Movie Reviews

By Lynne Martin

It has been quite a while since I’ve seen a Walt Disney/Jerry Bruckheimer movie that didn’t impress me, so I was a little surprised when this latest version of THE LONE RANGER (2013) starring Johnny Depp, Armie Hammer, and William Fichtner hit the big screen.

Recounted from the personal memories of the legendary figure Tonto, we follow this Native American warrior back to 1869 as he shares his tales of John Reid’s rise from the life of simple lawman all the way up to legendary status as the famous Lone Ranger. Tonto’s most trusted Ke-mo-sah-bee.

Plagued by an enormous cast of secondary characters, viewers can easily become overwhelmed, tiring of sorting through the unnecessary subplots cluttering the already busy script. With over 200 million spent on production costs, I might have expected a more streamlined story and maybe a little more respect for such well-recognized and historically prominent characters.

In reality, maybe I shouldn’t be too surprised by the unique handling of the material when we remind ourselves that this Disney/Bruckheimer collaboration is also responsible for THE PIRATES OF THE CARRIBEAN franchise. Putting a unique spin on the characters was almost a given, although Jack Sparrow’s sense of sarcasm could have stayed buried a little deeper in the treasure chest.

Directed by Gore Verbinski, THE LONE RANGER seemed to drag a little as it comes in at 149 minutes. Although definitely a period piece, this film may not appeal to devoted western fans who aren’t familiar with the likes of Johnny Depp and his personal take on such a recognizable role. Rated PG-13, Action, Adventure, Western. ** 2 stars out of 5. “Hi-Yo, Silver! Away!” Cue the William Tell overture.

Grown Ups 2 flops flat

For the past 14 years, Rob Schneider and Adam Sandler have made 18 movies together starting with their first collaboration back in 1996. So when Schneider took a pass on GROWN UPS 2 (2013) starring Adam Sandler, Kevin James, and Chris Rock, it might have been a powerful omen of things to come.

After tiring of the big city and all the inherent crime, Lenny Feder decides to movie his wife and children back to his hometown in a bid to spend their time in a much safer and friendly environment. It is a conscious effort by Lenny to commune with his childhood friends and expose his own family to a more welcoming kind of community. Within days of settling into their new home, the Feder family and their neighboring friends find themselves forced to grow up and learn the lessons that they must have missed in their own childhoods on the very last day of the school term.

With such comedic talent, sans Rob Schneider, it’s still surprising that GROWN UPS 2 could be such a flop with most of the one liners falling flat even before their delivery was complete. Case in point is the opening scene with a marauding deer, which could have had provided some decent laughs, but instead, we’re left with the old fall back of untimely urination. A cheap and un-resourceful kind of ploy.

Seems like every time I see Taylor Lautner starring in a movie as of late, he’s standing on a rocky cliff and preparing to jump off the edge into the water below. I’m not sure what his connection is to cliff diving, but he’s definitely milking his athletic skills and not relying too heavily on anything else to propel his acting career.

Directed by Dennis Dugan, the crude jokes and toilet humor wears thin rather quickly, leaving audiences bored and wondering if they’ve maybe outgrown Sandler’s take on mainstream comedy. Rated PG-13, 101 mins, Comedy, Sequel. ** 2 stars out of 5.

– Lynne Martin is an avid movie collector and a staunch supporter of sexual education. She currently resides in Alberta, Canada with her husband and their large extended family. For a complete list of her reviews and other works, or to leave a comment, please go to: www.lynnemartinbooks.com.

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