I can't remember who but I'm sure someone on this forum is a big fan of The Lone Ranger. I caught this on my way home from work and was intrigued enough to sit in the car listening to the whole story before I did my Monday shopping.
I have good memories of The Lone Ranger. When I think of what it means to be a hero (or, more in context of the thought, a super hero) The Lone Ranger is somewhere on the list of inspirations. (Batman, Zorro and Superman are on there as well.)
Now the legend is 75 years old. While not as popular as he once was, he is still one of the great and more recognizable ones - especially when his theme music is played.
Hmm. Johnny Depp as Tonto? I dunno. I think that Viggo Mortensen might make a good and interesting Lone Ranger.
As an aside, the pictures in the article are from the quite-good Dynamite Comics "Lone Ranger" series. They've done a good job of re-telling the Lone Ranger origin story, explaining why he's so bent on bringing criminals to justice and why he refuses to kill -- without making him seem at all weak or silly. (Let's face it: as much as I love the Clayton Moore version, it was basically a kid's show, and a big-screen version done today would look silly -- what with him shooting the guns out of the bad guys' hands, lecturing people on civic responsibility, and so forth.*)
Another nice thing about the Dynamite series is that Tonto is portrayed as a complex and extremely intelligent individual, with his own agenda. It's strongly hinted (but never explicitly said) that he follows the Ranger around because he (Tonto) has suffered greatly in life, and the Ranger is the first (White) person he's met who has treated him as an equal. And because, despite all the terrible things that have happened to him (or perhaps because of them), Tonto has a deeply-engrained sense of justice -- and he openly admires the Ranger's refusal to simply accept injustice, and his determination to bring evil-doers to justice. (Even as Tonto thinks that the Ranger is rather naive about such things.)
*That having been said, I'm going to be most disappointed if they don't do right by The Lone Ranger. I appreciate Dynamite's "updating" of the character because they've managed to make him into an intelligent, believable, and very human character without stripping him of his core values, namely: that everyone (regardless of sex or color) should be treated with decency and respect; that those who prey upon innocents should be captured and punished (and rehabilitated, if possible); and that it is not up to those who capture the evil-doers to mete out judgment and punishment, because they aren't in a position to judge fairly or objectively.
If they try to turn TLR into just another generic "action hero" -- or worse yet, a "Dirty Harry"-style vigilante -- I'm going to be most displeased.
Cheers,
Michael
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“The greatest way to live with honor in this world is to be what we pretend to be.”
If they try to turn TLR into just another generic "action hero" -- or worse yet, a "Dirty Harry"-style vigilante -- I'm going to be most displeased.
I misspoke. At present the writers are Terry Rossio and Ted Elliot, who have worked together previously on The Mask of Zorro. I think they did a very good job with that story (say what you will about the Legend of Zorro).
It's still a ways away so anything could happen. Thankfully, it's not a Ben Stiller or Will Farrell vehicle so there's still hope.
That sounds promising. I quite liked The Mask of Zorro, and thought it was a good -- and reasonably faithful and respectful -- re-telling of the 'Zorro' legend.
The less said aboutThe Legend of Zorro, the better.
Cheers,
Michael
__________________
“The greatest way to live with honor in this world is to be what we pretend to be.”
I thought about specifying that I meant The Other Lone Ranger.
When Hollywood inevitably makes : The Movie, though, Will Farrell should totally play you.
Mike Meyers as Sovereignist
Anna Magnani as livius
Ringo Starr as Mickthinks
Hal (from 2001) as coberst
Any other suggestions?
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"It's lovely to live on a raft. We had the sky up there, all speckled with stars, and we used to lay on our backs and look up at them, and discuss about whether they was made or only just happened."
- The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain
They walked a p fine line, and I think they succeeded. They portrayed a real man with a real history and a real code he lived by, and they still honored the character of the Lone Ranger. Very nicely done.
I don't know, but he left this...
I thought about specifying that I meant The Other Lone Ranger.
: The Movie, though, Will Farrell should totally play you.
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