Awhile back, I talked briefly about Shout Factory's release of Ultra Seven, and how I embraced it with open arms despite what few reservations I had about the set. I had jokingly said that if they continued, we might see a Region 1 release of other series like "Return of Ultraman," "Ultraman Taro," and "Ultraman Leo" by 2016.
I have just learned that Shout Factory is releasing "Ultra Q" in August, prompting me to think that more Ultraman releases may be more likely than I had previously hoped for. "Ultra Q" is the series made before "Ultraman" and without its success, there would be no Ultraman series. Think "X-Files" meets "Godzilla".
Fingers crossed, people. Fingers crossed.
Saturday, July 20, 2013
Thursday, July 04, 2013
Review: The Lone Ranger
Disney's version of "The Lone Ranger" has had a long journey on its way to the big screen. Before the film was even finished, there was a lot of debate over Johnny Depp's odd choice of design for Tonto and that bird on his head. Thankfully, the film incorporated the bird within its stable of running gags that help give the film its own personality.
Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer make a good team, with Depp's deadpan playing off Hammer's almost manic energy. Hammer, a relative newcomer, stands his ground against Depp and plays up John Reid's young naivete. The two aren't too happy being partners from the start, but gradually become their own version of the dynamic duo of the Wild West. While remaining true to the Lone Ranger's origins, Tonto is given his own tragic origin, where he wears his own mask of makeup and that infamous stuffed bird hat.
The movie begins with an aged Tonto retelling the story to a young boy in the 1930s. While interesting, nothing much becomes of this. The boy does not turn out to be Danny Reid's son, or, in my desperate hopes, a nod to the Green Hornet. (The Green Hornet's Britt Reid is related to The Lone Ranger's John Reid. They were both created by the same person, Fran Striker.) With even this simple framing device, the film strives for its own quirky style.
Unfortunately, that quirky humor is what bogs down the middle section of the film. Some trimming in general wouldn't have hurt this 149 minute film aimed at children. While there are some missteps, for the most part, the humor works, and there are some genuinely enjoyable parts to the film. The film picks up again where we meet Tonto's tribe and learn what's wrong with him to begin with. After the true villains of the piece are revealed, John Reid learns that his precious Law has been corrupted, and he puts back on the mask, this time as, finally, the Masked Rider for Justice.
This leads us to the epic climax, one of the most satisfying of recent years, involving two trains. This mirrors the beginning of the movie, where Reid and Tonto barely survive their first encounter on a train. Only now, with the Finale to the William Tell Overture in full force, the Lone Ranger and Tonto work as a team to bring the two men who ruined their lives to justice. The whole sequence has a dizzying synergy where all of the characters' idiosyncrasies meld into a solid thrill ride.
Speaking of the William Tell Overture, I was very surprise to hear it in the movie, because the composer Hans Zimmer is well known who deriding previous themes written or used in a franchise, even if said themes were written by the likes of John Williams or Danny Elfman. Supposedly, the only reason it made into the film was because the director focused him to use it, and Zimmer had his assistant Geoff Zanelli write the heart-pumping ten minute finale that includes the Overture.
Some critics say that the film apes the beautifully scenery of John Ford's films or the train shenanigans of Buster Keaton's "The General," but I feel the movie acquits itself by being loyal to its own personality. While we live in a time when something like "The Lone Ranger" can only be made as a comedy, it is still entertaining to watch.
Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer make a good team, with Depp's deadpan playing off Hammer's almost manic energy. Hammer, a relative newcomer, stands his ground against Depp and plays up John Reid's young naivete. The two aren't too happy being partners from the start, but gradually become their own version of the dynamic duo of the Wild West. While remaining true to the Lone Ranger's origins, Tonto is given his own tragic origin, where he wears his own mask of makeup and that infamous stuffed bird hat.
The movie begins with an aged Tonto retelling the story to a young boy in the 1930s. While interesting, nothing much becomes of this. The boy does not turn out to be Danny Reid's son, or, in my desperate hopes, a nod to the Green Hornet. (The Green Hornet's Britt Reid is related to The Lone Ranger's John Reid. They were both created by the same person, Fran Striker.) With even this simple framing device, the film strives for its own quirky style.
Unfortunately, that quirky humor is what bogs down the middle section of the film. Some trimming in general wouldn't have hurt this 149 minute film aimed at children. While there are some missteps, for the most part, the humor works, and there are some genuinely enjoyable parts to the film. The film picks up again where we meet Tonto's tribe and learn what's wrong with him to begin with. After the true villains of the piece are revealed, John Reid learns that his precious Law has been corrupted, and he puts back on the mask, this time as, finally, the Masked Rider for Justice.
This leads us to the epic climax, one of the most satisfying of recent years, involving two trains. This mirrors the beginning of the movie, where Reid and Tonto barely survive their first encounter on a train. Only now, with the Finale to the William Tell Overture in full force, the Lone Ranger and Tonto work as a team to bring the two men who ruined their lives to justice. The whole sequence has a dizzying synergy where all of the characters' idiosyncrasies meld into a solid thrill ride.
Speaking of the William Tell Overture, I was very surprise to hear it in the movie, because the composer Hans Zimmer is well known who deriding previous themes written or used in a franchise, even if said themes were written by the likes of John Williams or Danny Elfman. Supposedly, the only reason it made into the film was because the director focused him to use it, and Zimmer had his assistant Geoff Zanelli write the heart-pumping ten minute finale that includes the Overture.
Some critics say that the film apes the beautifully scenery of John Ford's films or the train shenanigans of Buster Keaton's "The General," but I feel the movie acquits itself by being loyal to its own personality. While we live in a time when something like "The Lone Ranger" can only be made as a comedy, it is still entertaining to watch.
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