As the Johnny Depp/Gore Verbinski iteration moves towards the cinema screen, this 1981 version - now over 30 years old - merits revisiting. Savaged at the time, how does it stand up now? To be frank, the reasons why it was savaged are all still there. The Lone Ranger's origin story is a good one, but it is helped immeasurably by having an actor of charisma in the role. With the best will in the world, the unfortunate Klinton Spilsbury demonstrates, in a career-destroying performance (this was his only film), that not he is a charisma-free zone, he is also an acting-free zone. Michael Horse, as Tonto, is a better actor, but doesn't command the screen any better.
We need our heroes larger than life, not smaller.
We need our heroes larger than life, not smaller.