Why This Big Budget Disney Blockbuster Failed Spectacularly

The Lone Ranger is a character that has spanned decades. One of the most iconic characters in media history, every new generation has had their version of The Lone Ranger and Tonto. When Disney threw their hat in the wring trying to replicate the success of Pirates of the Caribbean, it seemed they couldn't strike twice with a Johnny Depp led vehicle. Making The Lone Ranger one of the worst live action Disney movie's in a long long time.
#theloneranger #disney #nerdstalgic
Written by Dave Baker
Edited by Nick Murphy

[@Nerdstalgic]

Lone Ranger sequel?

[@norgiemetzinger1421]

It wasn’t a terrible movie, but a sequel? Eh.

[@biguy617]

@@norgiemetzinger1421 you are wrong it is terrible movie.

[@Nightman221k]

No

[@couldntthinkofayoutubename6498]

All 3 of ye are objectively wrong, the lone ranger is fuckin brilliant movie

[@forgingluck]

With the right director, possibly. Darth Caul did a good remaster of it which placed the plot in a more understandable order, emphasized the symbology of various scenes, and cut out unnecessary drivel. It was much more enjoyable like that.

[@eris6676]

Something Disney does a lot in its live action films (and now their animated films) is trying to be self-aware by mocking a staple of whatever it is they’re supposedly making a tribute too. I think they’re trying to be “self-aware” or act like they’re on a more critical audience’s side, but it comes off like the writers really hate what they’re doing. Which, considering they’re working for Disney, they probably do.

[@TRUTHISABSOLUTE777]

Of course. They have no respect for the originals.

[@ironmaster6496]

EXACTLY, it's not that people hate reimaginings is just that these "bold new intepretations" are there just to insult the things people like, hell even Michael Bay threated the transformers with more respect, i mean he never mocked the concept and the war thing is played completely straight (he failed on a lot of aspects but that wasnt one of them) Sonic and detective PIkachu are great at this too since they embraced the concept and ran with it, the made it for the fans by also being original reinterpretations that anyone can enjoy

[@eris6676]

@@ironmaster6496 Brilliantly put. Audiences don’t hate these “reimaginings,” writers and film execs do

[@TRUTHISABSOLUTE777]

@@ironmaster6496 agenda comes before storytelling and respect to original intellectual properties.

[@Carabas72]

That's something EVERYBODY does. And always have done. What do you think Homer's Oddyssey was? It's just entitled fans making up fantasies about hateful writers that's new.

[@theWEITNA]

I'm a native, and I obviously can't speak for all of us, but my family and I loved Johnny Depp as Tonto.

[@JoshuaWillis89]

Really? His performance makes my skin crawl.

[@starkiller3098]

​@@JoshuaWillis89 for you.

[@androlibre9661]

HOrrible.......they should have used that guy From Fargo Season 2 who played Hanzee

[@Red-Magic]

yeah same. This is the first I've heard of people that didn't like the film, ever. For years, my family and everyone I mentioned the movie to loved the film. It's just great! I think all the reviewers are just the picky people that are trying to compare it to the original stories of the Lone Range. I myself and not some old Gen Xer so I didn't grow up during that era, this was the first taste of the icon of 'Lone Ranger' I got, and it was honestly fantastic and very fun

[@caledonianrailway1233]

We need more trains in cinema

[@mina_en_suiza]

The thing is: If you watch "The Mask of Zorro", you see that the people who made the film, truly loved the figure, the setting and the story and the choice not to retell the original story, but to tell a continuation but with the key elements present, was great. In the "Lone Ranger" film, I just see no love (except for the buck, which fortunately never came). PS: A flop is never a blockbuster.

[@katarh]

I think this is it. You can really tell when the production team love what they're doing and are focused on making the final product something that they would enjoy watching themselves, instead of twisting themselves into demographic knots or trying to justify a weird casting decision by altering the movie script itself.

[@davidtaylor142]

Also Zorro is literally the same exact character, but much better (and older)

[@user-ze3lk1ov5b]

@@davidtaylor142 People who still give a dime should make zorro origins the course of Capistrano what a book also Zorro is my favourite hero like ever realistic and totally badass

[@Estebanmdp100]

I’m in for ir lemme watch the og

[@danielmashanic5738]

Agreed. The Mask of Zorro is incredible

[@blackberryhoney6248]

It sort of feels like the production was embarrassed at the concept of making a new 'Long Ranger Movie'. They tried so hard to make it modern subversive that it ended up being the antithesis of what The Lone Ranger usually is. I was immediately struck by the lack of sincerity the movie has to its own concept, like a middle schooler who thinks superheroes are 'cringy' and pretends not to like them at all.

[@jasonblalock4429]

I think another issue was that the goofy humor was at odds with the relatively realistic subject matter and topics brought up, like the exploitation/murder of native tribes. POTC gets away with being ridiculous because it's all 100% pirate fantasy that hardly even glances at anything real, but Lone Ranger just felt kind of tacky and exploitative, tbh.

[@IHWKR]

I've never liked superheros. There's too many of them (which makes them less "super" to begin with). The character development is left open enough that there is no limit to their abilities so the conflict the characters need to arise from never actually exists but is created for dramatic purpose because there's no point to superheros to begin with. Also the need to over dramatize every movie and the need to out do their last movie coincides with the lack of character limitation. The recipe is just add more explosions, more drama and tweak an already garbage plot to make an "entirely new" movie is abhorrent. The industry is playing it's audience into forking hundreds of millions of dollars for little to no effort on plot but to create a few dodgy punchlines for a quick gag while wearing spandex and a cape then call it a wrap. The whole topic of superheros is sociopathic at best.

[@josephromano2883]

Well said!👍

[@tbone2646]

superheroes ARE cringey and I don't like them at all

[@SonOfTheDawn515]

Superheroes aren't heroes and they do suck, though. Refusal to shoot/kill "bad guys" allows said "bad guys" to further victimize other people when morally and legally it would've been cleared to engage the villains with deadly force. Their pusillanimous ways allowed more people to be hurt/killed.

[@PervertHeart]

They were drunk with Depp's success at the time. The entire movie felt like they were trying too prop up a new Jack Sparrow, but that kind of success is not something you can just force into the audience.

[@richardtracy8242]

It Should Have Been Called Pirates Of The Caribbean Go West.

[@zayn659]

Man i love that movie

[@ajms7963]

I would say Shanghai Noon (& Knights) and Mask of Zorro have the spirit of what a Lone Ranger movie should be. If it were to be rebooted, that is what I would like to see.

[@UnleashthePhury]

Mask of Zorro is an underrated classic. Mid-90s Hollywood knew how make a swashbuckler.

[@glorygloryholeallelujah]

Yes!

[@Rough_Estimates]

It baffles me that John Carter and the Lone Ranger did so poorly. They are better than many movies that have come out after. Filmmakers just need to avoid anything Disney and they are ok!

[@RogerioPereiradaSilva77]

You took the words out of my mouth! In John Carter's case, Disney did an abysmal bad work promoting the movie prior to its release. To this day, no one can explain why the heck the movie doesn't have the word "Mars" in the title - you know, as in the friggin' John Carter from Mars book it is based on! It's like Disney wanted them to fail! Both movies are visually stunning, have the right amount of action, adventure and comedy and, as you pointed out, are much better than lot of bad movies that came after them and that some people like to praise for no reason.

[@robertbordevik5072]

Words out of mine too. No comment needed.

[@infinitetanner]

I loved Disney's The Lone Ranger, and John Carter, LOVED! My fav Disney classic is Bedknobs and broomsticks!

[@maldon3659]

@@RogerioPereiradaSilva77 the only reason I can think of is Disney released Mars Needs Mom's the same year which bombed, plus Mars seems to be a death sentence to most movies with it in the title

[@RogerioPereiradaSilva77]

@@maldon3659 I dunno. It would let the random Joe Bloke walking down the movie theater, at the very least, have an idea of what the movie was about and I am not convinced at all that having "Mars" in the name would be detrimental to the movie ratings or its audience any more than not having it. The name "John Carter" by itself means absolutely nothing to people who aren't into sci-fi, that haven't read the book or seen any of its numerous adaptations in other media so having the word 'Mars' in there would at least turn a few more heads, I think. Most people that pay a ticket to see Star Wars or Star Trek would have no problem whatsoever doing the same for another soap opera in space.

[@MrJeremytpage]

I loved this movie. It makes me sad that people don’t appreciate it more.

[@ploopy8780]

It's objectively not a very good movie, it's definitely a guilty pleasure of mine, but I can see that it isn't a very good movie from a technical standpoint.

[@johnjames-glover4630]

Agreed. It seems you can't just enjoy a movie for the sheer hell of it, can you? Everyone's a critic, and social media means it's easy for people to put forward negative reviews whilst those who like a movie tend not to bother. Is TLR a great movie? No, but it's one hell of a fun ride and that's good enough for me.

[@BigPapiMatt]

Why would it make you sad? You can still enjoy something even if others don't.

[@Batman-jc5uc]

I agree. Very underrated movie that ends with one of the best action scenes ever put to film.

[@spawncampe]

I felt like I was the only one that liked it when it came out. I don't think it's great but I definitely enjoyed it

[@brandonhicks9926]

This movie is a classic case of: “Movie is decent in and of itself, but a terrible version of what it’s based on”

[@kalevstheworld]

Jay Silverheels, the actor that played the original incarnation of Tonto, was my great uncle. I never got to meet him but have heard so many stories from family members about how proud he was of his role and the representation he and our culture were given. Even though it was still jaded and stereotypical, it was a big deal for him and our community. In my opinion, this film would have broken his heart. We can't watch this film without feeling disappointed if not outright offended.

[@jimgillespie6109]

As a boy, I watched the TV series religiously. I loved your great uncle!

[@Frank00]

From watching the series as a kid I respected Indians and thought of them are rugged individuals that were survivors. Your uncle may have advanced some stereotypes the same as Italian actors of the Soprano’s have but you never ran into anyone that didn’t respect the man and the character he played.

[@ernie5036]

@@Frank00 its Native Americans not Indians

[@Frank00]

@@ernie5036 your profile picture is fitting to your petty comment.

[@dernvader6876]

Jay Silverheels? - what a fake made-up name!

[@apocling]

The best summary of this movie I have heard is it opens with the best action sequence of the year, and ends with one of the best action sequences you will ever see, but sadly there is a boring movie in-between.

[@alancranford3398]

I was saddened by watching Disney's Lone Ranger. As Nerdstalgic pointed out the movie had everything going for it. Mocking the Mask felt like I was being mocked for wasting my time and money watching the movie. There was lots of flash--wonderful special effects--but the movie was depressing and no fun at all. The Lone Ranger shares the same elements that make many movies box office bombs that are unpopular even with the critics.

[@b.b.2684]

It was so boring

[@PervertHeart]

I legit thought they were going for the supernatural take when he was brought back from the dead and use it as an excuse to give him supernatural skills and powers. You know, to justify how a buffoon goody two shoes lawyer became the legendary Lone Ranger. But, like the video pointed out, the transformation never happens.

[@alancranford3398]

@@PervertHeart Go back in time to the Elfego Baca Disneyland television series--Elfego stood off 80 cowboys for some thirty hours and then was acquitted at trial--and became a lawyer. That was a real story about a real man.

[@Red-Magic]

Movie was no fun? You're off your rocker, it was loads of fun honestly

[@prakashmodak2842]

From the audience's perspective, in cowboy films, the protagonist is deemed to be great at cowboy skills, but in this movie, they made a joke out of him for most of the runtime. I think your review is accurate.

[@d3l3tes00n]

If they were smart writers, they could've pulled a Big Trouble in Little China & made him like Kurt Russell's "hero" character who was technically the star, but also oblivious lol

[@rodh1404]

It can work in Western Comedies, like The Paleface, but the Lone Ranger isn't known as that kind of comedy. And much though I personally like "Without a Clue", that movie should have informed Disney what happens when you take a serious protagonist and make them (mostly) incompetent.

[@HUMAN-fq5ff]

I remember as a kid I adored this movie. It was a really fun watch. I even hoped for a sequel. I was disappointed when I found that it had tanked. It was a really amazing movie.

[@rufiredup90]

Wow. You must be very young.

[@dernvader6876]

There is no hope for you... just keep consuming lame Disney products...

[@CantRead1]

@@rufiredup90 Internet can't accept a unpopular opinion. Stfu.

[@reinaldocaraballo4657]

I agree me and the kids love to watching this when it came out you know i just thought it was great johnny depp was awesome the action sees the set pieces were amazing i thought it was enjoyable they had a lot of things that could have been cut out of it werewolf being one of them and a lot of s*** that dragged on so there was parts that slowed the movie down with useless exposition dialogue that was unnecessary and convoluted and that sometimes affects your ability to lose yourself in the film and the kids could wander and they won't stay engaged but i would just kind of explain to them what was going on that was the only thing i didn't like but as a whole movie i like it i mean i think it was a good movie it could have been better but i thought with johnny depp? It's a fun movie i don't get the hate and John carter was a good movie too

[@Thomazbr]

@@rufiredup90 I watched it for the first time two years ago having decided to watch the major disney flops (Lone Ranger, John Carter, Tomorrowland) and honestly all those movies are hella fun blockbusters. Now, I'm not native, or live in the US, so I can't speak about Depp's casting as Tonto or whatever. It ideally should've gone towards a native american actor and I understand if people feel slighted enough about it to review negatively. But having said that, I thought the movie was a blast. It's my favorite of the three flops (Lone Ranger>John Carter>Tomorrowland btw), the action was a super fun, I thought treated the natives with plenty of respect, had the kind of exciting dynamic finale that is dearly missing from modern american blockbuster cinema. It's just good. But hey, I also like King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, so I've come to terms with the fact that maybe I just have wrong taste buds *shrug*

[@SpookyKid_SpaceAce]

No matter what anyone says, this movie will always be one of my favorites

[@coolbrotherf127]

I think the biggest thing is that cowboys weren't super popular with kids like they were when the original Lone Ranger was introduced. It became a fad at the time, but the cultural attention had moved on to other things decades ago. I was the perfect age and target audience for the rebooted movie, even saw it in theaters with my dad, but I was way more into Power Rangers than the Lone Ranger. It was a fun enough movie, but the Lone Ranger character didn't really mean anything to me so it left no greater impact.

[@ploopy8780]

Westerns are back in business though

[@jesustovar2549]

Knowing that superheroe movies have been the bomb for a while, I think they will have the same destiny as the westerns, but Hollywood needs to find another golden egg chicken, and now that's videogame films.

[@coolbrotherf127]

@@jesustovar2549 The cash cow is really whatever children are into most of the time since they drive a lot of the reason families go the the theaters. You're right though, video games like Fortnite, Minecraft, and Roblox are the most popular thing with kids under 12 right now so it would be a mistake for them not to capitalize on that market.

[@wowisntitanamazinglyamazin9550]

I mean I'd disagree since cowboys were pretty popular at my school and I grew up watching cowboy movies but maybe it's a regional thing

[@alexanderzippel8809]

That’s probably why the movie didn’t do as bad, or atleast isn’t seen as bad, in Germany. Karl May and the Winnetou series are still popular in Germany and everyone knows it.

[@nh4331]

This is the only lone ranger media I've ever consumed and I really enjoy this movie. I understand it may not be true to the character and the Johnny Depp casting issue, but otherwise it's a fun film that balances humor, adventure, and dark themes really well

[@TomEyeTheSFMguy]

Exactly, man. It may not work as a Lone Ranger movie, but it works as a story. There was another film that didn't work as part of its franchise, but worked on its own. I don't remember exactly which one.

[@englishwithkristin8962]

I thought so too. I really liked it!

[@patriciabarkley735]

I loved this movie! ❤️🌹❤️

[@champadevi2581]

I too loved this movie.

[@alsmith9853]

You didn't find it depressing and hyper stupid, as well as boring with the old Tonto in a museum nonsense?

[@coolhappygenius]

I was in high school when it came out, and being of a generation not familiar with the traditional Lone Ranger, absolutely enjoyed the film.

[@MoniemJr]

Which is exactly how it should be looked at, I had no idea either, was in high school then too. The film has much of the pirates films' ways in action, music, and dialogue, and that's good. It's a great film using the pirates formula for a different setting, and I think most people miss the point with it.

[@theysellsoulscheaphere8501]

Damn I was shocked when I first heard the bad reception because when I went to see it in theaters everyone clapped at the end and that was the first time I've had that happen when going to the movies at the time. I enjoyed the hell out of it.

[@user-T89]

I remember seeing it with my dad and him coming out of the theater so disappointed. The Lone Ranger had been a favorite part of his childhood and he felt like they just made fun of it the whole movie. It wasn't what anyone wanted.

[@karlfromthewargame_bootcam7733]

I have to admit. I liked the movie. One of my guilty pleasures.

[@Jaronite]

If there is any movie I would use as example for the word "Underrated", this is the one. Granted it is flawed, but it certainly deserves more views and reactions.

[@nathangoddard8115]

The “hero is an idiot” template peaked with Thor L&T. I hope we start getting competent protagonists again.

[@rexcatston8412]

Besides the 5 solid minutes of that kid loudly eating peanuts in the beginning, I liked this movie.

[@tomlevier3615]

I like this movie, it's a guilty pleasure. The entire train chase scene at the end of the movie is fantastic!

[@princealmighty5391]

What do you mean guilty pleasure

[@irishjet2687]

A problem that plagues many adaptations is that the movies feel self-conscious, either of the source material or of being an adaptation or reboot. This self-consciousness manifests in a few ways. Sometimes, the writers and producers don't commit to the integral elements that they think are tacky, (or worse, make fun of them), which often alienates fans and doesn't endear it to new audiences. Other times, they don't have a full understanding of the source material and therefore don't understand what worked, what it was saying, or why people like it. So they bungle the core of the work, which leads to either an under-performing or divisive movie. Finally, sometimes you DO have a crew that enjoys the work (or at least, is financially incentivized to embrace it), but rather than trying to make a true film _adaptation,_ and bring the world to life, they spend the whole movie making *references* to the original work. They don't cut out stuff that may work in a long book, but doesn't translate to the screen. They don't make edits where necessary, and the worlds don't feel *lived* in as much as the feel like a museum, showing off locations, characters, and trinkets from the original story. I think the gold standard is "The Lord of the Rings". Yes, some things were changed, and some fans of the books take issue with _this_ cutting of a character or how _that_ one was portrayed. Overall, however, fans and audiences alike generally love those movies for the spectacle and sincerity they have for making that world real, as well as largely keeping Tolkien's story intact. And they were HUGE successes.

[@edwardo_rojas_]

The Mask of Zorro and The Princess Bride were such awesome depictions of not giving a damn. They're charming because they love themselves

[@davinhigginbotham7730]

a serious question, do you think that a large part of why LOTR was a huge success in that sense (like making the world feel real and keeping the story intact) is possibly because the books by Tolkien just had that much more to go off of? LIke since there was so much detail in the books, when they made the movies, they could afford to not include a lot of stuff and it would still easily be a lot of material to work with. Whereas these other movies might not have books/stories that even have as much detail like LOTR. So when even slight deviations from the story happen due to editing or whatever, it just makes the movie feel really off in some way. just curious

[@jamesmoyner7499]

I adore this film. I saw it in theaters and own it on Blu-Ray. The music is amazing especially the climax train chase. The look of the film is great, the comedy works and doesn't overstay it's welcome. One thing people miss about the film is that John is so dedicated to believing in the law despite Tonto constantly telling him he is a Spirit Walker and has to wear the mask. It is only when he realizes the law is corrupt and Tonto says "That is why you wear the mask." That he now has to do things Tonto's way and not his own.

[@tylerdurden6917]

Exactly

[@nnywasneverhere]

It is so politically packed too! I thought this movie was way too radical for it to be a Disney movie!!

[@acorgiwithacrown467]

I hate that this movie failed because I loved it, we haven't had a proper cowboy action movie in decades so when this movie came out I was so hyped out that it could create a new set of western movies.

[@thephony1651]

For some reason I vividly remember when my dad left to go see this movie. He came back. Nothing happened. Genuinely don’t know why that’s one of my most vivid memories.

[@TheGary108]

Was it because his soul was so crushed that he didn’t do anything for the rest of the day?

[@thephony1651]

@@TheGary108 Actually I’m pretty sure he enjoyed it

[@Viper-dz2kw]

The fact they fully inducted Johnny Depp into a Comanche tribe just to avoid controversy is absolutely wild It’s even funnier that they gave him the name shape shifter

[@stillaboveground2470]

When I first heard about this movie, I wanted to love it... Then I saw it. "Disappointing" is probably the kindest thing I can say.

[@richardtracy8242]

It's Almost Unwatchable.

[@johnb5082]

I loved this movie. Saw it in theaters when it first came out. Ending was sad though so I knew there wouldnt be sequels. Then negative feedback came and that pretty much locked it up.

[@millennialodyssey5956]

I did too! One of my favorites.

[@B1_1_9_7_5]

Yes

[@B1_1_9_7_5]

@@millennialodyssey5956 and more yes

[@micaelaspencer5223]

Lone Ranger is my grandmother's all time favourite character. The Lone Ranger's theme is her door bell tone. This movie was just a different interpretation. And she loves it. She said the original show was for kids, this was for adults.

[@jesustovar2549]

I mean, most of the adults who went to see it were kids when they saw the original tv show.

[@ktoon4725]

I always found it funny how much Disney pushed Lone Ranger up until the movie actually released where almost immediately they dropped it. 😂

[@arualblues_zero]

It reminds me of the criticism that we've been hearing about The Witcher during the departure of the lead actor. It sounds like they never even liked the character in the first place. Things that are staples of the Lone Ranger are treated as silly and ridiculous. When they made Mask of Zorro, they didn't do this. They kept the suit, the stunts, the Z, the mask, and made them look cool. It's a movie for Zorro fans and for people who don't know him to actually become Zorro fans. This one is... for whom? Their pockets.

[@jennifern2403]

I think there’s an interview somewhere with Armie Hammer where he said he didn’t enjoy playing the main role to begin with and that he knew it’s gonna be a blockbuster since Disney’s backing it up. For that alone, i don’t blame him since Call Me By Your Name proved he just chose a shitty project to be a part of.

[@jakekeskeys1138]

I actually really liked this movie! Shame it did so poor…

[@B1_1_9_7_5]

I know right SOOOÒO underrated

[@ploopy8780]

@@B1_1_9_7_5 not underrated. It's rated appropriately. Just so happens some people still enjoy it, which is ok.

[@B1_1_9_7_5]

@@ploopy8780 you're just a hater the movie is good

[@pom8130]

@@B1_1_9_7_5 you're just having opinions, opinions are subjective

[@iainkilcar7463]

It's an origin story, if the Lone Ranger was instantly good at horse riding and gunning down criminals then it would be less rewarding in the final chase when he comes into his own to take down the bad guy as you'd just be sat there thinking "yeah I've seen this already"

[@empurress77]

One huge simple reason: They took the Lone Ranger, a super cool and super wise character, and made them an idiot. The same thing that ruined Wild wild west and the Green Hornet.

[@richardtracy8242]

Hollywood Doesn't Know How To Make Movies About Heroes Anymore. It Says A Lot That Now They're Even Making Movies About Villains.

[@Nightman221k]

I never watched the movie but hearing that they made him a bumbling fool and dragged his face through actual animal crap... why did they give this property to someone who HATED it that much? Give it to someone who LOVES the Western genre and respects it and who can appreciate the Lone Ranger's cultural relevance. Not shit on it. I'm glad the Disney version failed.

[@josh5247]

Green hornet was made by Seth rogen what did you except

[@HispAnakin42]

I think the only people who liked this movie were the ones who never knew that it had a legacy and had no knowledge of the previous Lone Rangers.

[@kingswing00]

It's a long story but I was involved in a project to revive the Lone Ranger about 15 years ago with the company that held the rights at the time. I might be biased but... it was awesome. Sadly in the middle of the project the company fell on financial difficulties which caused them to sell the portion of the rights they owned. Guess who bought it.

[@JBarg25]

I like the Dynamite comic series, which feels like a modern take on the material done right.

[@kingswing00]

@@JBarg25 oh yeah, Dynamite's version is great. The version we were working on was based on the premise that the Texas Rangers still exist. So ours was based in present day.

[@koltonlomas7111]

I think it's an underrated movie and I thought it's train fight scene at the end was the most entertaining part of the movie

[@TrueBolt18]

I grew up watching the old b&w show, we had the big DVD collection. I enjoyed it, it was simple enough for me to follow as a kid, exciting, and they were always on the side of justice. I didn't expect much from the movie, and didn't take it to seriously I mean it's kinda a AU Lone Ranger, like Marvel's What Ifs. And I liked it. It doesn't have the same spirit of the originals, but close enough that it's enjoyable.

[@roBLINDhood]

I only saw this once and I liked it more than I expected to, especially the sound design.

[@Gemnist98]

I honestly remember having a good time with this movie. It has a lot of the fun the original Pirates films had. I just remember it being incredibly long and also that the love interest being the main character’s brother’s widow being super messed up. Of course, there’s also the Johnny Depp whitewashing and the Armie Hammer everything that can’t be ignored either…

[@pixiedust429]

I thought this movie was great when it first came out, I remember watching it with my Mom and we were laughing constantly. I watched it again recently and I still enjoy it. I was always confused why the movie got and still gets a bad rep. The only issue I could see is Johnny Depp's role in this movie being cast as a native American character.

[@edwardbirdsall6580]

i seem to remember that during production there was a scandal where the studio stripped the mask from actor Clayton Moore (the television Lone Ranger) for whatever reason. He would over the years reprise the role in parades and other social occasions. There was a court order preventing him from doing so. That was in my opinion disrespectful and it annoyed several generations of people. I know I did not go to watch the movie though I have seen it on T.V. Also though I admire Johnny Depps acting talent, Tonto was not his finest hour.

[@JBarg25]

This was during preproduction of The Legend of the Lone Ranger. Jack Wrather, the producer of the last few seasons of the TV show, held the rights to the character up until the mid-80s. He announced a new Lone Ranger movie about a month before Superman opened in late 1978. After the show ended, both Moore and Silverheels made a living making appearances and TV commercials (not sure if they're online, but official DVDs include a few of these ads), and Wrather sued Moore in order to get him to stop using LR iconography in public appearances. The idea being that the one true Lone Ranger would be the guy onscreen, not Moore. The reaction from the generation who grew up watching the show was as you'd expect, and the backlash was one of the reasons why the film failed.

[@joshuadougherty8077]

That horse jump onto the train is like something I tried in red dead redemption one

[@jorgeeduardoreynoso6790]

I saw it again 2 weeks ago the timing of this is amazing 🤣 I love this movie

[@spinlok3943]

This movie is definitely a guilty pleasure for me. I wouldn't call it good, definitely has a lot of flaws and this video explained them very well. But I still find it entertaining to watch. Action is fun, visuals are interesting, is a fun western romp if anything else.

[@JoybuzzerX]

Same. It needed work, but I just enjoy the movie.

[@aidangattinger8975]

I personally put this into the same category as Bayformers. Its not good but its fun watch.

[@Eidolon1andOnly]

I'd say it was a good movie, also a good western movie, but it was just a bad _Lone Ranger_ movie.

[@rongendron8705]

In 1974. I was present when Clayton Moore (The Lone Ranger) helped open the new Sunrise Mall, in Massapequa, NY! As a four year old in 1950, I watched this show from the end of season 1 & absolutely loved it! So much so, that I was still 'in awe' of this man, 24 years later! That feeling, which millions of fans had, was missing from both movies, "The Legend of the Lone Ranger" in1981 & Disney's 2009 "The Lone Ranger". The Moral: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it"!

[@brianthomason5022]

I do remember the movie sucking incredibly bad but I couldn't tell you why that was. Thanks for clearing that up

[@argiodsilvertongue3589]

When I was in grade school (1st or 2nd grade) Moore and Silverheels visited my school. It was the first time I realized that TV personalities were real people, and not just images on the screen. While I don't consider this film to follows cannon; it is a great comedy pastiche of the original story, and as such it stands on its own as one of my favorites.

[@dernvader6876]

Wow, most people realize this by 5 years old... late bloomer?

[@SIZModig]

I don't agree that the Lone Ranger was mistreated as such; if you're a fan (and that would likely make you old) then sure, but for someone who only knows of the Lo e Ranger by name and nothing else it's a nice take to see his humble beginnings. You don't have to put him on a piedestal, a story of growth is interesting.

[@voodude8986]

That train scene was fire though

[@Me-wx1mt]

Glad you talked about how Johnny Depp isn’t actually native and so casting him as tonto is slightly problematic

[@ElvishRanger93]

The late Glen A. Larson was inspired by “The Lone Ranger” when creating the 80s show “Knight Rider.”

[@Carabas72]

I would have liked The Lone Ranger more if it had got a cool supercar instead of Johhny Depp acting like a clown.

[@ElvishRanger93]

@@Carabas72 Agreed on that.

[@RunnerX13]

Never saw the movie, but sounds like they confused the Green Hornet with the Lone Ranger, who’s the grand nephew of the Lone Ranger.

[@frzBAW]

Getting anyone besides a native to play Tonto is why it would fail from the start

[@silverplushstudios3518]

When I was younger, my grandparent's had a house in Creede, Colorado, which was where some scenes of the movie were filmed. So I used to think it was cool that the town I had semi-grew up in got featured in a movie. That and the Lego Line I played with a ton.

[@Yosh1az]

My father and I watched this movie several years ago, and we adore it. He's a huge fan of Jonny Depp.

[@san_poil_indian]

I am an American Indian and I loved this movie. I grew up watching reruns of The Lone Ranger and Johnny Depp was hilarious and he made this movie great.

[@mishterkhalid3117]

you are from the country of India?

[@worthybutter2004]

@@mishterkhalid3117 he probably means Native American, which is commonly referred to as Indian.

[@kaytea.]

@@mishterkhalid3117the white man labeled Native Americans as Indians

[@mishterkhalid3117]

@@worthybutter2004 no. that name was given to them by Christopher Columbus who mistakenly thought he reached india when in reality it was the bahamas. colombus died thinking he was actually in india. and you guys still use that name, when satellite images clearly show that bahamas and the two Americas are not in fact india. they are different continents. if your name were Michael and someone mistakenly called you John, would you change your name to John?

[@worthybutter2004]

@@mishterkhalid3117 Yes, I already knew that, thanks!

[@j.s.matlock1456]

The best thing about that movie was the Utah scenery. Johnny Depp was not playing Tonto. Johnny Depp was playing Jack Sparrow in buckskin. The whole thing was an insult to the memories of Jay Silverheels and Clayton Moore.

[@jonneyritz6085]

The trick to enjoying the hell outta this movie is to have zero knowledge/opinion of Lone Ranger. I like many, passed on this originally because who cares about Depp as an indian? But i found it bout 5 years after release and its a thing of beauty. It looks phenomenal, cinematography is epic and the CGI is isnt over the top in your face like every movie now, its a buddy movie instead of a romance and the ending action scene on train scene is worth it alone. If you are a fan of original i can see where your hatred might come from, but as a child of the 80s i had no comparison so this weird movie full of odd comedy and surreal violence is right up my alley. I feel anyone who is even a mild fan of flicks like pirates, or jungle cruise or The Mummy as really missing out by not giving this oddball western a shot

[@KarmaticBuggAdventures]

I really wish they hadn't cast Depp, this movie would've been rembered differently. I think the update would've worked, but your right what we got was pirate cowboys...

[@ajwinberg]

I loved this movie and I am really surprised so many people didn't. I used to watch the reruns on TV back on the 1980s when I was a small child.

[@shaeholden1743]

I'm a baby boomer who grew up on the Lone Ranger TV series and was EXTREMELY excited about a Lone Ranger movie! And then I saw movie trailers with Lone Ranger re-cast into an idiot and Tonto re-made into the lead wearing those crap-looking feathers(?) on his head. 🤨 No, I did not go see that monstrosity.

[@richardtracy8242]

Didn't really miss anything.

[@KelseyToTheRescue]

I just watched it recently, I liked it and I don’t care what anyone else thinks of it

[@biguy617]

You are settle for a mediocre movie at best.

[@neophyteneo]

i like it too man.

[@KelseyToTheRescue]

@dee narcissist for liking a movie not many people like 🤔? Ok

[@nokutendamakombe5537]

@dee but u are using word u dont know. Having an unpopular opinnion and being proud of it is being a narcissict

[@KelseyToTheRescue]

@dee Ok, I don’t care if other people don’t like it, I still enjoy it regardless of what others think of it ☺️

[@cashanstuffco5387]

it’s my favorite movie because of all the potential it had and the sad song during the credits gives me the feeling that someone knew it would fail

[@CordeliaWagner]

I LOVE this movie. I fell madly in love with Armie Hammer. The single mom part is unnessessary, but I think it's a masterpiece. A love letter for the western genre.

[@ploopy8780]

Too bad he's a cannibal lmao

[@FrazzaJazz]

I actually grew up in a very small town where some of this movie was filmed. I remember everybody being so stoked. There was a contest for child extras and I remember driving by and seeing them film the scene where the Lone Ranger and Tonto jump out of the exploding boxcar.

[@denniseudela411]

The movie should've been titled "Tonto". They practically wrecked the titular legendary character and really wanted to ride the ☠️ Pirates... success streak. Lone Ranger is his own legend and that's where the movie missed the whole point. If it was titled for Depp's character, then the movie goers would've been more prepared to see such type of movie which could've resulted in a better box office return.

[@joebenzz]

i loved the old west grittness. You could almost feel the heat and the dust when watching it.

[@pharmtec24]

I liked the movie and the train action sequence at the end is movie making magic. The literal rhythm of the scene is so energetic and fun.

[@corning1]

I will never forget this. I torrented this movie and was watching it. It looked so good. I was literally and hour in and then someone stands up and walked by and it scared the shut out of me! I had no idea someone was filming it in the theater!! I like this movie it was good.

[@blackhorseman]

As an old guy it was always campy like the old Batman episodes. It wasn't intended to be quality television. It was for little kids. Campiness- that was the point. However back in the 80's on saturday mornings CBS they had a cartoon called "The Tarzan/Lone Ranger Adventure Hour". That was probably the best "serious" version of Lone Ranger and was quite good actually.

[@LlamaLogic]

It's funny how much of an iconic you describe the Lone Ranger to be since until now this movie was all I've know of the franchise

[@WattoXtreme]

I love this movie and I think it’s extremely underrated. It is definitely not perfect but I think it is very good. Wish we got a sequel.

[@DavidStarrUSA]

*I'm Native American. I couldn't be happier with Johnny Depp's performance. I wish the movie did better. Oh well, at least it got me the chance to meet and greet and have a five minute conversation with Mr Depp. We talked about Sleepy Hollow. Ha ha, he's awesome*

[@methos-ey9nf]

I think it was Patrick Willems that did a video essay about how Hollywood needs to work on making mything hero movies where they stick to the iconography. The examples where Robin Hood and King Arthur - Hollywood seems to go back to these and tend to make "de-constructions" and "re-imaginings" and "untold tales" when the casual movie go-er only has a loose understanding of the source material. Seems we can add The Lone Ranger to this list. Part of the reason Mask of Zorro worked was because they were continuing De La Vega's (original Zorro) story and handing it off; but they also played into the iconography as well.

[@jennifernoble8066]

I agree, it's not a great movie. Even if they were to cast an actual native for the role and change the script to have our leading ranger actually be competent, something special has to happen to get people invested again. And I don't think the supernatural should be involved. I have seen a few science fiction stories work with time travel which I would not be against, but the time travellers of the future would have to be far ahead of us as to make them feel more alien than our cowboy era protagonists. A bit Back to the Future, but not from Marty's perspective.

[@davidjuby7392]

to me the whole issue was in making the Lone Ranger comedic and bumbling which was too much of a deviation and undercuts what made him inspiring. This happens pretty much every time some second rate hack writer decides that it would be interesting to deconstruct the mythos and remove everything that made the characters stand out.

[@Carabas72]

No, this is what happens when a superstar with his own writers gets cast as Tonto and decides to co-produce it as well, while a relatively unknown (especially in 2013) gets cast as the Lone Ranger.

[@davidjuby7392]

@@Carabas72 lets just say that it was a rich tapestry of poor decisions as both of these beautifully reenforced each other in their destructive ability.

[@alsmith9853]

Hack Hollywood writers have forgotten the old saying about "heroes" : every man should want to be him every woman should want to be with him. It's old fashioned but probably worth remembering

[@Carabas72]

@@alsmith9853 That's just James Bond. By the way, what is driving this belief that writers are suddenly people that have power in Hollywood when they're pretty much on the bottom rung of the ladder?

[@davidjuby7392]

@@alsmith9853 old fashioned/stood the test of time

[@jackdonohue7893]

The Disney Lone Ranger movie was the first western I ever saw, and absolutely loved it. I still do, even after seeing classics like Once Upon a Time in the West and Good the bad and the ugly. It’s just such a perfect action movie.

[@space_bread]

I call this "The Green Hornet Effect" Aka, rebooting an old property while making fun of it and putting a useless main character with a competent side-kick. New people hate weak protagonists and old fans hate their favorite franchise being torn to shreds.

[@tangroro]

I love this movie, and think it's extremly underrated, eventhough I acknowledge it has some problems, but overall it's a solid fillm

[@ploopy8780]

Underrated would mean it deserves to be rated higher. I enjoy this movie, I think it's fun, but I don't think it's underrated. It's a relatively forgettable B list western that was made strictly for the purpose of making money and nothing else. Again, I actually like the movie, it's a guilty pleasure, but it's objectively not a good movie from a technical standpoint.

[@tangroro]

@@ploopy8780 I do think it's underrated because I think it's a decent movie, far from bad

[@jackdonohue7893]

@@ploopy8780 no, it’s underrated

[@richardtracy8242]

It's Underrated Because It's Garbage.

[@TheFrozenblaze_]

I started it one time and couldn't even finish it. It was just too weird.

[@thickmclargehuge4448]

its worth motioning that in 2003, the (then) WB network tried its hand at bringing back The Lone Ranger as a series. The film, intended as a pilot for a new television series, stars Chad Michael Murray as the Lone Ranger (the name of the Ranger's secret identity was changed from "John Reid" to "Luke Hartman") i remember the promo's for it having The lone ranger hooking up with Tonto's sister. it can be found on youtube and i dont think was ever released on DVD or anything as it was so bad

[@angus_bangus]

Disney must’ve forgot that what made Jack Sparrow so special was that he wasn’t the main character of the first pirates move.

[@kingstarscream3807]

Yeah he was. Will was a side character.

[@angus_bangus]

@@kingstarscream3807 bruh. jack is the side character in black pearl. he doesn’t even show up until something like the 10 minute mark.

[@grapeshot]

Actually didn't have a problem with this movie although I know it gets a lot of hate. I rather enjoyed it.

[@BillLaBrie]

It failed because of the bird on the head.

[@CapNCorn]

This is the problem with EVERY retelling of a classic character's story, from the Lone Ranger to Robin Hood to King Arthur and so on. Hollywood thinks they need to be updated, and not taken so seriously, which tends to result in these reboot films that are supposed to revive them actively mocking them instead. It's at a point where that's what people come to expect from these revivals even if the films themselves aren't like that. Case in point, "The Legend of Tarzan" does everything right that this film did wrong. That film actually brought back Tarzan with respect and dignity, but people are so conditioned to automatically hate new films about classic characters that it never got a fair chance. Films like this Lone Ranger reboot are the reason why.

[@davidshepherd397]

Remakes of old success films and heroes only work if they are true to the original story, when Hollywood changes/ruins the balance that made those stories and heroes memorable, it is a guaranteed flop. Why do they think that the story/hero was memorable in the first place

[@LeonardoKlotz]

I went to see A CURE FOR WELLNESS because of Gore Verbinski and Bojan Bazelli They're a great duo

[@theweatherverse]

I absolutely love this movie! I wish they made more

[@hectorrico8661]

I was honestly expecting 2 guys who were trying to outbadass each other. Instead they were just playing grabass, and it felt like a Pirates movie. I knew it was gonna fail by how that dumb bird looked like on Depp's head.

[@kevin10001]

What turned me off to the Lone Ranger was how much tonto’s look was inspired by captain jack sparrow and that not how the character is supposed to look I wouldn’t mind the Native American culture shown when the Lone Ranger is recuperating but he isn’t a Buffoon either it feels like Disney just wanted a new pirate’s style franchise to bank on that they got people who didn’t understand the lore of the Lone Ranger

[@WSendam]

I want a Lone Ranger movie that’s like red dead redemption 2 that game is so good and really makes me immersed into the west the rise and fall of Dutch Van der Linde and his surrogate son Arthur Morgan is an amazing deconstruction of the west and it’s faults

[@Ashyri]

3:33 “Disney CEO at the time Bob Iger” oh how this has aged in just a few days.

[@davidbaise5137]

Say listen… just look at the bird on top of Tonto’s headgear. That will give you a clue. You don’t have to watch this whole thing to figure.

[@mastervg64]

I honestly loved the film, despite all of the criticism it got. It's not perfect, it has to be said, but I still think that The Lone Ranger is vastly better than most of Disney's other movies.