The Lone Ranger

I had some friends who were lucky enough to work on this movie. Unfortunately, they didn't receive credits, but it must have been a hell of an experience. Also, unfortunately, this film has been receiving bad reviews. People are too cynical these days.

Starring Armie Hammer and Johnny Depp, "The Lone Ranger" is a retelling of the old TV show from the '50s. It is about an masked Texas Ranger who partners up with a Native American to fight justice. It's a pretty cut and dry plot, but Gore Verbinski makes it entertaining.

For some reason, this only has a 26% on Rotten Tomatoes. This brings me to my rant section of the blog.

I don't like Rotten Tomatoes system at all because the critics can only choose "Approve" or "don't Approve". Given them two choices will not necessarily define what they thought of the movie. Take for instance my opinion of "The Purge". Did I like it? No. Would I recommend it to a friend? No. Do I think it's better than the 38% that rotten tomatoes gives it? Yes. I think, if we're talking percentages like it's a grade, I would say it was a 52%. For a movie to be fairly critiqued and rated, you need at least a system of 1 to 5.

Anyway, I digress. This movie was quite enjoyable. That doesn't mean I thought it was good. There is a difference between enjoyabl-ity (shut up) and quality. There was a time when I would have said this movie was stupid because it wasn't deep or meaningful. But that's when I was in my movie hipster days. All hipsters and cynics are just immature people who haven't grown up enough to realize you can enjoy the stupid things from time to time. Not everything needs to be philosophical. Some things can just have action sequences that defy the laws of physics.

Now, brings me to my hypocritical point in the blog. Historical Inaccuracies! That is one thing that is unforgivable in my mind. In this movie, they sang "The Star Spangled Banner" as the national anthem in 1868. "The Star Spangled Banner" wasn't adopted as the National Anthem until 1931. It's earliest recognition as a national song was by the U.S. Navy in 1889, 21 years after this movie takes place!

Also, Johnny Depp isn't Native American... but who cares?

What does all my ranting and going off topic mean? It means people shouldn't be so critical. If you legitimately hated this movie, I understand. But to give it a low rating just because it wasn't "The Godfather" or "Gone With the Wind" is just silly. I hate how cynical this world has become.

My Grade: B

Dredd

Action movies are kind of a grey area for me. If they take themselves to seriously, I don't tend to like them. When they take themselves to seriously, it feels like they are trying to be something more than the are. Mindless action movies should be just that. Mindless. Which is more fun.

You can turn your brain off for Dredd and still have fun.

In a nuclear radiated future where nearly all land is uninhabitable, there is a Mega-city the stretched from Boston to Washington D.C. In this city, there is chaos. Gangs run the streets. The only justice there is are Judges. They are Judge, Jury and Executioner. Judge Dredd is one of the best. He is given the task of training a Rookie Judge who has psychic abilities.

When they go to investigate a triple homicide at the Peach Trees tower, they are met by a new gang. The Ma-Ma Gang. This gang makes and distributes SLO-MO. A drug that makes the brain feel as though time is traveling at 1% it's normal speed. Mama, the leader of the gang, holds the entire tower hostage promising not to open the 12 steel walls and doors until someone brings the two Judges to her, dead. Judge Dredd and the rookie must fight off the entire block.

This is a remake of the 1995 movie Judge Dredd, starring Sylvester Stallone. I haven't seen that one, but I can't imagine it being better than this. That's right, it is possible for a remake to be better than the original.

This movie is a fun movie, filled with violence and bad one-liners. But the thing that makes this movie good is that it feels like the filmmakers had fun making it. They didn't take themselves to seriously and they didn't want the audience to take it to seriously. How could you take it seriously when the main character has the biggest frown in the world on? I didn't even know it was possible to frown like this!

Dredd will have you smiling through the whole movie. It is great entertainment.

My Grade: B+