The Lone Ranger

[Silvermoon]

You know what? After those ridiculous reviews (IMO) of Man Of Steel, I no longer pay attention.

Yeah, I never really payed attention to reviews in the first place. I mean, is it nice when I movie I like also gets good critical reception? Yeah. But I rarely (if ever) base whether I see a movie or not on reviews... they're not a make-it-or-break-it deal for me. So while it's a bit of a bummer to see it with such a low percentage, but 1% or 100% it doesn't change the fact that I'm still extremely stoked to see it Thursday morning t:


Side note: Just downloaded Zimmer's soundtrack, still listening but IMO already awesome. I love the first track "Never Take Off the Mask", it's short but very nice (and the way it slides right into the next track)

 

[dark_b]

this movie without Depp and the same Tonto performance would have a higher RT %. nothing to do with DIsney and Verbinski. this is all Depp.

RT could be at 4 % and i would pay money. Verbinski put everything on screen so i respect that. and its not in 3D.

 

[Project862006]

thats the problem with critics they cant just sit down like normal people and just enjoy a movie they are in critique mode the moment movie starts critique every single line of dialogue

a big thing imo that critics do is they dont look at a movie for what it is and for what it is trying to accomplish and critique for what it isn't

 

[DaRkVeNgeanCe]

I have to say I'm surprised at how insanely low the RT score is for this, and I thought they massacred MOS. Either way I'll give this a shot looks like a fun time, and if it's anything like Rango it'll be a true western.

 

[terry78]

Just see the damn movie for yourself. How many of your favorite movies were received terribly by critics? And if you say none, you're a fanboy imposter.

 

[DaRkVeNgeanCe]

See the thing is I usually do care about critics to an extent, but after what they did to MOS at this point I'm prepared for anything.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

Just see the damn movie for yourself. How many of your favorite movies were received terribly by critics? And if you say none, you're a fanboy imposter.

Why would a see a movie for myself? It would ruin my position as a sheep.

 

[Tim_Riggins]

thats the problem with critics they cant just sit down like normal people and just enjoy a movie they are in critique mode the moment movie starts critique every single line of dialogue

a big thing imo that critics do is they dont look at a movie for what it is and for what it is trying to accomplish and critique for what it isn't

You got it right, but I think it's hard to turn off, they're paid to criticize a movie which is frankly ridiculous. Good critical reception matters less than the box office performance of those movies, a guy like Shyamalan keeps getting work although he's on a very bad streak quality wise, but his movies usually make dough, so yeah. (although I like After Earth).

Fact is the concept itself of the critics doesnt make any sense, somebody with his own views, with his own perception of what a movie should be or shouldnt be like, full of biases, or preconceptions, telling YOU what he thinks about a movie, and some of them (like Drew McWeeny, that I like, I usually agree with him, but he's really agressive on Lone Ranger, too much) even tell you flat out "Don't go see that movie".

Considering that everyone has a different opinion, different vision, it's just flawed, plus you can't criticize a movie according to a list of criteria or something, like does it tick this box or this box. Too much of this these days like with Man Of Steel or The Hangover, or that kind of thing, is just flat out either loving the movie or destroying it, no in between.

Even the worst movie has qualities (well, depends ), even a movie that is flawed on every level will succeed on another one, it's about what YOU see in it and how it makes you FEEL, thinking about it, there is not really an OBJECTIVE criteria to judge what is good and bad, it's just your view on it.


Lately, I judge movies more & more on how they make me feel, and if they leave something a few days after I've seen them, now, yeah, sometimes, it's bad, in an obvious way, but there's so much more to a movie than simple variations of good & bad.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

Shyamalan's movies haven't made money for awhile.

 

[Tim_Riggins]

The Village: 256 million for 60 M budget
Lady In The Water: 72 million for 70 M budget, not great here, I'll give you that.
The Happening: 163 million for 45 M budget.
The Last Airbender: 320 million for 150 M budget.
After Earth: 190 million (still counting) for 130 M budget, not great here.

Overall, his movies are profitable though.

 

[Silvermoon]

Why would a see a movie for myself? It would ruin my position as a sheep.

**runs away**

Spoiler

 

[DarthSkywalker]

The Village: 256 million for 60 M budget
Lady In The Water: 72 million for 70 M budget, not great here, I'll give you that.
The Happening: 163 million for 45 M budget.
The Last Airbender: 320 million for 150 M budget.
After Earth: 190 million (still counting) for 130 M budget, not great here.

Overall, his movies are profitable though.

The Happening made money, but it, like the Village were clear examples of a downturn in his popularity. Compare there takes to the films that came before. The Last Airbender might have broke even on home media sales, but it also killed the chances of a franchise. There is a reason Nick and Paramount killed it.

After Earth and Lady in the Water are both money sinkholes.

 

[Rowsdower!]

I have to say I'm surprised at how insanely low the RT score is for this, and I thought they massacred MOS. Either way I'll give this a shot looks like a fun time, and if it's anything like Rango it'll be a true western.

Yeah, I try not to just dismiss critics' opinions because they are experts in their own right, but many of the complaints they made about MOS led me to believe they walked into the movie with their minds made up about it.

 

[Silvermoon]

"Silver" is another great track on the soundtrack..... just sayin'

edited to add: It is a bit disappointing that the soundtrack is so short (just under 50 min.) - doesn't help that I felt spoiled with Zimmer's Man of Steel deluxe soundtrack (that clocks in at, what, almost 2 hours of music?).

But of what is here, I do like

 

[Marvolo]

I just read a review that said:

"Hammer’s a good actor, but his Lone Ranger is the wimpiest action hero in recent memory."

Any truth to this?

 

[DaRkVeNgeanCe]

^I just read that too (Joblo) and if that's the case I'm really going to dislike this movie.

 

[Poni_Boy]

I just read a review that said:

"Hammer’s a good actor, but his Lone Ranger is the wimpiest action hero in recent memory."

Any truth to this?

He punches people. Shoots people. Rides hard. Not wimpy to me.

Does he get the mask in the first five minutes and becomes an action hero by the end of the first act? No. Thank god. There's actual character development.

They took a lot of liberties with the mythology. They had to. The simplicity of the 1930-50s version of the character wouldn't have worked. They had to give (waitforit) plausible reasons why a guy would put on a mask and ride around with an Indian causing a ruckus. And they did it. And it works. That's not to say the movie doesn't have issues, it's too long and bloated for starters, but it's so much freaking fun.

Again, I think most of these people went into the movie wanting so hate it. For the past two years the majority of Lone Ranger coverage I've seen has been writers cackling over production troubles. "Lone Ranger is stupid" "Who cares about this?" "Why are they remaking this?" Seems like these guys need to justify how bad they hoped the movie is.

 

[FLICK]

I just read a review that said:

"Hammer’s a good actor, but his Lone Ranger is the wimpiest action hero in recent memory."

Any truth to this?

I saw this last night.

This is very very true. In fact, Tonto calls him half wit and drags him through horse feces. Tonto does the coolest things in the movie and steals the movie for me.

 

[FLICK]

The movie was a wasted opportunity. They introduced the concept of Skinwalkers and Wendigo's and then suddenly forget about that plot all together. They also have at least 3 action scene involving a train. THREE!! That's over kill. The cgi buffalo's look horrible too.

I wish they did a serious version of Lone Ranger.

 

[Poni_Boy]

I don't think I'll ever understand the "serious" argument. The Lone Ranger was never serious. It was a parable of morality for kids. If you want a serious western watch the Dollars trilogy.

It's like people watching the Pirates movies and asking why there wasn't any raping and garroting.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

I don't think I'll ever understand the "serious" argument. The Lone Ranger was never serious. It was a parable of morality for kids. If you want a serious western watch the Dollars trilogy.

It's like people watching the Pirates movies and asking why there wasn't any raping and garroting.

The Dollars trilogy is as much child fantasy as anything else. It is pure, unadulterated cool.

 

[jacobed]

I don't think they need a serious movie but they need to take the character seriously. Respect the character.

 

[Poni_Boy]

They do. But like I said it's not a 5 minute transition from zero to hero. Westerns are dead to the mass public. They hold no appeal. The movie had to basically teach people "this is what it was like back then."

By the end of the movie he's very much The Lone Ranger that I grew up. It's literally a 2.3 hour origin story.

 

[TheVileOne]

I don't think they did. I mean the finale was good, but after spending about two hours undercutting and belittling him at every turn it was a lot to deal with.

Also the movie is not that bad. I was pretty much entertained, but the movie is way too long. Act 2 was just a slog and the movie has a lot of navel-gazing.

The framing device was way too goofy IMHO. I don't think kids are going to like looking at Depp looking like some sort of extra from The Lost Crystal like that.

When I got the Avengers Blu-ray, I was so happy to see that Whedon ditched that horrendous flashback narrative/framing device. For the most part, I hate them. I think the writers were trying to make it a bit like Princess Bride, but it didn't work.

I say dive right in, don't do this flashback garbage.

 

[TheVileOne]

Also everyone offering the little running gag of, "What's with the mask?" Was bad.

That should've been left on the cutting room floor. For starters its completely anachronistic with the time period. To suddenly have this 1869 Indian chieftian being this hip dude saying, "what's with the mask?" was ridiculous.

In Princess Bride, did you have everyone questioning about Wesley, "What's with the mask?"

One thing I did really like about Captain America is when Bucky told Steve to keep the costume.