The Lone Ranger Directed by: Gore Verbinski Starring: Johnny Depp, Armie Hammer, Tom Wilkinson Rating: Not Yet Rated Release Date: May 31, 2013
TRAILER SCORE: 7/10
Thoughts by TSR: Between the time spent on Tom Wilkinson talking about the power of trains and the excessive production company logos, there is surprisingly little Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer in this trailer. Hammer barely registers, which seems a bit odd considering he’s, you know, the title character. Depp, while not featured heavily, does get a moment or two that offer hope that this won’t be another wacky over-the-top performance from him (at least not taking into account the bird on his head). He’s surprisingly subdued, and I especially love how calm he remains riding under the train. The full length trailer could reveal a wackier Tonto, but I like the tone this first look is presenting.
Visually this looks great – particularly the production design – though that was expected considering the massive budget on this thing. Director Gore Verbinski kind of lost me with his Pirates of the Caribbean sequels, but Rango succeeded in getting him back in my good graces. These 90 seconds don’t make The Lone Ranger a film I’m overly excited to see, but I am more interested in it now than I had been. Considering how rocky this production has been, it should probably be considered a minor victory that I’m interested at all.