Movie Review - Rango

Rango (2011)

Featuring the voices of Johnny Depp, Isla Fisher, Abigail Breslin, Ned Beatty, Alfred Molina, and Bill Nighy

Directed by Gore Verbinski

Just because a western is animated doesn't mean it's going to change my opinion about the genre.  Westerns bore me immensely and they always seem like they contain some moralistic gruff hero tracking down some corrupt bad guy who wronged someone in a small town.  Rango's got the same vibe although the hero isn't gruff; rather the titular character is a literal and figurative chameleon, theatrically changing his characteristics to best suit his situation.  And while I may not dig the genre of Rango, it's a film that I very much admire for many reasons.

Reason 1:   Voice Acting -- I'm not one that gets won over when animated flicks pull in some big-name actor to voice a character.  If anything, that big star can be a detriment if I'm unable to disassociate their voice with their physical appearance.  In the title role, however, Johnny Depp is pretty fantastic.  Nowadays, bigger stars than Depp are hard to come by, but the actor's vocals are charmingly irreverent and  absolutely solid.  He embodies the character (or perhaps, vice-versa, the animators used his vocals to embody their character).  But it's not just Depp that's winning.  The British Isla Fisher tackles the quirky role of Beans, a spunky gal with an exaggerated Southern twang, with gusto.  Although Depp and Fisher are certainly the leads, the vocal talent is top notch across the board.  Together, the voices breathe life into the odd characters of the town of Dirt who are desperately trying to find out who stole the town's water supply.

Reason 2: Animation -- Richly detailed characters, a beautifully realized run-down setting, and wonderful effortless movements are three of the key reasons why Rango's animation is some of the best you'll see this side of Pixar.  Director Gore Verbinski (best known for his Pirates trilogy with Mr. Depp) cleverly filmed his voice actors working together (rather than the usual "animation separation" that occurs with voice actors recording separately in sound booths) while wearing makeshift costumes and utilizing flimsy props so that the animators could see various interactions and movements prior to animating.  This unique approach to animation showcased little mannerisms and facial expressions with astounding clarity and, for this animation buff, was a much appreciated aspect to the film.

Reason 3:  Aim for the Adults -- It's not that Rango is inappropriate for kids, but it doesn't aim for the young crowd at all.  The humor is based more from clever references to other films in both the western and crime genres with a nifty and rather hilarious "cameo appearance" (of sorts) from quite a famous actor.  However, because of this lofty goal of not stooping down to a "kid level" in terms of humor, the moments that did aim for the kiddies (including one too many fart jokes) made me cringe.

Despite these reasons to love Rango, in the end, it's a western and I just couldn't get completely enveloped by the story.  Yes, I fully realize that it's a bias in me, but I'm not sure I'll ever really fall head over heels for a western.  I will say that Rango's a flick that I'd like to watch again and perhaps upon second viewing, my rating will inch up a notch or two.  But still, as it stands now, this is one animated flick worthy of checking out.

The RyMickey Rating:  B