Since this is my first review here I'll mention that for plot synopsis I'm just going to copy paste it from somewhere else (probably imdb). Plot synopsis just mess with the flow of how I like to write so I'm just gonna keep them separate. I don't think explaining the movies setup really adds that much , but I feel that some people kind of expect it, so here:
Synopsis: Rango is an ordinary chameleon who accidentally winds up in the town of Dirt, a lawless outpost in the Wild West that is facing a water crisis and is in desperate need of a new sheriff.
Rango just kinda came out of nowhere and blew me away. When I first saw the trailer for it before True Grit, it looked like a typical animated movie set in a western setting starring Johnny Depp playing Johnny Depp in lizard form. It had potential but I say that for most trailers. If you were to tell me that I would wind up liking it considerably more than True Grit, I would have laughed in your face but here we are.
On a simple level I'll compare Rango to another animated film that surprised me: Kung Fu Panda. What made that movie so great was it was a celebration of Kung Fu movies. You could really feel the love from the creators of the film towards the genre. Sure the plot was basic but it didn't matter. Every other element was so solid that is was hard to care. Rango is like that but for westerns instead of kung fu movies. The thing is, I don't love westerns a like I like Kung Fu Movies, yet I think I enjoyed Rango more. Why is that?
Well, Kung Fu Panda, despite all it's awesomeness, was still a kids movie at it's core. As devoted as it was to kung fu movies, it still could not really pass for one. On the other hand Rango could pass as a western surprisingly well. Frankly, This is barely a kid's movie. It might wear the skin of one, but at it's core, it's a western. There is a rarely a moment where it feels like it's holding back. Now to be fair, this wasn't true for Kung Fu Panda either, but during that I never felt it was fulfilling the full potential of it's genre. Rango kind of does. It is a western with animals instead of people. Maybe because I'm not as familiar with westerns I don't see how it gets it wrong, but as far as I can tell, it seems pretty genuine.
Don't get me wrong, this isn't a blood bath or anything but characters do die, which just doesn't seem to happen in kid's movies anymore. Sure alot of kid's movies have the threat of death but it's always kind of abstract. It's something that propels the plot but no one takes seriously. In this you actually see a dead body. Hell the movie opens with it's version of a Greek chorus (mariachi owls) telling the audience the main character is going to die. This adds something that most kid's movies seem to lack: an actual sense of danger. While it's unlikely a beloved character will die, it might happen. It's not a sure thing like in most movies aimed at kids. The villains are also pretty intimidating. Rattlesnake Jake in particular is quite frankly terrifying in every shot he's in, with his unreal movements and eyes that look straight from Sauron.
This movie also has some of the ugliest characters you'll ever see in an animated film and I mean that in a good way. This is a hard bitten, though as nails western town. The characters look like they belong here. There fur looks matted, they have teeth missing, they're dusty and generally they're just plain ugly. They also don't really have any of the typical cartoon exaggeration. Their eyes all seem to be the size they would be in nature. There are still some cute character, but they're cute in the way the actual animal would be cute.
This is not to say the movie is ugly. Honestly this might be one of the best look animated films I've ever seen. There are shots of staggering beauty in this film. The beauty ranges from simple desert landscapes to elaborate and trippy dreams. It all looks so real too. Rango doesn't really try for cartoon exaggeration. This is true with the characters and the world the inhabit. While you can tell things are animated, nothing is really rendered in a way to accentuate this. It's funny that this movie shows the kind of realism mocap always hopes to get without resorting to it (as far as I know). The camera work is also quite nice. Most of the time it sticks to western staples: extreme close ups or wide shots. However, because it's a cartoon it occasionally does the impossible. There is on shot where it goes through the tip of a rolling bottle and out the other side. The movie also has the most amazing water. I suggest you see this movie thirsty. It will actually enhance the movie. The water will look like mana from the Gods.
That leads me into the plot, which is the weakest part. This isn't to say that it's bad but it's not anything that hasn't been done before. Also while the humor is good, it falls flat a little more than it probably should. This can be attributed to the jokes being aimed at kids. It's the only way I can see that the movie tries to appeal to kids at all and it just doesn't always work. Still, when a joke falls flat it is not lingered on you're quickly move along. Also, I'm not saying they ALL fall flat. In fact most work. There are some really hilarious moments.
That being said it does handle it's plot about as well as it possible can. This is mainly due to the characters being well written. Even characters with one line seem like they have some real depth actual them. The cast is made up of various westerns stereotypes, but thanks to the writing they don't usually play out like stereotypes. Not all characters are equally well developed mind you but even the most minor character doesn't come off as flat. Sure characters have their quirks but they aren't defined by them. They just seem kind of genuine (even with some of the more wacky ones). The plot is helped by this because as typical as it can be all the action seems to be driven logically by the characters action. There are moments that most movies try and pull off so badly and this movie seems to do effortlessly. One example of this is the reveal towards the end. Every movie where the main character is living some sort of lie needs to have that reveal of where everyone find out who he truly is. In most films this is feels forced as do the consequences. Not here. The romance plot, which is almost always badly handled in kid's movies, also feels genuine and flow from the characters.
The voice work is also solid. Johnny Depp does a great job. Sometimes it's easy to forget how talented he is when he has some sort of direction other than "be Johnny Depp".He doesn't need carry the move though. Everyone does a great job. Isla Fisher is especially good as beans. In general the film is greatly enriched by some truly rich performances by the likes of Ned Beatty, Alfred Molina, Bill Nighy, Ray Winstone and others. Really every one is quite good.
In general what makes this movie so odd in the realm of kid's movies though is that it essentially a series of references to movies that no one in it's target it audience will understand. Really it's almost like a Tarantino movie in that it's like a well put together series of homages that form a coherent story. Some of them are obvious but other are less so. Rango is not the main characters real name. His real name is never given. He remains a lizard with no name the entire movie if you see what I'm getting at. Hell, Rango's design is a reference to the famous poster for Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.
There are also deeper themes running under the film. Like most modern westerns this is a film about the death of the west and the coming of the modern age. It's a film about identity and what it means (it's no coincidence that Rango is a chameleon). There are themes of the romantic myth going against the reality (and not just in the obvious way) and there are themes of faith and the heartbreak that it can lead to. If you dig there is plenty you can find in here to keep you thinking.
So if you like westerns check out Rango. If you like animation, check out Rango. If you good characters, check out Rango. Hell if you like good movies, check out Rango. I honestly can't think of anything about it that's actually bad. I know it's early in the year, but I don't expect a better animated film this year.
9/10
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