Protraph
Lack of good storyline.
Tobias Burrows
It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.
Rosie Searle
It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.
Scott LeBrun
This attempt to give the legendary Lone Ranger character an origin story is passably entertaining, but could have used better lead actors and a more interesting tale to tell. As a directorial effort by a noted cinematographer (William A. Fraker) that is shot by one of his peers (Laszlo Kovacs), it's not a surprise that the movie LOOKS great. The beautiful scenery looks magnificent in the 2.35:1 aspect ratio, and John Barry supplies a typically engaging music score.Klinton Spilsbury stars as John Reid, who as a child was orphaned thanks to maniacal bandits. He befriended the young Indian Tonto, and was adopted by Tontos' tribe. As an adult, he prepares to begin a career in law, but fate intervenes. His brother Dan (John Bennett Perry) is a Texas Ranger, who with his troops rides off to apprehend the nefarious villain "Butch" Cavendish (Christopher Lloyd) and his minions. But Cavendish and company ambush the Rangers, and only John survives. Nursed back to health by the adult Tonto (Michael Horse), he puts into motion a plan of revenge, while wearing a mask to obscure his identity. He must also rescue U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant (Jason Robards), who is kidnapped by Cavendishs' goons.Spilsbury is a very handsome man, but unfortunately he's just too bland as an actor. Even using James Keach to dub his lines doesn't really help. Horse gives his character pride and dignity, but he's not particularly charismatic either. Spilsburys' leading lady Juanin Clay (playing brave newspaper woman Amy Striker) is another debit, although she *is* certainly lovely. Lloyd is an okay villain, although he just doesn't project a lot of menace or intensity. Robards is a colorful President Grant, and he's among a solid supporting cast also including Matt Clark as a useless sheriff, David Hayward as one of the Rangers, and John Hart as Amys' uncle Lucas. Richard Farnsworth has a typically delightful cameo as Wild Bill Hickok.Well intentioned but decidedly unmemorable, this movie may do the trick for dedicated Western fans. That narration by Merle Haggard, however, is intrusive and annoying.Six out of 10.
JoeB131
I guess it wasn't entirely the filmmaker's fault though. The film suffered from the unimaginably stupid decision to tell Clayton Moore (who had done the role in the 1950's and was the Lone Ranger us old folks grew up with) he couldn't wear the mask in public. Now mind you, the poor guy wasn't making all that much money doing so, and it wasn't like he was going to take anything away from this film, but the whole thing seemed... gratuitous.The other thing the film suffered from (besides a leading man whose voice was so awful they had to overdub it) was that fact that Westerns weren't so hip in 1981. John Wayne was dead and we had just been subjected to a decade-long major liberal guilt trip about how the west was built on genocide of the Native Americans. (That and Blazing Saddles sent up the whole genre! The Campfire scene. Enough said!) Hollywood shied away from Westerns, because Science Fiction was COOL then.The one scene that underscored it was when after rescuing the drunken President Grant (and seriously, I'd have let Grant stay with the bad guys. The country would have been better off!) Grant asks Tonto what his reward should be "Honor your treaties with my people". Yeah, right, like THAT was going to happen!
Chuck Miller
Given that Clayton Moore and Jay Silverheels are firmly in our minds and hearts as the Lone Ranger and Tonto, it was imperative that the casting of this film be correct. It's fine to cast an unknown actor in the title role, but whoever conducted the screen test certainly goofed big time. If you have to dub the voice of Klinton Spilsbury, then he's probably not the best choice for the role. This was worse than casting Michael Keaton as Batman, because Keaton amazingly pulled it off.Actually, the rest of the cast was pretty good. Christopher Lloyd as Butch Cavendish, Michael Horse as Tonto, and Richard Farnsworth as Wild Bill Hickok made the movie watchable.The acting ability of Spilsbury is virtually non-existent, though the physical action was passable.Other problems: The story has been told in films at least three times before, and the Lone Ranger never killed anyone in the other films and TV series. If the "real" Lone Ranger knew the fall would kill the outlaw, he would have chosen a different way to capture him. This Lone Ranger simply was not very believable.
richardvwhite
This movie was wonderful and one of the most memorable of my life. It was much more interesting and exciting than any of the old Clayton Moore stuff. The action sequences were well done, and it was emotionally effective. It gave me some good thrills, like when The Lone Ranger shoots the rope that is about to hang Tonto and then rides up and carries him off with a dazzling display of gunfire, and of course, all to the rousing William Tell overture. This is touching because you remember how Tonto found The Lone Ranger left for dead after the Butch Cavendish attack and nursed him back to health. I can't believe that it was not a hit. No, it wasn't perfect, but it certainly deserved a lot more respect than it got. And Jason Robards performance as Ulysses S. Grant was charming. I just hope I can find a copy somewhere as soon as possible.
