The Legend of the Lone Ranger: Blu-Ray Review
Arriving this week on Blu-ray is 1981’s “The Legend of the Lone Ranger”, starring Klinton Spilsbury, Christopher Lloyd and directed by William A. Fraker. I had not seen this film in more than 30 years and even though it was a massive bomb when released theatrically, I remembered enjoying it as a kid. Although I was too young to be aware of the film’s bad publicity upon its’ release I think that negative buzz made the film seem much worse than it actually was.
Having the chance to revisit “The Legend of the Lone Ranger” for the first time as an adult, I have to say that although it’s pretty campy and takes too long to get going, it treats the title character much better than the recent 2013 release from director Gore Verbinski. Two of the best elements of “The Legend of the Lone Ranger” are Christopher Lloyd as Butch Cavendish and Jason Robards as Ulysses S. Grant.
Although Shout! Factory’s HD transfer looks great, this release is lacking in bonus features. A theatrical trailer is the only added bonus. It would have been great to get an interview with Spilsbury on this release but I have a feeling that his experience with the film is something he wants to keep buried in his past. If you are a fan of “The Legend of the Lone Ranger” then this one might be for you. Just don’t expect anything more than a clean looking transfer of the film.
Bonus Features
• Theatrical Trailer
By: Marc Ferman