The Lone Ranger

**_The two protagonists win the day in this amusing, dramatic and thrilling Western_** The so-called 'lone ranger,' John Reid (Armie Hammer), and his Comanche companion, Tonto (Johnny Depp), seek to bring the notorious Butch Cavendish to justice (William Fichtner). Ruth Wilson and Helena Bonham Carter are on hand in periphery roles. "The Lone Ranger" (2013) surprisingly finds an agreeable balance between comedy, drama and wild action. What especially makes it work are the two leads: Depp is magnetic and interesting as Tonto while Hammer is likable as the Lone Ranger. The format of the elderly Tonto chronicling events from decades earlier is reminiscent of "Little Big Man" (1970), not to mention the mixed tone. There are also nods to other notable Westerns, like the music straight from "Once Upon a Time in the West" (1968). One of the best bits is when the Lone Ranger exuberantly exclaims, "Hi ho Silver, away!" to which Tonto responds in a flat voice, "Don't ever do that again." Speaking of Tonto, his iconic 'look' (with a stuffed crow on his head) was based on a painting by Kirby Sattler called "I Am Crow" (Google it). If you like movies like "The Mask of Zorro" (1998), the underrated "The Musketeer" (2001), the Indiana Jones flicks and the aforementioned "Little Big Man" you'll probably appreciate "The Lone Ranger." It's superior to any of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" flicks IMHO and I find Tonto a more interesting character than Jack Sparrow. The film runs 2 hours, 30 minutes, and was shot in Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, California and Texas. GRADE: B