The Lone Ranger

Hi ho...whatever!

That celebrated Old West Crimefighter, The Lone Ranger, is back on the big screen. His trek back, following the notorious dud The Legend of the Lone Ranger, was a hard one. At one point, it was so expensive that its studio, Disney, pulled the plug.

But now it's back. So anyway...

In the "thrilling days of yesteryear," John Reid (Armie Hammer) was a lawyer who believed in truth and justice. One day, he's deputized as a Texas Ranger by his brother Dan (James Badge Dale). Their first assignment together is to capture the brutal Outlaw Butch Cavendish (William Fichtner). But thanks to a traitor, their group is ambushed and Dan is killed.

An eccentric Comanche, Tonto (Johnny Depp), helps John survive the attack. Since he's now assumed dead, John becomes The Lone Ranger to take on Cavendish. Joining him on his quest are Tonto, of course, and the white horse, Silver.

As with director Gore Verbinski's previous western, Rango, this is surprisingly not in 3D. It's already extravagant enough, though. There's plenty of exciting chases aboard trains, gunfights and heroic stunts. At 2 1/2 hours, getting to the good stuff gets tiring at times.

Helping things along is Depp. As Tonto, he's delightfully eccentric and a lot smarter than he first appears. As the hero, Hammer was OK, but not outstanding. Meanwhile, composer Hans Zimmer sets the action to a great score, including a rendition of the William Tell Overture.

When it gets going, The Lone Ranger is really fun. When it's not going, you'll wish it was. But for those who can wait, the film's action scenes will be worth it. Just beware the Killer Rabbits.