Review of Rango (2011) by Yasir S — 23 Mar 2015

Rango has to be, without a doubt, one of if not the grittiest, most unique and out there animated movies that I've ever seen. And believe me, that's saying something.

While It's been years since I've watched one of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, this film is directed by the same dude (Gore Verbinski), and it really shows in the movie. The story revolves around a little nameless lizard, played by Johnny Depp, who is struggling to find a true identity for himself. After a freak accident separates him from his human owners, the lizard finds himself in the rough frontier town of Dirt, where he assumes the role of the heroic Sheriff, dubbing himself Rango in the process.

Right off the bat, this movie establishes itself as being completely different from any other animated film to come before it. The artistic style is absolutely beautiful to look at, blending extremely unique and gritty character models with an equally fitting world. The amount of detail put into everything is also something to behold. Not a single surface in the movie feels clean or smooth, which is exactly what the tone of the film was going for. Everything in the visuals perfectly captured the nostalgic feeling of old western and cowboy movies. The voice cast was also extremely well chosen, but Johnny Depp really surprised me. I'm fully aware that the dude is a solid actor, but in all honesty I haven't seen him in an awful lot lately that has been impressive (I'm looking at you, Transcendence). But with this role, he did a phenomenal job, bringing humour and heart to the character of a lizard trying to find his place in the world.

I also really enjoyed the overall plot, but I do have one or two complaints with it. To start with the good, it was very entertaining, and allowed for many humorous moments (with some rather adult content), while also never losing touch with its emotional core. There were more than a few moments that really struck with me, and we can all relate to the tale of trying to find one's place in society. The only complaint I really had about it was that every now and then it tended to linger, or lose focus. Kind of bogged down the story, but it was always quick to pick itself back up. This movie is also pretty darn violent, and I am more than okay with that. They could have copped out and made it more kid friendly, but the filmmakers were unbelievably gutsy with what they chose to show. Guns, death, and lots of shooting aren't things you typically associate with an animated film, but this one seriously kicked ass.

Rango is a seriously fun, badass, heartfelt movie, that harkens back to the old western films of years past. Great animation, acting, and a tale that is entertaining and relatable. Go see it!