 149 minute running time, The Lone Ranger should, by all rights, come off as an interminable, bloated mess along the lines of Gore Verbinski’s last two Pirates of the Caribbean movies, Dead Man’s Chest and At World’s End. But the film, which details the origins of the title character (Armie Hammer’s John Reid) and Tonto’s (Johnny Depp) legendary partnership, has been infused with a fun and refreshingly old-school vibe that is, for the most part, impossible to resist, with Verbinski’s classical sensibilities standing in sharp contrast to the jittery, nigh incoherent feel of most contemporary blockbusters. Screenwriters Justin Haythe, Ted Elliott, and Terry Rossio have crafted an epic storyline that admittedly does tend to meander, with the padded-out atmosphere reflected primarily in the inclusion of amusing yet needless asides and subplots (eg Reid and Tonto visit a brothel, soldiers await the arrival of a notorious criminal, etc). There’s little doubt, however, that the palpable chemistry between Hammer and Depp, both of whom deliver engaging, charismatic performances, goes a long way towards keeping things interesting throughout, and it’s worth noting that, as a result, the viewer’s attention only seriously flags when the characters are separated in the buildup to the movie’s frenetic third act. (That third act, by the way, remains an obvious highlight within the proceedings, as Verbinski, armed with Hans Zimmer’s “William Tell Overture”-infused score, offers up a final half hour that’s far more thrilling and engrossing than one might’ve expected.) It’s ultimately clear that the only thing standing in the way of The Lone Ranger‘s unqualified success is its severe overlength, which is a shame, really, given its proliferation of positive attributes and appealingly traditional execution.

**1/2 out of ****