Rango Reaches for the Sky!!

It’s great to finally see a Johnny Depp movie in which his character does not bear some type of resemblance to Captain Jack Sparrow. In Rango, the title character is an aspiring but unassuming chameleon (an animal which, by nature, blends into its environment) who is looking for his place to shine, and not blend, in the world. His limelight! When an unexpected venture and misunderstanding is pushed upon him, will he have the strength to be that Courageous Chameleon he has always dreamt of being AND save the town of Dirt and its inhabitants from impending doom?

Here’s the fun trailer:

Rango starts off rather oddly and lingers there as the pace of the film slowly starts. But once the ball gets rolling it is a fun adventure. We follow Rango as he meets up with a rather strange mix of characters (animals such as an armadillo obsessed with crossing the road, rabbits with one ear, ugly-looking moles, wide-eyed female lizard with some bizarre goings-ons, an old turtle, even a dangerous rattlesnake named Rattlesnake Jake). Ten things to look at when talking about Rango.

1. Vocally-talented cast: Johnny Depp, Isla Fisher, Abigail Breslin, Timothy Olyphant, Alfred Molina, Ned Beatty, Bill Nighy, and more make up for a greatly assembled crew that gives life to the characters.
2. The animation/cinematography: Gore Verbinski definitely impresses with the use of color and attention to details in his debut at directing an animated feature! The animals, the desert landscapes, the action scenes, all the way down to a plastic wind-up orange fish! So visually expressive and beautiful, Especially for not being in 3D!
3. The Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas tribute -for those that know and may like the film. (Along with a tribute to a great gun-slinger of cinematic prowess.)
4. The story, while predictable, is so enjoyable to watch; and the mix of characters…impressive in how they all really contribute a little piece to the story.
5. A fun action-based score by Hans Zimmer.
6. Johnny Depp really brings his character to life, and it’s a character that we really haven’t seen him do before! The mannerisms, clumsiness, desire to impress, and general quirky-ness of Rango makes for many of the laughs that never get old!
7. The singing mariachi owls add an additional level of comic relief that doesn’t overpower the film.
8. The film is not the mystery of the year. While there are some distractions meant to sidetrack from the true culprits, the end result can be seen from early on.
9. Some scenes may be a little off-setting and unexpected in such an animated feature [i.e. the very-few uttered profanities, slightly crude humor references/jokes, quick slightly frightening scenes, and barbie doll parts (?)] that may teeter-totter on being inappropriate for kids of a certain age. Rated PG for rude humor, language, action and smoking.
10. Some of the characters remain rather stoic, but in a film like this, that is okay. Because the focus truly is on the hero and his growth/change.

Overall, Rango is a fun adventure about what so many others are: self-discovery, trust, friendships, belief and hope in oneself, overcoming fears, evils, and impending doom. But the way it shows and tells the moral of the story is the true strength of this film. It blends the idea of The Majestic with the fun and adventure of Fievel Goes West, the direction of Pirates of the Caribbean, and the look and feel of A Bug’s Life. With a recipe like that, you know that Rango is a great feast for the eyes to swallow!

Rango– probably the first “real good” film of 2011 (best animated one by far), that will most likely outshine all 2011 releases so far in the box office! Pretty soon everyone will be singing praises of Rango !

Thanks for reading!

Enjoy if you wish…or don’t enjoy! Happy Watching!

–TheSp1der’s Score: 4 out of 5 stars for “Rango”