The untold origin of the Lone Ranger. It shows who he was and how and why he became the Ranger.

Legendary bomb. The idea was not a bad one--reinvent and introduce the Lone Ranger for 1980s audiences. Right off the bat though there were problems. The studio ordered Clayton Moore (the original Ranger) to stop appearing anywhere as the Lone Ranger. It led to a nasty little battle that made headlines. I know of people who refused to see the film because of how Moore was treated. Also they hired the awesomely untalented Klinton Spilsbury to play the Ranger. Spilsbury was very handsome and muscular but had absolutely no charisma and just couldn't act. In fact his whole vocal performance was redubbed by another actor! Also his off screen antics (public drunkenness and beating people up) didn't help matters. Acting aside, the script is dull and slow. Also the Ranger himself doesn't show up until an HOUR in! There were some complaints at the time that the movie was too violent for a PG. However I don't think it was that bad.

There are a few (very few) things done right here--the photography was truly beautiful; Michael Horse was excellent as Tonto; Christopher Lloyd is lots of fun as the villain and when the Lone Ranger finally shows up (with the William Tell Overture booming from the soundtrack) it's really rousing. But, all in all, this is a boring and terrible attempt to bring back the Lone Ranger. It's easy to see why this bombed. A 4--mostly for the photography.

I heard about the negative remarks about this film. I know about the problems of making it. The only good thing about the movie is that I enjoyed it very much. I remember seeing the old reruns of the original show. I enjoyed Clayton Moore being the masked avenger. Jay Silverheels, the original Tonto died in 1980. Michael Horse did well playing the role. This movie goes back into the origins of the Lone Ranger. He was orphaned as a kid. Raised by Tonto as a "blood brother". After becoming a lawyer and a Texas Ranger, that's is when The Lone Ranger was born. Following the ambush set up by a rogue Calvary leader(Christopher Lloyd),recovering from his injuries by Tonto, and finding the steed that made his famous. The Lone Ranger is a symbol of justice. The movie could have been a hit if the right people were involved. Oh well. It may have been a bomb in the box office, but it is a hit with me. The other remake I heard was a bomb, at least this version is better. 2.5 out of 5 stars

The lone survivor of an ambush of a Texas Ranger patrol (Klinton Spilsbury) is rescued by his childhood AmerIndian friend, Tonto (Michael Horse). He becomes the Lone Ranger and, along with Tonto, they go after the traitor & outlaw gang that orchestrated the massacre. Christopher Lloyd plays the villain, Matt Clark the crooked sheriff, Juanin Clay the beautiful lady and Jason Robards President Grant.

"The Legend of the Lone Ranger" (1981) is the first cinematic depiction of this Western hero, not counting the movies strewn together from the TV series (1949-1957) featuring Clayton Moore in the titular role. It's similar to "Mackenna's Gold" (1969) mixed with "The Comancheros" (1961) and its unacknowledged remake "Rio Conchos" (1964). All of these Westerns have a similar comic book tone, Southwest setting and a plot revolving around a veteran Civil War megalomaniac.

The difference is that "The Legend of the Lone Ranger" adds the masked Western hero angle, akin to the later "The Mask of Zorro" (1998),but this doesn't even occur until two minutes shy of the hour mark. From there, whenever the masked avenger shows up along with the corresponding "William Tell Overture" and "Hi, ho, Silver, Away!" it spurs chuckles. But, disregarding that, this is a standard comic book Western with a respectful, serious take on the legend.

This was lead actor Spilsbury's lone venture into cinema after only two small TV gigs. He looks the part and has the charisma, but the script doesn't give his character enough dimension and his voice was dubbed with James Keach's deeper vox. His fellow actors in the movie said this was unnecessary since there was nothing wrong with Spilsbury's voice (obviously the producers just wanted a deeper vox). Meanwhile, it's nice to see winsome Juanin Clay again (who had a significant role in the Buck Rogers episode "Vegas in Space" two years earlier),but not enough is done with her.

Unfortunately, bad publicity resulting from the studio's ill-advised lawsuit with Clayton Moore over his wearing the mask in public appearances tarnished the film's premiere. This combined with the recent box office bomb of "Heaven's Gate" (1980) and the general public disinterest in Westerns at the time doomed the movie. But, if you appreciate any of those Westerns noted above, it's worth a look even though the Johnny Depp version is all-around more entertaining (2013).

The film runs 1 hour, 38 minutes, and was shot Arizona (Monument Valley),New Mexico (Bonanza Creek Ranch and Eaves Movie Ranch in Santa Fe, Cook Ranch in Galisteo, Abiquiu),Southern Cal (Bronson Canyon Vasquez Rocks) and Utah (Moab, Monument Valley).

GRADE: B-