Cert 12A
149 mins
BBFC advice: Contains moderate violence and injury detail
I am caught between wondering what on earth the American film critics had in their heads and thanking them vigorously.
Their condemnation of Disney's the Lone Ranger has reverberated around the world and has played a part in it being one of the box office flops of 2013.
Thus, I waited until the very last night of its run at Nottingham Cineworld because I feared a movie as bad as A Good Day To Die Hard or G.I. Joe: Retaliation.
Nothing could have been further from the truth. Gore Verbinski's film is packed with high-quality action, is very funny.
It was seen by Disney as its answer to Pirates Of The Caribbean and it compares very favourably to that franchise's original and is far far better than its sequels.
And, of course, that means it boasts Johnny Depp in one of those wonderful quirky performances for which he has become renown.
Depp plays the deadpan Tonto who has the happy knack of being in the right place at the right time to save Armie Hammer's Texas Ranger.
The ranger spends much of the time trying, clumsily, to uphold the law without resorting to violence.
However, the villains, led by William Fichtner are much more ruthless in bumping off those who try to stop him robbing and killing.
Meanwhile, Tom Wilkinson is a greedy railroad boss who, it becomes clear, isn't quite as wholesome a fella as he first appears.
There is a flicker of a love interested between Hammer and Ruth Wilson but he doesn't have time to focus on a woman. He's too busy getting himself into a hole or waiting for Tonto to get him out of it.
The special effects of The Lone Ranger are staggeringly good but so is its humour. There were people falling around laughing in our screening.
Aside of Depp and Hammer who are a great double act, Wilkinson and Fitchner have weighty contributions while there is a cracking cameo by Helena Bonham Carter.
Forget the American critics and pay heed to my old mate Graham Young at the Birmingham Mail who reckons it is 'the most exciting live action film in years.'
Trouble is you will probably have to wait until it comes out on DVD to enjoy it.
Laughs: Six out loud for me - many chuckles.
Jumps: none
Vomit: yes
Nudity: only Silver the horse
Overall rating: 9/10