Mickster Movie Review - "The Lone Ranger" (2013) ***1/2

     Can 30 minutes of good, solid action save a movie and make it watchable? Generally I believe I would answer no to that question. It would depend on a lot of factors obviously, but usually I need a little more than that. Then The Lone Ranger came along this weekend on my Netflix queue, and I realized that it was indeed possible. I did NOT want to see this movie. I totally ignored it when it was in the theater, and when the critics roundly blasted it, I felt that move was justified. It is widely considered one of the worst films of 2013. I'm not sure why I put it in my Netflix queue, I guess I'm trying to do my due diligence for people who respect my opinions. But something interesting happened while watching it this weekend. I came to the realization that this isn't as bad as it's made out to be. It IS indeed way too long and bloated. A good 30 minute minimum cut would be welcome. An hour cut wouldn't be out of the question. But I enjoyed the opening and survived the middle portions. What I was rewarded with was a final 30 minutes that is absolutely delightful to watch and had a smile on my face the entire time. Once the William Tell Overture kicks in and the masked man and Tonto are saving the day, this becomes a really fun movie and is worth watching just for the finale.

     I won't get into the plot too much, it's really unimportant here. The Pirates of the Caribbean team of Jerry Bruckheimer and director Gore Verbinski reunite with star Johnny Depp, who plays legendary Native American warrior Tonto. I've never been the biggest Depp fan but I understand why he appeals to people so much. He's very likable on screen and while I don't know he was right for this part, he has fun with it and it's harmless enough. Armie Hammer, an actor I loved in The Social Network, one of my favorite films of the last 10 years, gets the honor of playing The Lone Ranger/John Reid. Once again, I'm sure there better options out there for the role but Hammer does a decent enough job. This is not an actors or storytellers masterpiece by any stretch of the imagination. But if you approach the movie with an open mind, and can fight through that middle hour or so, there is a lot here to enjoy. And I can't talk about that last 30 minutes enough. Sometimes we watch movies simply to have fun. I had fun. That's all that matters. It's not perfect, there are definite faults, but it's not as bad as you might think it is. Give it a shot, I think you may be surprised.