The Legend of the Lone Ranger

I liked it. The shaky opening five minutes were soon trumped by a great western three-quarter hour with everything a fan of the disingenuously pulp branch of this genre could wish for. With a likable positive hero, an absolutely, but utterly excellent villain played by Christopher Lloyd, a successful stagecoach ambush action scene and an even more successful fatal shootout in a canyon. I was surprised that the filmmakers spared no blood and the fights are quite naturalistic (like the murder of the Lone Ranger's parents at the beginning) and have such a great swing. After this part, the film logically slows down and the atmosphere is enchanted mainly by John Barry's beautiful music. When Reid puts on his mask for the first time and springs into action, perhaps the film's most awkward passage comes next, but thankfully it's soon gone, and the train hijacking of President Grant (Jason Robards), the final explosive finale and Lloyd's diabolical "Do it!" come into play. I give it three and a half sheriff's stars. (10/06/2013)