The Lone Ranger (2013) Jacob Hando Back when Disney was daring with its live action project, the company pumped an enormous budget into what would become a gigantic box office flop: The Lone Ranger. Unfairly hammered by critics, this blockbuster Western deserves a lot more love. Pairing up Johnny Depp and director Gore Verbinski together for the fifth time, The Lone Ranger has all the smooth camera work, narrative propulsion and ridiculous humour that made Pirates of the Caribbean such a hit. It is a mighty 150 minutes in length and is not without any flaws, but what critics missed was the palpable sense of fun that everyone involved was having. Quentin Tarantino is one of the few authorities who has praised it, in particular its bombastic climax which, set to the Hans Zimmer’s refining of the William Tell Overture, stages one of the most impressive trainorientated action sequences ever. It’s a shame bad publicity around the film’s budget led to audiences turning away, and it is an even mightier shame that critics forgot to have some fun at the cinema. Perhaps Disney’s stale slate of current live action films is due to the backfired risk of making this splendidly enjoyable and different film.
Within some of our favourite films, there will undoubtedly be a personal favourite that we consider as under-appreciated by fellow critics and moviegoers. As our new magazine celebrates guilty pleasures, our writers pick their favourite films that have been under-appreciated and are worth defending.
After Earth (2013) Reece Beckett M.Night Shyamalan has received more than his fair share of criticism as a director, and After Earth might be his most hated film alongside The Last Airbender. The vitriol towards After Earth has always been a little confusing - both stars Will and Jaden Smith seem to be magnets for criticism, just as Shyamalan has been since 2000’s Unbreakable - but in the last few years, it seems that a growing number of moviegoers are starting to come around to After Earth a little more. It’s undoubtedly an odd awry piece of sci-fi, but there is something genuinely elegant at its core which overtakes the film’s flaws completely. The tagline “Fear is a choice” emphasises the story’s focus on overcoming anxiety and although it might strike as insensitive, the way how Shyamalan articulates it visually is genuinely beautiful and arguably reminiscent of Werner Herzog’s war epic Rescue Dawn. Although typical in Shyamalan’s work, After Earth handles it in a unique manner that actually uses its action to navigate the steps towards recovery. It’s not a perfect film but it’s far, far better than many have allowed.
Images courtesy of Walt Disney/Sony Pictures
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