This summer’s THE LONE RANGER, much like Disney’s JOHN CARTER of last year, was pronounced dead on arrival by audiences and panned by more than two-thirds of critics. However, there is also a band of resistance that has trumpeted the film a misunderstood suceess, one of which is producer Jerry Bruckheimer. Speaking at the TV Critics Association press tour to promote his new show, Hostages, the legendary producer gave his two cents on how some films miss their mark with people on their first go round, saying:
“It reminds me of a critic who called Flashdance a ‘toxic dump.’ Ten years later [the critic] said, ‘This is really a good movie. I missed it.’ I think [Lone Ranger] is going to be looked back on as a brave, wonderful film.” Bruckheimer said the bad reviews obviously helped keep audiences away, but that it can sometimes be the opposite in other markets. “You always want to get good reviews, but you know, it’s reversed in Europe. It’s 70 percent good reviews and 30 percent mixed there. So, that happens.”
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You can toss my name in with the folks who enjoyed THE LONE RANGER. It wasn’t perfect and could easily lose 20 minutes, but it was fun, inventive, dark, and nostalgic, which echoed the memories I had of watching the 1981 THE LEGEND OF THE LONE RANGER as a boy. I think that once people get over “trusting the hate” that’s come from critics and, y’know, actually watch the film, many perspectives will be changed. Undoubtedly, some will still hate it, but I think many will find a film that was grossly misunderstood and sold short, again, just like Disney’s JOHN CARTER. So, in this instance, I agree with Bruckheimer.
For those that saw it, do you think this is a film that will catch on in time or do you agree that it’s the bomb critics panned it as?
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