Title: RANGO (2011)
We live in a time where the Animation market has been over-run by numerous offerings by Dreamworks and Disney/Pixar, that smaller houses seem to be trying in vain to steal a little bit of coin. For every Monsters vs. Aliens or Toy Story, there are 5 Alvin & The Chipmunks and Gnomeo & Juliets. Then there was "Rango". If ever there was a film destined to be something, it was this film. Directed by Gore Verbinski of the Pirates Trilogy, as well the American Ring remake and The Weather Man. Voiced by a veritable who's who of character actors, while being headlined by the always bankable Johnny Depp. Photography consulting by 9 time Oscar nominee Roger Deakins. More over seminal powerhouse, and effects giants Industrial Light & Magics first full leap into the world of animated films. It should have been a game changer, and it nearly was. Do not misunderstand me, Rango, is truly a marvel to behold. It's also a movie for movie people, though truth be told, therein lays it's undoing. For every image, every vista, or nuanced reaction within the film, outside of it's vision, there is a lack of originality. The basic plot of the film, underneath it all, can be described as "A Western Chinatown, without the sexual under/overtones". It's not so much a deterrent, as it is merely a weakness. Then again there is a saying that one shouldn't swing for greatness straight out of the gate, one must be worthy of attaining it. If this film was merely a warm up for ILM, sign me up for the moment it says it's swinging for the fences.
Negatives aside Rango is still rather special in it's own light. A great deal of though, heart, and work went into the film, and it drips from every shot. Rango is one of those films you see, that you instantly want to own the moment it comes out on blu-ray. There is no doubt it will become the standard Demo Disc, that Target, Wal-Mart and Best Buy will have playing consistently on all their top of the line televisions for months. The greatest thing about that is, they will not be trying to swindle you into buying a 3D tv for it either, for you see, Rango was made in glorious, mouth-watering, non-dimmed 2D. Just mentioning the images from the film, I can instantly see them vividly in my mind. It's often a testament to film when it stays with you, for better or worse.
Johnny Depp makes strides again in earning his mark as "the hardest working actor in Hollywood." Sure in recent years many of his films have fallen more so into the Mainstream film league, but he still works tirelessly, regardless of the project of material. Outside of the voice itself, one can easily imagine Depp in the vary role, further pushed home by the fact that before the animation was begun, all the actors were filled acting out on a green screen as a reference point. The other big thing that the film has going for it, is that it truthfully is a real unabashed Western. No question about it at all. Kids will love the imagery, parents will find it better than ok, while Western fans will be consistently smiling and laughing. There is a great reveal to Timothy Olyphant's character, which has probably been ruined by the internet, that I shall not repeat here, that when I saw it, a large smile swept across my face. It's a decidedly "by-the-number" affair, though there aren't lots of grey areas in the realm of PG animated films. Specially if the film is supposed to be geared for the most part to children. Which in and of itself is intriguing, because I would easily call this "the most adult Nickelodeon" film ever perceived. It works as an adventure, a comedy, flairs of dramatic, leans on melodramatic, all the while having a colorful cast of characters and a few flatulence jokes, for good measure. In the end, when leaving the theater I wondered what ILM's plans for the future were. Luckily, Rango had the answer. "Now?............We Ride!"
**** out of *****
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