The Lone Ranger

The Lone Ranger is currently streaming in Australia on Disney Plus, and in the UK on Disney Plus, and it earns its set pieces rather than just delivering them. The runtime earns every minute, with nothing here that feels like padding. 6,201 viewers have already rated it on TMDB — the kind of consensus that does not happen by accident. Johnny Depp's performance is the throughline that holds the set pieces together. There is no real reason to keep putting it off — it is right there on Disney Plus.

Part of the current wave of titles people are actually watching, The Lone Ranger earns its spot. The choreography in The Lone Ranger serves the story instead of interrupting it. The Texas Rangers chase down a gang of outlaws led by Butch Cavendish, but the gang ambushes the Rangers, seemingly killing them all. One survivor is found, however, by an American Indian named Tonto, who nurses him back to health. The Ranger, donning a mask and riding a white stallion named Silver, teams up with Tonto to bring the unscrupulous gang and others of that ilk to justice. Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer lead a cast that earns every set piece rather than just filling it. It hit screens in 2013. The Lone Ranger earns its bigger moments by making you care about the outcome before it happens. It delivers reliably on what it promises, which is more than most of its competition manages.

The genre has a long history of front-loading its best moments — The Lone Ranger is not one of those. It does not lean on comparisons to make its case. It is a manageable watch, easy to fit into a single evening. Johnny Depp's performance is the throughline that holds the bigger action elements together. Give it twenty minutes and decide — most viewers do not stop there.