The Lone Ranger-Tonto's Run-Unhinged Reviews

  To be truthful, we must admit that "The Lone Ranger" was not the epic success that we all hoped it would be.  We won't say that it sucked, but it lacked in a lot of areas.  So before we torch the film, we need to remember that the original Lone Ranger series was by no means a "Tombstone".  It was an old black and white with cheesy fight sequences enclosed within a family-friendly

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western and that's about all.  So let's see if we can't find some quality in Gore's direction of the film adaptation.

  Didn't mean to start off with the negatives, but we needed to develop this review in the right light. Sometimes there

is just no way around the obvious and you must walk through the bitter to taste the sweet. Fortunately for us, there are some salvageable characters in the film, especially with lively actors such as Depp and Fichtner giving some creative performances.  So why the title, "Tonto's Run", well that's because John Reid's character didn't deliver.  If it hadn't been for Tonto and Butch, this movie wouldn't have even had half a chance at making it in the box office.

  Who is Tonto? Well, Tonto(Depp) in this version is a wild man equipped with a raw spirit for vengeance and awesome face paint.  He is a driving influence in John Reid's life, often prompting him to take action when Reid would rather play patty-cake with hardened criminals.  Of course this story is told from the perspective of Tonto, so that may or may not have had an influence on the overall outcome.  Either way, Tonto is portrayed as a neurotic soul without a tribe and this provides ground for the delusional beliefs that he frequently spouts throughout the movie.  

  Butch Cavendish on the other hand, is the opposing villain worthy of a dirty bullet that John Reid just can't bring himself to deliver.  This man is a cannibal, a raw cleft-lipped gunslinger that causes horrendous havoc which almost completely flips the west upside down!  Fichtner played his role to the "T", but without a worthy Ranger, the villain stole the show.  Butch and his Cavendish gang needed a good fight, but all they got was a weak, slightly comedic John Reid clumsily tripping up their boot straps.  

  "The Lone Ranger" was a big production, but I'm sure it's returns will not yield even half of the energy spent making the film.  I think "TLR" is a good example of why some popular television shows just aren't meant for the BIG screen.  For example, we all love "The Big Bang Theory", but would we watch it at the movies? No. Why? Because it's better consumed in small doses.  Hopefully, before the next great idea becomes a waste of time and money, someone will think things through a little more thoroughly.

  Recommendations for the film?  Sure, kids will love it, maybe even a select few who truly loved the television show, but for a large majority it can be watched as a last minute rental.  So what did you think about the movie? Do you agree or disagree with the review?

                                                                                                                -Unhinged Reviews-