We’ve all heard the age old joke… Why did the armadillo cross the road? To get to the… Eeeekkk! Ok maybe not, but after this weekend you will get what I’m trying to say. Director Gore Verbinski shares a story that over flows with life due to his unusual method of recording voices by actually having his actors acting out the scenes and recording the action to create a base line for the animated characters that are soon to follow.
Rango is a film that has placed the bar so high, that one can only hope it delivers.
Rango follows the journey of a chameleon who goes from being a family pet to finding its inner strength to become the hero to a small western town named Dirt. Having lived a rather boring life behind four glass walls, when accidently thrown from the family car out into the hot dessert, and needing to quickly find his footing in order to survive in the Wild West. Rango is one of those unlikely heroes who spent his entire life dreaming of adventure, when suddenly he is put into a situation where he has to use his acting skills to play the role of his life! Rango must save Dirt from drying up and prevent it from being taken over by bandits. This little animated western can easily rival any western that has come before.
Rango is a fantastic film full of little nods to a variety of previous films that ultimately makes a transition from being a kid’s film to a film more likely enjoyed by adults. Paying homage to a wide variety of western films, as well as some film and entertainment references easily recognized and others not quite as obvious that it is the “big kids” that will truly enjoy the film for what it is. With a classic camp fire scene that reminds us of the great Mel Brooks’
Blazing Saddles, to an
Apocalypse Now aerial action sequence, to a bridge crossing that rivals
The Fellowship of the Ring, to a Mariachi band of owls whose reappearance throughout the film, with perfect timing, only adds to the overall hilarity of the story. There’s even a bit of
Fear and Loathing visible during some of the hallucination scenes, and there is even a little nod to Verbinski’s
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End. With a quirky main character voiced by the talented Johnny Depp and a leading lady-lizard, voiced by the beautiful Isla Fisher, the caliber of talent that lends their voices to so many well developed characters almost makes you forget you’re actually watching a cartoon. The ensemble includes Alfred Molina (
Sorcerer's Apprentice) as Roadkill, who will leave you squirming in your seat; Bill Nighy (
Pirate Radio) as Rattlesnake Jake, who is the epitome of a western bandit; Ned Beatty as the crocked Mayor; Abigail Breslin (
Zombieland) as Priscilla, who you can identify a little with
True Grit’s Hailee Steinfeld; Harry Dean Stanton (Big Love) as Balthazar; and Gil Birmingham (
Twilight) as Wounded Bird, just to name a few of the memorable characters.
But if that was not enough, there is one scene in particular that will make this film a true hit. Bare in mind this is purely for the adults in the room as it is highly unlikely that anyone under the age of 15 would appreciate what Verbinski delivered just before the end of the film, and it is at this point that I fell head over heels in love with
Rango. It is the Spirit of the West who brings the film full circle, and once you met this character will you understand the perfection that is
Rango. My only complaint is that for my own selfish desire I wish the actor chosen actually sounded a little more like the person they were portraying. Even though I love Timothy Olyphant (Justified and
I Am Number Four) who voices the Spirit of the West, and was thrilled that he was attached to
Rango, I felt that they could have found someone a little more fitting.
Over all the team up between Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies was extremely successful, giving audiences of all ages a story that hit the ball so far out of the park that we are not likely to see a competitor in the near future. It is rare these days to find an animated project that is this well developed and not from the powerhouses of Disney, Pixar or Dreamworks. Audiences will be thoroughly surprised and impressed by the way these two companies are able to provide you with an entertaining story that is well fitted to be called a modern western, exceptional animation and characters that you can’t wait to see where the story takes them. I suggest that you attend a showing of
Rango, whether or not you have kids that provide you an excuse to attend a cartoon. I guarantee that you will be thoroughly entertained and leave the theater wanting more.
I give
Rango a 4.5 out of 5.
The above review was originally written for Picktainment.com. Please take a minute and follow the link to view the original posting...
Picktainment: RANGO Review
RANGO Trailer
RANGO Featurette
