# The Lone Ranger: Film Opens July 3rd **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 21, 2013, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lone-ranger-film-opens-july-3rd/661564 "2013-06-21T16:31:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2013, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lone-ranger-film-opens-july-3rd/661564/21 "2013-06-22T07:09:30Z")
So far, I have no opinion on the movie except for the fact I’m getting the same sort vibe from it as I did from the Will Smith version of **Wild Wild West** (I just hope there are no giant mechanical spiders). ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2013, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lone-ranger-film-opens-july-3rd/661564/22 "2013-06-22T12:36:11Z")
It might have been a good idea to have Depp play the Ranger and a real First Nations actor play Tonto. Not sure what Armie “Winklevii” Hammer is bringing to the party. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2013, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lone-ranger-film-opens-july-3rd/661564/23 "2013-06-22T12:53:38Z")
> [@Krokodil](#): > > It might have been a good idea to have Depp play the Ranger and a real First Nations actor play Tonto. Not sure what Armie “Winklevii” Hammer is bringing to the party. When you put it like that, I can almost see the process: “Johnny, we’ve just acquired the rights to the Lone Ranger and Tonto.” “Which one do you want me to play?” “Uh, your call all the way.” “Well . . . Tonto’s potentially the wackier, more _‘Jack Sparrow’_ role.” “Fine by us, Johnny.” “But I don’t want to be overshadowed.” “We’ll cast you opposite a bland guy who brings nothing else to the party.” “Awesome.” ---
**Author:** ![lawoot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/35a633/32.png) [@lawoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lawoot)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2013, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lone-ranger-film-opens-july-3rd/661564/24 "2013-06-22T22:02:52Z")
The Onion: [Ecstatic American Indians Praise ‘The Lone Ranger’](http://www.theonion.com/articles/ecstatic-american-indians-praise-the-lone-ranger,32884/) ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2013, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lone-ranger-film-opens-july-3rd/661564/25 "2013-06-22T22:08:43Z")
> [@HubZilla](#): > > They can tell whatever story they want, and make whatever updates or edginess to Clayton Moore’s Lone Ranger. > > So long as the “William Tell Overture” is worked into it. Does anyone know if that music is included? Maybe the answer, if anyone knows it, should be spoilered. 1. Yes 2. Maybe, depending on the “WTO” inclusion 3. N/A ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2013, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lone-ranger-film-opens-july-3rd/661564/26 "2013-06-23T18:12:27Z")
50’s kid, used to love TLR on TeeVee. To me, the trailers make it quite obvious that the new movie is indeed _Pirates Of The Caribbean_ with a different skin as suggested upthread. Since I really liked POTC (the first one, and to my great surprise), I’ll probably see TLR. Looks like it might be fun. But I expect it to be a “respectful parody or reimagining”, a remake in name only. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Lowry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Sam\_Lowry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Lowry)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2013, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lone-ranger-film-opens-july-3rd/661564/27 "2013-07-02T16:59:15Z")
The reviews have started coming in, and they are not kind. So far it is 19% at Rotten Tomatoes. I had thought that maybe despite my expectations, it would be good. I did not have high hopes for Pirates of the Caribbean, until it was getting good reviews and word of mouth, and it turned out to be fun. Also, I wouldn’t bet on it being a huge blockbuster. I think a lot of people aren’t familiar with the character beyond the name, and Tonto his sidekick, and a horse named Silver. I wasn’t aware he was actually a Texas Ranger in the original version of the character; though apparently he isn’t in the movie. And using Google Trends might not be hugely scientific, but it shows in general what people are interested in. White House Down and The Heat came out last week, and The Heat was a much bigger hit and White House Down was a flop. [Google Trends comparing the two](http://www.google.com/trends/explore?q=white+house+down%2C+the+heat#q=white%20house%20down%2C%20the%20heat&date=today%201-m&cmpt=q) clearly shows more interest in The Heat. Now [comparing The Lone Ranger and Despicable Me 2](http://www.google.com/trends/explore?q=despicable+me+2%2C+the+lone+ranger#q=despicable%20me%202%2C%20the%20lone%20ranger&date=today%201-m&cmpt=q) which come out the same day, there’s a huge interest in Despicable Me 2, but relatively little for The Lone Ranger. I’m guessing it will not be a huge hit; at best, it will be slightly profitable including worldwide grosses, but not profitable enough to justify a sequel, especially considering all the trouble that had when filming and the criticism of Johnny Depp being in “red-face.” I haven’t seen The Heat yet, so I might go see that instead, since I’ve heard it’s decent, and I want to support films that are starring women. ---
**Author:** ![obfusciatrist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4af34b/32.png) [@obfusciatrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obfusciatrist)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2013, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lone-ranger-film-opens-july-3rd/661564/28 "2013-07-02T17:10:51Z")
> [@DMark](#): > > Have you ever seen/heard of The Lone Ranger series? > 2. Are you interested in seeing the film? > 3. If you have already seen it, what did you think of it? 1. Yes, as a kid it was still shown on weekend TV. So I saw it but never avidly watched it or anything. 2. Not to any exceptional degree. I was intrigued by the core of the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie gathering to maybe do something surprisingly good again. And a friend had seen some early cuts and said good things. 3. I’ve seen it. It is a complete mess. A few good moments but overall very bad. And nothing close to good enough for it being 2.5 hours long. ---
**Author:** ![Hermione](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/cdc98d/32.png) [@Hermione](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hermione)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2013, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lone-ranger-film-opens-july-3rd/661564/29 "2013-07-02T18:41:23Z")
1. Yes. 2. Yes. 3. N/A. I’m one of the younger fans of the LR mythos, having enjoyed two different Lone Ranger cartoons when I was a kid. I think this looks good enough even if it changes the backstory a little (and what version of the mythos hasn’t?). It’s a fine line the makers of this had to walk…keeping true to the ideals of the character while not making it so corny that it wouldn’t appeal to today’s audiences. The problem facing them is that since the heyday of the original radio and TV series, we’ve had it drummed into us that The Old West Really Wasn’t Like That At All. But, y’know, that might be the point for some audiences…they may want to see it as they like to imagine it, not the way it really was. Besides, it has the lovely Armie Hammer in it, with his blue eyes and his handsome face and his wonderful physique and his lovely deep voice. 😃 (I wouldn’t dismiss him–he was quite good in The Social Network. In stereo.) What I don’t get is why certain people on the IMDB boards are gloating, “It’s gonna be a flop!” and gloating over every negative review. And presumably this is from people who never even saw it. I mean, jeez, what did the Lone Ranger ever do to them? Did a masked man scare their mothers when they were pregnant with them? What? (And what is this crippling phobia some people have that someone, somewhere, is going to like a movie they don’t? 😕) ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2013, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lone-ranger-film-opens-july-3rd/661564/30 "2013-07-02T18:52:18Z")
I know who he is/saw the Spilsbury movie/have never seen the series/have no intention of seeing the movie. Depp looks creepier than he did in Sweeney LePew Todd and the only thing this movie seems to have going for it is the absence of Helena Bonham Carter. I read that it will need to take in at least $250 million to break even, and while I’m sure it will take in a lot I doubt it will be anywhere near that much. They NEVER should have used that look on Depp, and they should have had a blitz of steampunk merchandising and William Tell Overture spots to herald it. Or, better yet, just not made it. ---
**Author:** ![Hermione](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/cdc98d/32.png) [@Hermione](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hermione)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2013, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lone-ranger-film-opens-july-3rd/661564/31 "2013-07-02T18:57:01Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > the only thing this movie seems to have going for it is the absence of Helena Bonham Carter. Um, hate to break it to you, ol’ buddy…😃 ---
**Author:** ![John\_Bredin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@John\_Bredin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Bredin)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2013, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lone-ranger-film-opens-july-3rd/661564/32 "2013-07-02T19:02:10Z")
[QUOTE=Sampiro] the only thing this movie seems to have going for it is the absence of Helena Bonham Carter. [/QUOTE] [QUOTE=Sam Lowry] I wasn’t aware he was actually a Texas Ranger in the original version of the character; though apparently _he isn’t in the movie_. [/QUOTE] Have you not seen the trailers?! 😕😛 ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2013, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lone-ranger-film-opens-july-3rd/661564/33 "2013-07-02T19:08:52Z")
I wouldn’t pay to see this but the reviews are making me interested just to see how weird the movie really is. It seems REALLY weird. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2013, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lone-ranger-film-opens-july-3rd/661564/34 "2013-07-02T19:24:50Z")
> [@The Great Sun Jester](#): > > It DID prompt me to watch Benny and Joon again. Depp is damned expressive and he doesn’t disappoint, but I’d like to see him really stretch himself and play a non-weird leading role. I mean, I really like watching him, but the guy has (or at least had) so much potential and he just uses his talents to be, well, weird. Go see _Donnie Brasco_, a terrific film and Depp is devoid of any quirk or affectation–just delivers a fantastic performance. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Lowry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Sam\_Lowry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Lowry)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2013, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lone-ranger-film-opens-july-3rd/661564/35 "2013-07-02T19:25:55Z")
> [@Hermione](#): > > What I don’t get is why certain people on the IMDB boards are gloating, “It’s gonna be a flop!” and gloating over every negative review. And presumably this is from people who never even saw it. I mean, jeez, what did the Lone Ranger ever do to them? Did a masked man scare their mothers when they were pregnant with them? What? (And what is this crippling phobia some people have that someone, somewhere, is going to like a movie they don’t? 😕) Some of the gloating is just Schadenfreude. But I think some of it is being tired of the stupid big budget, non-original, non-interesting movies. Almost all of the Hollywood movies being released are remakes or sequels. Only one movie is starring two women. I think people want more different kinds of movies, but Hollywood only wants to do “sure things.” So it does make it funny when something that was supposed to be a sure thing ends up being a flop. > [@John\_Bredin](#): > > Have you not seen the trailers?! 😕😛 Maybe I’m misunderstanding you, but according to reviews I’ve read, he isn’t technically a Texas Ranger. I’ll put in the info in spoiler space just in case. Armie Hammer’s brother is a Texas Ranger. Hammer is actually a city-boy lawyer. He gets deputized right before a posse including Hammer and the brother rides into an ambush in a canyon. Everyone is killed, except for Hammer. So he may have the Texas Ranger badge, but I wouldn’t exactly call him a real Ranger. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2013, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lone-ranger-film-opens-july-3rd/661564/36 "2013-07-02T19:43:21Z")
> [@The Great Sun Jester](#): > > I know he had a sidekick Indian who was curiously more interested in taking a kick to the balls for his kemosabe than in scalping him; I always wondered where the rest of Tonto’s tribe was and why he was hanging around with a white guy who wore a mask; and who TLR thought he was fooling by wearing the mask anyway. In the radio show, Tonto came across John Reid as the sole survivor of the ambush and nursed him back to health. He recognized him as a boyhood friend from some amulet or something he had once given him. The backstory is pretty well explained here: > **[Lone Ranger](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lone_Ranger)** > > The Lone Ranger is a fictional masked former Texas Ranger who fought outlaws in the American Old West with his Native American friend Tonto. The character has been called an enduring icon of American culture. > He first appeared in 1933 in a radio show on WXYZ (Detroit), conceived either by station owner George W. Trendle or by Fran Striker, the show's writer. Test episodes aired earlier on radio station WEBR in Buffalo. The radio series proved to be a hit, and spawned a series of books (large... I remember from the TV show that the Ranger was also a master of disguise, which made his mask kind of redundant, if you ask me. (Would Butch Cavendish have actually recognized him if they bumped into each other on the street? :dubious: ) ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2013, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lone-ranger-film-opens-july-3rd/661564/37 "2013-07-02T19:56:07Z")
1. Watched it as a kid. I liked Tonto more, since he was the real hero of most of the show, setting the groundwork for the Ranger’s heroics. (Note that the Ranger often went disguised as an old prospector to check things out, too). Tonto’s portrayal was pretty fair, even by today’s standards – the Ranger treated him as an equal, listened to his advice, and was just as willing to help him in distress as he was to help the ranger. Tonto was smart and dignified throughout the show and he and the Ranger fought against anti-Indian prejudices. 2. Possibly. I like Johnny Depp, and have no more problem with him playing an Indian that Matt Smith playing a Gallifreyan. You choose the best actor for the role and in this case you have an actor who will draw in people. Casting a Native American who couldn’t draw or handle the role makes no sense whatsoever. (Are there any Native American actors who have the drawing power to star as the lead in a blockbuster?) 3. Obviously, I haven’t seen it yet, but I do like the concept that Tonto is the brains of the two. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2013, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lone-ranger-film-opens-july-3rd/661564/38 "2013-07-02T20:09:42Z")
The last two Pirates movies Gore Verbinski did left such a bad taste in my mouth (non-stop action pieces with the soundtrack up to 11 where no-one was ever really in any peril because nobody knew who was on who’s side) and managed to bore me to death that I don’t think I could give the guy another chance. And it seems like he made the same kind of movie again. A lot of noise with no drama. There’s been a few good summer blockbuster movie ideas out there but putting them in the hands of a Gore Verbinski or Michael Bay will keep me away. (But what the hell do I know, they all make a zillion bucks anyway.) ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2013, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lone-ranger-film-opens-july-3rd/661564/39 "2013-07-02T20:11:00Z")
> [@Hermione](#): > > Um, hate to break it to you, ol’ buddy…😃 My God, are they co-dependant or what? :eek: ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2013, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lone-ranger-film-opens-july-3rd/661564/40 "2013-07-02T20:21:41Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > I like Johnny Depp, and have no more problem with him playing an Indian that Matt Smith playing a Gallifreyan. You choose the best actor for the role and in this case you have an actor who will draw in people. Casting a Native American who couldn’t draw or handle the role makes no sense whatsoever. (Are there any Native American actors who have the drawing power to star as the lead in a blockbuster?) If you were asked “Are there any white male actors who have the drawing power to star as the lead in a blockbuster?” how many names would you have readily been able to rattle off before listing “Armie Hammer”? Would he have been among the first ten names you’d list? The top twenty? Would he even have made the list if you rattled off the names of a hundred age appropriate current actors? The title character is being played by an actor that- if known- is known only by the character name from _one_ movie he did three years ago. He may be talented (I thought he was good in _The Social Network_ but have seen him in nothing else) and he may have devoted fans who actually _are_ familiar with his other work- but he ain’t no above-the-banner “name”. Clearly they decided they only needed one big name for box office draw. Conceding that it actually is important to have a big name star for a summer blockbuster, they could have- gee, I don’t know- cast a big name star _as the title character_ which would have reduced pressure to have any “star power” for the sidekick. In which case they could have cast any Native American actor with talent. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lone-ranger-film-opens-july-3rd/661564.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lone-ranger-film-opens-july-3rd/661564.md?page=3)