The Lone Ranger

Hi Ho, Silver! Away!

Yeah, that's right; the popular TV series has been made into a film by Disney, and you know what? It's really entertaining.

The story of the lone ranger is told by an aged Tonto, looking back fondly on the transformation of a law man into a gun-slinging outlaw, bent on seeking justice and revenge for the death of his brother. The one thing that any viewer should know is not to go into the film expecting anything other than a romp. Take it with a pinch of salt, and you'll be laughing through the ridiculous chase sequences and oddities. 

The film plays entirely on the fact that Disney have kept the original storyline, but made some amusing changes along the way that will make devoted fans of the series happy. 'Kemo Sabe' (the name that Tonto calls him, for example, originally meant 'trusted friend', or trusty scout, but in this version it means 'wrong brother', a jibe that the survivor of the ambush should have been Dan Reid and not John. The kids will be happy too, with the duo of Tonto and Reid quipping their way through the movie.

With a cast that includes the ever-impressive Johnny Depp (Tonto) and Helena Bonham-Carter (Red Harrington, all you need to know is that her fake leg is a gun), the film was always sure to be a good laugh, if nothing else. But it surpasses that with Depp playing his not-entirely-sane native American character to perfection. Oh, and the spirit-horse? Weird, but hilarious.

The story was good, too. It had a nice plot that enabled the two leads to develop their character well. Particularly that of Tonto, whose back-story turns out to be pretty integral to the plot. The climax, to the famous William Tell Overture, is exciting and hilarious. The whole film is hugely enjoyable and slightly mad; a great way to spend a couple of hours.

With tons of action and a lot of laughs, the film is great for all ages. 

Dare I give it a 10/10? I think I will.

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Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

Finally, there is an ending to the intriguing phenomenon that is the Harry Potter franchise, and may I say that it doesn't disappoint.

The effects are simply stunning, with extensive  CGI in the form of dragons, knights, giants, magic and one intricate castle. The fight scenes are well choreographed and give it that edge that they just didn't have back in The Philosopher's Stone, 10 years ago.

I'm sure most, if not all, of you have read the book and so I won't say too much about the plot. However, the film, as always, does miss out a few plot points that may have helped the viewers who have yet to read it. Despite this, they weren't so shambolic or intrinsic to the plot, and the action soon overtook anything that may not have made sense.

As can be expected, the film jumps almost straight into the action, and within a few minutes we are given our first slice of adventure; Gringotts, complete with a beautiful set and some more wonderful CGI treats. The journey on the cart under the bank was well done due to the detail in the surroundings.

Bonus acting points in this section have to go to Helena Bonham Carter for playing a believable 'Hermione as Bellatrix', the stances and facial expressions were spot on and rather comic.

The battle of Hogwarts takes up the majority of the film - and rightly so. There is so much happening in this space of time that it would only be right to give it as much attention as possible. And the effects, again, were bewildering. Just the magic shield protecting the castle was awe inspiring, and it all looked so real, considering the castle is entirely CGI in these parts.

One point to mention is that you don't see more minor deaths, like those of Tonks, Lupin and Fred. This was much less emotional than it could have been. You also don't get to see Professor Trelawney throwing crystal balls at invaders, much to my own displeasure, but there were some comic moments to make up for this.

We tend to follow Harry around the place, which may lead to viewers feeling like they are missing the main action of the battle to get on with finding and destroying the Horcruxes, not to mention having a few revelations.

The end scene was one that leaves you a little bit hollow. It is the end. The characters are grown up (admittedly, not looking too much older than they already do, despite being meant to be about 35), Voldemort is dead, and an era is ending. Still, it is a good film, and worth seeing if only for the finality of the plot and the wonderful effects.

Not quite a 10, but close enough; I give it a 9 out of 10.