While we may be a couple years off from another Jack Sparrow adventure, producer Jerry Bruckheimer and star Johnny Depp (as well as original “Pirates of the Caribbean” director Gore Verbinski) have reteamed to take on a similarly iconic property (in similarly bombastic summer movie form) – “The Lone Ranger.” While the previous trailers for the film (and an extended 20-minute preview) had us pretty excited for the movie, a new trailer, emphasizing the film’s action set pieces, is leaving us positively jazzed. While a big Hollywood Western is anything but a sure thing, “The Lone Ranger” looks like it’s got the goods.
While Disney is taking great pains to draw the comparison between “The Lone Ranger” and “Pirates of the Caribbean,” this footage reinforces that it’s yet another Verbinski/Depp collabo that makes for a more easy comparison – Verbinski’s Oscar-winning animated feature “Rango.” Things like the Lone Ranger’s white horse in the reflection of the train’s windows and a band of marauders taking souvenirs from passengers (like the bonnet), seem directly lifted from that film’s visual playfulness. And it’s exciting to see Verbinski realize these images in live action instead of animation.
Much of the action is, of course, centered around the trains (at one point Verbinski vowed to make “the biggest train sequence of all time”), which is a major plot point in the film (as far as we can gather). Shots like the Ranger (Armie Hammer) riding his horse through a train and firing at another passing train (and riding on top of that train with said horse) are the kind of madcap visual flourishes that only Verbinski would be crazy enough to attempt (and only Disney would be crazy enough to okay).
The thing that struck us in the footage that we got to preview was the chemistry between Depp and Hammer, and while that doesn’t completely shine through in the trailer, we are given wonderful moments like Hammer defiantly stating that “He’d rather be an outlaw” (keep in mind before this he is merely a peaceful lawyer). If anything, this new trailer alludes to their friendship and banter without actually giving anything away, which is more than acceptable in a time when watching the trailer makes you feel like you’ve already seen the whole movie.
While “The Lone Ranger” seems like far from a sure thing (didn’t “Wild Wild West” occupy this same release date a few years ago?), we’re optimistic it could be one of the summer’s most genuinely thrilling rides. And what’s more – there is also a new TV spot and a handful of new photos from the film to feast your merry little eyes on. “The Lone Ranger” opens July 3rd, everywhere.
