The Legend of the Lone Ranger | 
 enlarge | Director: William A. Fraker
Actors: Klinton Spilsbury, Michael Horse, Christopher Lloyd
Studio: Lions Gate
Category: DVD
List Price: $14.98
Buy New: $8.49
You Save: $6.49 (43%)
New (31) Used (7) from $8.49
Rating:  22 reviews
Sales Rank: 14147
Format: Color, Dolby, Full Screen, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled)
Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Region: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Number Of Discs: 1
Running Time: 98 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.3 x 0.6
MPN: LGED24081D
UPC: 031398240815
EAN: 0031398240815
ASIN: B001ARDC16
Theatrical Release Date: 1981
Release Date: August 26, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Studio: Lions Gate Home Ent. Release Date: 08/26/2008 Run time: 98 minutes Rating: Pg
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| Customer Reviews: Read 17 more reviews...
 America's Favorite Turkey Finally on DVD December 15, 2008
Eric Pregosin (New Carrollton, Maryland United States)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
If you're a die hard fan of the Lone Ranger series from the golden age of tv, or even the 2 big screen movies that Clayton Moore and Jay Silverheels made, you will be disappointed by this film. Not to mention that its star Klinton Splisbury was dubbed, and after that disappeared into obscurity. Despite all this, I saw this on the big screen and liked it, so much so I taped it off HBO many moons ago, and since copied that tape to disc. Let's look at some of the good things it has. 1) John Reid is made out to be a lawyer starting his practice rather than just a Texas Ranger along side his brother. 2) Jason Robards gives a performance of Grant that is believable. 3) Christopher Lloyd's Cavendish is not just an outlaw. Here he is an ex Union Army and he runs his band like a western day Godfather. Moreover Butch is only a nickname, his given name is "Bartholemew". 4) Collins, the double agent is more convincing, on radio I hear he was a half indian scout, here he is more the line of Benedict Arnold. 5) Michael Horse's Tonto speaks normal English even among his tribe while those who came before him did injun talk (even if could speak normally when not acting like. Silverheels). 6) For a time, John Reid has a love interest which makes you think that you may see more of Amy at a later time. It doesn't happen, but the idea is what counts here. Alright I agree, Merle Haggard's poor rhymes in his narration could have been improved, but they did help tell the story. As for John Barry's music, it's not Dances With Wolves, but still lively to keep you awake for the whole 1 hour and 40 minutes of the movie (the recording of William Tell aka the main theme during the fight scene at the end is first rate). Finally you do see, the human side of Reid at the end. The radio show and tv show made him out to be someone who would just fight for justice and would NEVER take a life, but you see here in the end that he was ready to take Cavendish out as revenge for his brother's death. It shows that for a minute, his old self was still there. It's when he realizes that he would be no better than Butch himself that he spares him, and thus now the code we all know the masked man lives by is established. So look at this way, is the movie a turkey, YES. Is it a movie to be ignored, NO. There are many people were around from 1980 to the present who never knew "the legend" and this does tell a reasonably accurate version of it. It's taken nearly 30 years for hit to hit DVD, my advice, buy it and keep it with your rare treasures that come and go on DVD. The chances on us seeing its like again are rare.
 One of my Guilty Pleasures November 11, 2008
Julio Camacho (Lehi, UT USA)
I remember watching The Lone Ranger with my Father and when the movie came out, I was excited to relive that feeling. I thought the movie was a good retelling of the origion story and that it gave John Reid/Lone Ranger more of a human feel and that I could relate with him. I know that others didn't like the film, but I can still watch the film and feel like a kid again with it. I almost feel like yelling "High-Yo Silver, Away" everytime I hear the William Tell Overture. It's one of my personal favorites.
 Full screen, really DVD bad transfer, and mediocre movie October 25, 2008
Daniel Cervantes
So, as others have said this DVD is Fullscreen (when I placed my order the product page still mistakenly said widescreen) and the video transfer is horrendous even for an 80's movie with many scenes out of focus and lots of dust and grain on the picture as if someone just video taped the movie for the DVD from a poor projection screen. The story on top of that is also pretty mediocre but I'm glad to finally have it again to show the kids.
 This is the one from the 80s October 23, 2008
Rodney Langley (Baton Rouge, LA USA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
The description on this item had me confused, but I bought it anyway. It's what I was hoping it was, the Lone Ranger movie from 1981. The movie was actually a little cheesier than I remembered with Merle Haggard narrating it (don't get me wrong, I love Merle, but it was sooo 70s sounding). Also, they did absolutely NO remastering of this at all. I could have done just as good of a job recording my VHS copy to DVD. Over all, it's better than not having it at all and something nice for kids to watch to get an idea of some of the heroes that were around in older generations.
Cheesy film, lousy DVD, uninspired direction, second rate acting. In other words, a Can't-Miss! October 14, 2008
M. Nichols (West Chester, OH United States)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I had not seen this film since its theatrical run way back when I was nine years old. And, at the time, I LOVED it. As time passed, I checked in to watch for a DVD release, all the while aware that my recollection of the film had to be idealized in a way that could never live up to the actual product in the here and now.
Yes and no.
Everything else written here by the other reviewers is true. The acting is mediocre at best, even by vets like Lloyd and Robard. The direction lacks any style and swipes nearly every scene from hundreds of hackneyed Westerns that have come before. The music is downright bad and the rhyming narration and title ballad is nearly unbearable. Even the classic William Tell Overture seems poorly executed as the Lone Ranger rides into action. And the DVD from Lion's Gate? Typical poor production of their budget-grade offerings. The soft focus in which the film is executed makes it all the grainier in this format. All that said, still the best ten bucks I have spent in a long time and highly recommended for families, genre fans and anyone who remembers this film and wonders how it holds up.
I was extremely pleased that The Legend of the Lone Ranger spent so much time developing the origin story - nearly the first hour of the 98-minute film passes before Reid ever dons the Ranger mask. My only wish is that the one-dimensional supporting cast, particularly Cavendish and Tonto, had been fleshed out a little during this time.
Much like Remo Williams, this film seems to be a set-up for a franchise that never occured. The remaining time in the film spent on the Lone Ranger's rescue of President Grant and undoing of Cavendish seems only to exist as a vehicle to set us up for a sequel (and even bigger Cavendish confrontation?). Fun cameo characters like Wild Bill Hickok and Buffalo Bill Cody are never even utilized (which is a shame with a great actor like Richard Farnsworth essentially wasted). Still, a great rainy afternoon flick with a good guy on a white horse, bad guys in black, and even a damsel (never really in distress, though).
A picky cinemaphile could destroy this film with no effort at all. There's no great message, no great art, not even a great story. But it's pretty good, clean fun and, really, a shame the franchise stalled so early. Here's hoping the upcoming revival is as entertaining and has a little more staying power.
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