First images, trailer from “The Lone Ranger”

There’s a lot of movies I’m looking forward to in 2013. from “Iron Man 3,” “Man of Steel” and “Star Trek Into Darkness.”

Then there’s “The Lone Ranger,” which I think either will be great with Johnny Depp’s Tonto becoming one of his most revered roles or a so far out there performance that it ruins the whole film. I’m not seeing a lot of middle ground with it.

This take of the iconic Western crime-fighting duo, directed by Depp’s “Pirates of the Caribbean” director Gore Verbinski, places more of the focus on Tonto — a spirit warrior recalling how John Reid (“The Social Network’s” Armie Hammer) became The Lone Ranger. The teaser poster also gives a clear indicator as to who is the priority, which makes me wonder why they didn’t just call the film, “Tonto and The Lone Ranger.”

It wouldn’t be a Depp film without frequent collaborator Helena Bonham Carter, but the rest of the cast including Tom Wilkinson (“Batman Begins”), James Badge Dale (“Iron Man 3”) and William Fichtner as Butch Cavendish, the Lone Ranger’s arch-enemy.  That’s some pretty good casting.

“The Dark Knight Rises” to the $300 million mark; should hit all-time Top 20 by Sunday

Ron Phillips/Warner Bros. Pictures
CHRISTIAN BALE as Batman in Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Legendary Pictures’ action thriller “THE DARK KNIGHT RISES,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release.

“The Dark Knight Rises” cracked the $300 million mark Tuesday in its 12th day of release to earn $304 million. In just about any other summer that would be major news, but “Marvel’s The Avengers” reached $389 million in the same span and was rapidly closing in on $400 million. “TDKR” is also trailing behind “The Dark Knight,” which was at $333 million in the same time frame. At least in “TDK’s” case it also had to contend with a highly-viewed 2008 Summer Olympics and Michael Phelps’ record-setting quest.

‘Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End’ review

There’s good and bad news about ‘‘Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End.” The good is that great title aside, it’s easily a more entertaining, enjoyable escapade than last year’s convoluted and slapstick-esque ‘‘Dead Man’s Chest.” [2012 Flash Forward:  Oh yo ho ho, how I hated that movie, but the film made $423 million nationally to place #8 on the all-time highest grossing list in the U.S.  without the benefit of 3D seriously jacking up ticket prices, so somebody must have liked it. If nothing else it proved Depp was a serious box office draw after “Curse of the Black Pearl.”]