Review of Rango (2011) by Willdefrangesco — 30 Nov 2012

I don't understand why people say their kids didn't like this, (they just simply didn't understand the movie) but it is a great movie. It's not full-blown comedy, it's a mix of comedy, westerns, action/adventure, and, even some drama. I was thirteen, I believe, when this movie was released. I admit, I wasn't very interested in it, but my younger cousin rented it and asked me to watch it with him. He's only nine, and he really liked it, (maybe because I introduced him to "non-little kid" movies when he was younger." I ended up buying the movie. I was very impressed, the presentation, the blending of how the characters interact, and the story. Rango is a story about a pet chameleon, no, not lizard, who is stranded in the desert after a car near-accident. Within minutes, he meets an armadillo, who was the cause of the incident. He tells Rango about a town with water where he can go to survive. So, Rango sets off across the desert to find the town, Dirt. Along the way, he encounters a hawk, who attacks Rango until he manages to escape. Rango finds a drainage tube and spends the night. When he awakes from water suddenly pours out, with Rango "swimming" in it, he meets Beans, a "western" female armadillo who agrees to take Rango to Dirt on her wagon. Upon his arrival, Rango walks into a saloon for water, however, he finds that water is a very rare thing in Dirt and the lack of water is forcing the citizens to sell their land and move away from the town. When asked his name, the chameleon gives us the towns folk the false name Rango, who they believe is responsible for killing the Jenkins' brothers (7) with just one bullet. Soon, the citizens and Rango bond and tell stories, just when outlaws Bad Bill and his gang arrive. When Rango inadvertently embarrasses Bill, he is challenged to a duel. Just before they shoot, the hawk returns behind Rango, scaring away the outlaws. It then proceeds to chase Rango through the town, at which point Rango hides in a vending machine and uses candy to climb out. However, the candy is still wrapped around Rango's waist and the hawk catches him just as he grabs hold of the empty water tower base. Rango points the gun, but then decides to split the candy with a bullet. The bullet accidentally snaps a rope and the tower falls on the hawk, killing it. The towns people proceed to look over the hawk, realizing only one bullet was used. Rango then meets the town mayor, an old turtle. The mayor knows Rango isn't what he appears to be, but to keep the citizens' mind off of the lack of water, the mayor makes Rango the sheriff. Soon enough, Rango becomes entangled in his own deception. When the mayor appears to be behind the mysterious water disappearance, Rango and his group of rag-tag citizens set off to uncover the mystery.

Truly a great film and a solid 8-8.