Rango: CR #18

This week's review, I will admit, was a bit of a scramble. I was hoping to see a movie in theaters, but that didn't work out. So I had to think fast, what movie could I possibly review that I want to see and want to give my opinion on? Then it hit me. But I decided to save that one for later. Then it hit me again, and now I'm reviewing that movie today. A movie that is on my Top 10 films of 2011 that I never reviewed, until now. This week's movie is...

Let's Begin.

PLOT

We see a lizard ( the Lizard with no name if you will) who dreams of being a great actor, but can only act inside his small container with lifeless cast members. But then, the Lizard is flown out of the car and into the dry, blistering desert with no water. The Lizard in search for water, soon arrives in the town of Dirt and makes a name for himself by lying about his fake heroic exploits. He gives himself the name...Rango. After, by total accident, defeating the hawk that has been terrorizing the town, he is named the new sheriff and sent a quest to find the missing water, which is basically currency out in the west.

PROS

The animation is absolutely amazing, even rivaling Pixar (possibly even better). There is so much detail in the characters, is almost creepy. 

The film feels like a western made for adults stuffed into a kids film. While it's pretty obvious where the kiddie parts come in, the western parts make up for it. It even has a story, villain, and twist that I never saw coming. They even use guns!

The action scenes (the hawk chase scene in particular) are awesome to watch and so much fun. There is so much stuff going on and it keeps you on the edge of your seat. 

This is a love letter to old Westerns. There are so many little references here and there to fill up an Edgar Wright movie. They even go as far as to make a certain character the "Spirit of the West."

The other villain, Rattlesnake Jake, is an awesome villain that I absolutely loved. He's mentioned throughout the film and is a near constant force of unknown fear. Until he shows up scares the crap out of you. He even has a Gatling gun for a tail!

The filmmakers aren't afraid to get trippy. What I mean is that at many points in the film, they'll have a dream sequence or questioning reality moment where it gets really weird and show an almost pretentious level of symbolic imagery. There is one key moment near the end that I'm not even sure is real or just a hallucination.

   

CONS

The comedy does not work. While I did get a couple of chuckles here and there, it's not all that funny and really seems out of place.

CONCLUSION

Rango is a terrific film that goes above and beyond the "Kids Film" label its been given. Action-packed and fun while also subtle and mature, Rango is another kids movie that the parent might enjoy more.

RATING

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