Not since John Ford made his famous “oaters” (to coin Variety jargon) has Monument Valley looked so splendid. Gore Verbinski’s (the Pirates Of The Caribbean franchise) version of The Lone Ranger is a fast-paced, eye-popping Western that moves along faster than a speeding bullet... or should that be train? Forget the storyline, which is a bit too silly at times, and revel in the on-screen action and the fun performances by Tonto (Johnny Depp, once again dressed up in a weird outfit – this one leaves his character Jack Sparrow from The Pirates Of The Caribbean looking almost plain in comparison!) and his ‘kemosabe’ John Reid aka The Lone Ranger (Arnie Hammer - J.Edgar / The Social Network).

Depp in particular delivers some of the funniest lines and most wonderful expressions through a thick veneer of caked-on make-up topped off by a dead crow on his head, a bird he insists on feeding. The leads are ably supported by terrific performances from Tom Wilkinson (Batman Begins / The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel), who plays railroad representative Latham Cole, Helen Bonham Carter (Alice In Wonderland / Sweeney Todd) as brothel owner Red Harrington, and William Fichtner (The Dark Knight Rises / Black Hawk Down) as the very nasty Butch Cavendish, who spends most of his time covered in blood and guts.

The story begins in San Francisco in 1933 with a visit to a Wild West memorial gallery by a young boy dressed in a Lone Ranger’s outfit. He strikes up a conversation with an ancient Native American who takes him on a rollicking adventure down memory lane. In a nutshell, he explodes the myth behind the building of a railway by the invading white settlers through the territory of the Comanche Indians. It turns out it wasn’t just about opening up the West for expansion and trade – greed and personal gain had a quite a bit to do with it, too. Who knew?

In the tradition of Pirates Of The Caribbean there are some spectacular stunts performed, many on speeding trains travelling through stunning vistas that are nearly as breathtaking as the drama on screen. When the end credits roll it is not surprising to see as many names on the stuntmen and women list as on the digital effects list, a rarity in these CGI days. It goes to show that a good old-fashioned stunt, performed by flesh-and-blood human beings, is still worth watching. The action is enhanced by Bojan Bazelli’s fabulous cinematography, Hans Zimmer’s equally fabulous soundtrack (yes, we get the famous theme) and the adept editing of James Haygood and Craig Wood.

Fans of the ‘50s TV series will not be disappointed as there are a number of tongue-in-cheek references to it; those not familiar with the series will still enjoy this spectacular ride with a duo whose names translate as ‘dummy’ and ‘good scout’. It’s up to you to figure out which one is which.

// SALT

Previewed at Event Cinemas, George Street, Sydney, on 27 June 2013