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Only diehard Johnny Depp fans will enjoy The Lone Ranger

Capitalizing on nostalgia will probably always be a big thing in Hollywood, as every generation likes to look back on famous characters. But as the Lone Ranger had his heyday in the 1950s, it seems like a bit of stretch to bring him back now.

But that didn’t stop the makers of The Lone Ranger from trying, especially because they felt they had a unique take on the story. This version would be told from the perspective of Tonto (Johnny Depp), a character that has long been derided for being treated in a racist manner.

The action is framed by an elderly Tonto recounting how he came to meet John Reid (Armie Hammer), a.k.a. the man who would go on to become the Lone Ranger. The two reluctantly join forces after they develop a common enemy, Butch Cavendish (William Fichtner).

Many of the characters feel undercooked, starting with the Lone Ranger himself.

The simplicity of that set-up is quickly complicated, though, as director Gore Verbinski (Pirates of the Caribbean series) and the trio of writers pile on subplot after subplot, ultimately taking the film to an ungainly two-and-a-half-hours.

Even at that length, many of the characters feel undercooked, starting with the Lone Ranger himself. We learn that he’s a lawyer, that he has a Texas Ranger for a brother and that he and his brother’s wife probably had a thing at one time, but that’s about it. Rarely will you see a title character so underdeveloped.

The reason for that, of course, is because of the effort put toward fleshing out Tonto. While that works for the character, it hurts the movie as a whole. It’s great fun to see Depp hamming it up with hilarious one-liners, but the focus is so singular you realize you don’t really care about anything involving Reid or the other characters.

That’s a shame, because Hammer actually makes for a really good Lone Ranger. He has presence, charm and the ability to be really funny when called upon. But because he has to constantly compete with Depp’s bon mots, he rarely has the opportunity to shine.

Depp gives it his all, and he’s the biggest reason the film remains at least semi-watchable. He may or may not have Native American blood in him, but that quickly becomes a moot point given how entertaining he is. It’s yet another in a long line of quirky yet grandly appealing roles for the eccentric Depp.

Unfortunately, the non-Tonto elements can’t compete, making the rest of the film seem as if it’s just going through the motions instead of delivering a high-octane summer tentpole. The Lone Ranger could yet ride high again, but not this time.

Funny facial expressions are one tool in Johnny Depp's comedy arsenal in The Lone Ranger.

Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer in The Lone Ranger

Photo courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures

Funny facial expressions are one tool in Johnny Depp's comedy arsenal in The Lone Ranger.

Movie Review

Daniel Craig searches for elusive new bond in audacious film Queer

Drew Starkey and Daniel Craig in Queer

Photo courtesy of A24

Drew Starkey and Daniel Craig in Queer.

As recently as the late 2010s, if a movie was made about an LGBTQ+ character, it was more than likely about their coming out experience. Romance, if it existed, was typically chaste, and actual sex was almost completely out of the question. Things have changed dramatically in the 2020s, to the point that a major movie star has no issue starring in a film called Queer.

Based on the 1985 novella by William S. Burroughs, the film features William Lee (Daniel Craig), whom everyone calls just Lee, a writer living in 1950s-era Mexico City who spends most of his time haunting local bars with friends like fellow writer Joe Guidry (Jason Schwartzman) and hitting on younger men. His early interactions in the film seem to indicate that Lee has a bad reputation within the local gay community, as multiple people avoid him or give him odd looks.

Lee senses an opportunity when he encounters a newcomer, Eugene Allerton (Drew Starkey). Despite some awkward interactions, the two of them start spending time together, although Lee has much more invested in the relationship than Eugene does. Their hit-and-miss bond continues until Lee, who’s starting to get into drugs in addition to the booze, convinces Eugene to accompany him on a trip to South America.

Directed by Luca Guadagnino and written by Justin Kuritzkes (making their second straight film together after Challengers), early on the film seems to be mostly about the divide between an older person who’s grown comfortable in his ways and a younger person who’s living a relatively carefree life. The introduction of drugs into the plot changes things, though, with Lee searching out more ways to open his eyes to what the world has to offer.

Guadagnino and his team use some interesting visual storytelling techniques to introduce ideas that may not be present in the actual script. The most successful, demonstrated in multiple scenes, is the superimposition of movements by Lee over what’s actually taking place in the scene. The subtle overlay gives the audience insight into Lee’s true feelings, showing what he can’t or won’t say out loud.

Music also plays a big part in how the plot is perceived, with the use of anachronistic songs from Nirvana and Prince serving to heighten certain moments. The score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross is not as in-your-face as the one they did for Challengers, but it complements the film well, especially when the plot starts to get trippy in its final half hour.

Craig, who appears sweaty and disheveled for much of the film, is about as far from the suaveness of James Bond as you can get in this role. He takes multiple risks with his performance and almost all of them pay off. Starkey’s character is subdued by comparison, but still comes off well. Schwartzman and Lesley Manville are given showy roles, with both using altered appearances that make them nearly unrecognizable to deliver memorable performances.

Queer is not as accessible as Challengers was storytelling-wise, but the fact that it tells a story about gay men living their lives as they see fit with no interference or questions shows how far the film world has come in a short period of time. It also continues Guadagnino’s streak of making audacious films in a way that few other filmmakers are willing or able to approach.

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Queer is now playing in theaters.

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