The Lone Ranger

[TheVileOne]

Don't forget Jonah Hex .

 

[Whiskey Tango]

Don't forget Jonah Hex .

I had until you reminded me.

 

[Hunter Rider]

Depp says he "guesses" he is part NA, because his great-grandmother had some NA blood. IMO, having a relative somewhere down the line have Cherokee blood is meaningless.

While I enjoy Depp as an actor, I really wish they got someone who can actually claim to be Native American.

I'd rather just have someone who's a top actor in the role.

it fit with the decade the movie was set in, which itself was a necessity because of Ford's age. I do have some issues with the movie but the presence of aliens was not one of them.

I mean hell it's not like Indy was running around with a ray gun shooting Martians. The whole thing still had a mystical feel to it.

Exactly, it was very much a homage to pulp sci fi of the 50's in the same way the previous films were a homage to the Saturday morning adventure serials of the 30's and 40's, but it never pushed the aspect too far IMO.

Indy having a son wasn't a problem. It was the choices made in casting his son that was the problem.

I liked Shia in the role but each to his own.

 

[Spider-Who?]

I'd rather just have someone who's a top actor.

A good actor or an actor who will bring people to the theater? The two are not the same thing.

I'm not saying that depp is a bad choice or a bad actor (i love him). I just think an actual native american actor should have gotten the part. But, I cant think of one that has the box office draw of depp, so unfortunately, the almighty dollar wins again.

 

[Hunter Rider]

A good actor or an actor who will bring people to the theater? The two are not the same thing.

I'm not saying that depp is a bad choice or a bad actor (i love him). I just think an actual native american actor should have gotten the part. But, I cant think of one that has the box office draw of depp, so unfortunately, the almighty dollar wins again.

In Depp's case they are the same thing though. As for a Native American actor, I can't actually think of a good one let alone a one that can draw money.

 

[Gold Samurai]

Shame about Adam Beach. He appeared in "Cowboys and Aliens"

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0063440/

Not enough star power when you pair him with Armie

 

[Asgard]

Shame about Adam Beach. He appeared in "Cowboys and Aliens"

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0063440/

Not enough star power when you pair him with Armie

And a budget of $200 million.

 

[cherokeesam]

In Depp's case they are the same thing though. As for a Native American actor, I can't actually think of a good one let alone a one that can draw money.

Obviously, there's no Native American "star" out there --- Hollywood wouldn't allow that to happen. But as far as great Native American *actors*....? Adam Beach, Eric Schweig, Wes Studi, Russell Means, Evan Adams, Chaske Spencer, Bronson Pelletier, Graham Greene, Rodney Grant, Tyson Houseman, Michael Spears.....there's a ton of them out there, but nobody's ever heard of them.

Still, it's a surprising snub, and an anachronistic one at that, from the Bad Ol' Days of black-face Hollywood. A better strategy would have been to get a marquee star to play the lead --- i.e., The Frickin' Lone Ranger --- and to hire an authentic Native American to play Tonto. And you could still play Tonto as the reluctant sidekick-who-really-is-superior-to-his-"boss", the way the script apparently reads.

But this is Gore Verbinski, and this is Disney. So I have no doubt that the meeting with the clueless suits went something like: "Yeah, it's Pirates of the Caribbean in the Old West. Johnny Depp reprises his role as Jack Sparrow --- only we make him an Indian, see....? --- and we get some earnest, handsome hunk to play the Will Turner role. Yeah, I think we can get Armie Hammer to be our new Orlando Bloom." "Okay, sold. Here's 200 million...knock my socks off."

 

[BruceWanner]

A better strategy would have been to get a marquee star to play the lead --- i.e., The Frickin' Lone Ranger --- and to hire an authentic Native American to play Tonto. And you could still play Tonto as the reluctant sidekick-who-really-is-superior-to-his-"boss", the way the script apparently reads.

Kind of like The Green Hornet? Of course, that would be cool (and have precedent) since The Lone Ranger is apparently supposed to be The Green Hornet's ancestor in old continuity.

 

[Chewy]

I'm very curious as to what will cost so much in this movie.

Werewolves, I believe

 

[Spider-Who?]

Obviously, there's no Native American "star" out there --- Hollywood wouldn't allow that to happen. But as far as great Native American *actors*....? Adam Beach, Eric Schweig, Wes Studi, Russell Means, Evan Adams, Chaske Spencer, Bronson Pelletier, Graham Greene, Rodney Grant, Tyson Houseman, Michael Spears.....there's a ton of them out there, but nobody's ever heard of them.

Still, it's a surprising snub, and an anachronistic one at that, from the Bad Ol' Days of black-face Hollywood. A better strategy would have been to get a marquee star to play the lead --- i.e., The Frickin' Lone Ranger --- and to hire an authentic Native American to play Tonto. And you could still play Tonto as the reluctant sidekick-who-really-is-superior-to-his-"boss", the way the script apparently reads.

But this is Gore Verbinski, and this is Disney. So I have no doubt that the meeting with the clueless suits went something like: "Yeah, it's Pirates of the Caribbean in the Old West. Johnny Depp reprises his role as Jack Sparrow --- only we make him an Indian, see....? --- and we get some earnest, handsome hunk to play the Will Turner role. Yeah, I think we can get Armie Hammer to be our new Orlando Bloom." "Okay, sold. Here's 200 million...knock my socks off."

This. A million, bagillion, slovadoanillion times this.

 

[cherokeesam]

What I'm waiting to see is just *how* similar Depp makes Tonto to Jack Sparrow.
Epic ****storm if Tonto shows up as a drunk Indian.

 

[Hunter Rider]

Obviously, there's no Native American "star" out there --- Hollywood wouldn't allow that to happen. But as far as great Native American *actors*....? Adam Beach, Eric Schweig, Wes Studi, Russell Means, Evan Adams, Chaske Spencer, Bronson Pelletier, Graham Greene, Rodney Grant, Tyson Houseman, Michael Spears.....there's a ton of them out there, but nobody's ever heard of them.

Still, it's a surprising snub, and an anachronistic one at that, from the Bad Ol' Days of black-face Hollywood. A better strategy would have been to get a marquee star to play the lead --- i.e., The Frickin' Lone Ranger --- and to hire an authentic Native American to play Tonto. And you could still play Tonto as the reluctant sidekick-who-really-is-superior-to-his-"boss", the way the script apparently reads.

But this is Gore Verbinski, and this is Disney. So I have no doubt that the meeting with the clueless suits went something like: "Yeah, it's Pirates of the Caribbean in the Old West. Johnny Depp reprises his role as Jack Sparrow --- only we make him an Indian, see....? --- and we get some earnest, handsome hunk to play the Will Turner role. Yeah, I think we can get Armie Hammer to be our new Orlando Bloom." "Okay, sold. Here's 200 million...knock my socks off."

In the first paragraph you claim a conspiracy theory that Hollywood wont allow there to be a Native American star, and in the second you say it's a surprising snub. From what I understand the project ended up going through because Depp was so keen to make it happen, without him I doubt Disney would have restructured budgets and what not.

I admit I have not heard of any of them but Adam Beach, however I wouldn't say he was a good actor, at least not from his stint on SVU.
At the end of the day if Depp pulls the role off and doesn't play it as a caricature, I think that is the main thing.

 

[Whiskey Tango]

So now the assumption is that he'll be Jack Sparrow 2.0?

Oh internet, you never fail to surprise me.

 

[Pink Ranger]

I too am not thrilled with a white guy playing a native american role (yeah, I don't buy the 1/13th argument) but in the past there have been comparatively few complaints when Asian actors play Native Americans or First Nations characters (Jason Scott Lee, Jennifer Tilly, Toshiro Mifune, Mark Dacascos).

 

[protocida]

Seriously, all this "Waah, racism" talk is so annoying.

 

[Spider-Who?]

Seriously, all this "Waah, racism" talk is so annoying.

It's not racist to choose a white actor to play a native american character. It's just dumb.

 

[Spider-Who?]

In the first paragraph you claim a conspiracy theory that Hollywood wont allow there to be a Native American star, and in the second you say it's a surprising snub.

It's not a "conspiracy". Its just a fact that is not exclusive to Native Americans. Hollywood always has been and always will be a near "whites only" club.

I admit I have not heard of any of them but Adam Beach, however I wouldn't say he was a good actor, at least not from his stint on SVU.

Never saw him in SVU, but I enjoyed him in Cowboys and Aliens. One of the other actors in his list, Wes Studi, I'm sure you know. He's the premiere Native American bad ass - playing the lead in Geronimo, as well acting in Last of the Mohicans and Dances with Wolves. He's fantastic.

At the end of the day if Depp pulls the role off and doesn't play it as a caricature, I think that is the main thing.

Yeah, I certainly won't argue this point. If he does a good job, great. But I still feel that its kind of a slap in the face to the culture to have one of the most widely known Native American characters ever written to be played by someone pretending to be Native American.

 

[carrrnuttt]

Jesus H. ****ing Christ.

This is the same discussion that got me an infraction in the Prince of Persia and Last Airbender threads. With this same whining about "how come they can't cast a Persian/Asian actor!?!111!!!"

I'll try to stifle my annoyance with these types of discussion as much as I can, but I'll just say that ****ing Hollywood does NOT give a crap about any other "color" other than GREEN.

See, your ****ing assumptions about Hollywood would ring true, if Will Smith wasn't already cast several times in roles that belonged to white protagonists in their source materials.

If you are potentially bankable, Hollywood will find you, cast you, and exploit you to the bone.

Yeah, it's harder for a non-caucasian actor to become bankable, but that's a function of the society that is being entertained, not the ones doing the entertaining. Get your flipping proselytizing and activism out of here.

And no. I am NOT white. I wasn't even born in the US.

EDIT: Oh, and my father-in-law is a native Quechan Indian who gets the casino and land money from the tribe and everything. When I first met him, I thought he was white. Dark-haired white. But white, nonetheless.

 

[BestGirl]

What I'm waiting to see is just *how* similar Depp makes Tonto to Jack Sparrow.
Epic ****storm if Tonto shows up as a drunk Indian.

I'm betting Tonto will be the straight man and the Lone Ranger will be the goofball.

 

[Whiskey Tango]

I wasn't even born in the US.

Get him!

(kidding!)

But seriously this -

Hollywood does NOT give a crap about any other "color" other than GREEN.

and this

Yeah, it's harder for a non-caucasian actor to become bankable, but that's a function of the society that is being entertained, not the ones doing the entertaining. Get your flipping proselytizing and activism out of here.

I agree with. Great post I hope you don't get defraculated again.

 

[cherokeesam]

Jesus H. ****ing Christ.

This is the same discussion that got me an infraction in the Prince of Persia and Last Airbender threads. With this same whining about "how come they can't cast a Persian/Asian actor!?!111!!!"

I'll try to stifle my annoyance with these types of discussion as much as I can, but I'll just say that ****ing Hollywood does NOT give a crap about any other "color" other than GREEN.

See, your ****ing assumptions about Hollywood would ring true, if Will Smith wasn't already cast several times in roles that belonged to white protagonists in their source materials.

If you are potentially bankable, Hollywood will find you, cast you, and exploit you to the bone.

Yeah, it's harder for a non-caucasian actor to become bankable, but that's a function of the society that is being entertained, not the ones doing the entertaining. Get your flipping proselytizing and activism out of here.

And no. I am NOT white. I wasn't even born in the US.

EDIT: Oh, and my father-in-law is a native Quechan Indian who gets the casino and land money from the tribe and everything. When I first met him, I thought he was white. Dark-haired white. But white, nonetheless.

Dude. Chill.
Who the hell is proselytizing or going activist? Activists go out and campaign for more Native Americans (or your other favorite minority group, whomever that may be) to have roles in movies or TV.

What *I'm* doing is using goddamn common sense....to wit: if you make a movie about a certain ethnic group or nationality, it makes COMMON SENSE to cast someone who belongs to that group. I'm not asking for more Indians on TV or the movies; but by god, when you create a role that *features* an Indian, why the hell would you go to some ethnic group that can't put a stamp of authenticity onto it?

As for Hollywood loving green as opposed to any other color: sure, any fool knows that. Nobody's arguing that. But here's the thing...Dances With Wolves used REAL Indians to play Indian roles, and the movie made a mint and became an instant classic. Hell, almost every movie and TV show featuring an Indian role since about 1970 cast, guess what?, *Indians* in those roles. That's why I'm saying it's a throwback anachronism for Disney to cast Depp as an Indian, since it goes against everything Hollywood has spent the last 40 years doing to make amends and to do the *right* thing....which is use common sense.

 

[carrrnuttt]

Dude. Chill.
Who the hell is proselytizing or going activist? Activists go out and campaign for more Native Americans (or your other favorite minority group, whomever that may be) to have roles in movies or TV.

What *I'm* doing is using goddamn common sense....to wit: if you make a movie about a certain ethnic group or nationality, it makes COMMON SENSE to cast someone who belongs to that group. I'm not asking for more Indians on TV or the movies; but by god, when you create a role that *features* an Indian, why the hell would you go to some ethnic group that can't put a stamp of authenticity onto it?

As for Hollywood loving green as opposed to any other color: sure, any fool knows that. Nobody's arguing that. But here's the thing...Dances With Wolves used REAL Indians to play Indian roles, and the movie made a mint and became an instant classic. Hell, almost every movie and TV show featuring an Indian role since about 1970 cast, guess what?, *Indians* in those roles. That's why I'm saying it's a throwback anachronism for Disney to cast Depp as an Indian, since it goes against everything Hollywood has spent the last 40 years doing to make amends and to do the *right* thing....which is use common sense.

Are you missing the fact that this is Depp's baby, and it probably only still exists because of him? And HE (Depp) wants the role of Tonto! Go knock on his door and ***** at him. Leave it out of this thread.

Also, you know what other movie Depp championed that features Native Americans? I posted this earlier:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Brave

Where were the shouts of protest for that movie?

 

[antsman41]

The should have gotten the Indian From The Cupboard...

 

[Pink Ranger]

The should have gotten the Indian From The Cupboard...

He got syphilis from a 3-way with a Bratz doll and a Witchblade action figure, and was melted down to make Coke Zero bottles.