Demented Disney

WARNING:  Contains graphic content and the plot of Disney's "The Lone Ranger" will be revealed.

My husband and I were so excited to see the preview for "Disney's The Lone Ranger."  Matt remembered watching the television show as a kid and I have always been fond of westerns.  Unfortunately, we were unable to make it to the theater in time to see it on the big screen.

We patiently watched the Red Box app to for the movie to become available.  As soon as it was, we quickly rented a copy.  With freshly baked pizza in our laps, we sat on our living room floor and prepared to laugh our socks off.

Instead, we were completely horrified.  The movie was not an adventure/comedy.  What we saw was a very dark side of the Disney empire (Star Wars pun implied).

At the very beginning of the film, we meet Dan Reid, the ranger of the small town of Colby, Texas.  He is awaiting the arrival of a train that contains a certain outlaw (Butch Cavendish) who is to be hanged by his hands.  We soon learn that Cavendish is also chained to none other than Tonto.

John Reid (Dan's younger brother) is a lawyer returning home to visit his family.  He too, is on the same train.  While looking out his window, he sees the shadow of a man walking on top of the train.  The man turns out to be Tonto who is chasing the now escaped Cavendish.

John jumps atop the train and follows Tonto.  Together, they end up taking out several of  Cavendish's posse members, but manage to be foiled by Cavendish himself.

The pair are finally rescued by Dan Reid.  John insists on accompanying Dan into Comanche Territory to make sure that justice prevails.  While Dan fears for his younger brother, he makes him an honorary Texas Ranger and agrees to let him join the party.

Due to the double crossing of one of their own posse members, the rangers are ambushed in valley.  Cavendish comes upon Dan, who is quickly dying from multiple bullet wounds.  John (who is lying beside him) comes to in time to see Cavendish rip out Dan's heart and eat it!

I wanted to turn the DVD off right then and there.  What kind of demented script writing is that?  Not to mention that while this "feeding" is taking place, we are treated with seeing one of the posse members throw up.  As if that wasn't bad enough, we then get to see Cavendish's blood soaked hand accept a napkin and daintily wipe his mouth afterward.

How could Disney have come to this?  I understand that the film has a rating of PG-13, but even at my age of 29, I was not ready for the pure gore that filled this movie.  And didn't Walt Disney build his empire on wholesome family films?  Classic fairy tales with memorable characters and musical numbers?  This was more akin to something from "Carrie."

But, the darkness didn't stop there. While John and Tonto continue to pursue Cavendish and his men, they attempt to follow a horse into the desert.  The horse literally drops dead.  To make matters worse, Tonto goes up and kicks, yes, kicks the horse to make sure it is no more.  That's a fantastic way to show children how to treat animals.  And the sad part is, I think that was supposed to be the comic relief.

In addition, John and Tonto have to go to a whore house to enlist the help of the owner, Red.  So, now Disney is doing horror films and soft porn?  I was truly appalled.  Plus, Red has had her own run in with Cavendish.  He ate her leg!  In its place, she now has a custom built leg that contains a gun that fires out of her high heel shoe.

Honestly, I don't know what the script writers were thinking, but I'm pretty sure that a certain plant was involved.  The plot was absolutely non-existent.  None of the characters were memorable.  And the movie was 149 minutes too long.

What I would like to know is what were the big wigs at Disney thinking?  I'm sure that Walt is spinning in his cryogenic encasement.  This is not the type of film that he would want to add to his legacy.

Some may say that the Disney corporation was simply trying to "branch out."  But, I think that we, as Americans, have come to trust the Disney name.  If Matt and I had any human children and they had requested to see the movie, we would have let them go without hesitation.  Some of my fondest childhood memories have been seeing Disney films in the theater.  And having seen several episodes of "The Lone Ranger" black and white T.V. series, who would think that there was anything to worry about?

It is hard to believe that this is the same corporation that brought us "Frozen."  I think that Disney has really crossed the line with this film and the overall interpretation of "The Lone Ranger."  Perhaps the Disney team should follow the motto of:  "If it's not broke, don't fix it."