Rango

After suffering through the cinematic doldrums of January and February's film offerings, Gore Verbinski's Rango arrives to give viewers hope. Here is one of the brightest and certainly edgiest animated films to hit the screen in a while. With its offbeat style and deadpan humor, I wouldn't be surprised if this "family film" becomes a bigger hit with the midnight cult movie crowd than it does with the typical Saturday matinee audience.

Despite the fact that the film is produced by Nickelodeon's film label and features a cast made up entirely out of talking animals, Rango seems to be skewing older - Those versed in classic film (Apocalypse Now, Chinatown, and various westerns are woven into the plot) will find themselves laughing, while accompanying children might be wondering what's so funny. There's even more than one visual reference to gonzo journalist, Hunter S. Thompson. If that alone doesn't clue you in that Rango is not your standard animated film, than the characters will. The animals that populate the film are not the cute variety, nor do they sing, except for a band of mariachi owls, who serve as the film's narrators and Greek Chorus. The animals in this film would rather draw a gun, than dance and sing. They're down on their luck, kind of mad at the world, and start the movie off being more than a little bitter.

But then, the citizens of Dirt (the old west town that acts as most of this film's setting) have plenty of reason to be bitter. Their town is slowly dying, due to the fact that a severe water shortage is drying up their land, and forcing many of the critters who inhabit it to venture out into the harsh desert, in the faint hope of finding something better. If that's not bad enough, there are bandits terrorizing the town, and a giant hawk who shows up every day to snatch up one of them to be eaten. But they need the hawk around, as it's the only thing keeping away the worst bandit of them all, Rattlesnake Jake (voice by Bill Nighy). The town's Mayor (Ned Beatty) keeps on assuring the people that things will improve, but doesn't seem to be in a hurry to make it so. (It doesn't help that he seems to have access to a water supply that no one else in town does.) There are some left in town who want to fight for a better future, such as a spirited young woman named Beans (Isla Fisher), but many in Dirt have resigned themselves to a fate of either being eaten by the hawk, killed by the bandits, or dying of thirst.

As is often the case in these kind of stories, a stranger arrives in town who slowly begins to set things right, though in this case, it's entirely accidental. The stranger in this instance is a chameleon named Rango (a fantastic Johnny Depp). There's nothing special about him. He's just a regular lizard from a pet shop who got separated from his human owners when a bump in the road sent him and his cage flying out the back window. Now he's been roaming the desert, completely lacking survival skills, and stumbles his way into Dirt. Grateful for any kind of civilization, he decides to blend in, and creates an elaborate past for himself of heroics and daring adventures. After all, Rango figures, he can be whoever he wants to be in a town where no one knows him. His tales inspire the local citizens who are desperate for anything to believe in, and before he knows it, he's been named the town sheriff, and expected to solve their various problems.

This is a movie of endless wit and invention. The characters in Rango are unlike any you've ever seen in an animated film, and the inspired voice acting (which also includes talents like Abigail Breslin, Alfred Molina, and Timothy Olyphant) only helps in bringing out the unique qualities of these bizarre but memorable creations. But before you even begin to appreciate the care with which the screenplay by John Logan (Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street) treats its offbeat crew, you'll be marveled by the film's visual design. Rango is a wonder to look at, with many sequences looking better than just about any other CG animated film you could care to name. All of the animation was provided by special effects house, Industrial Light and Magic, and they have seamlessly blended these exaggerated, but lovingly rendered, animals with photo realistic backdrops. Best of all, this is the first animated film in a very long time to be released solely in good old traditional 2D, so you don't have to worry about those dark, dorky 3D glasses muddying a single frame or beautiful detail.

This is a smart movie, too. It doesn't talk down to anyone. In fact, it might go over the heads of some kids in the audience. Those who do not hold a love for westerns, or the genre's traditions, probably won't be able to appreciate how Verbinski and the animators at ILM lovingly poke fun at the visuals and cliches. Sure, it's easy enough to laugh when Rango and his friends ride out onto the desert on the backs of chickens, but I was shocked when I was one of the few in the theater laughing when the "Spirit of the West" was revealed. (I won't dare ruin the joke by saying who he's inspired by.) Of course, it's not all designed to go over the heads of kids. There are some genuinely exciting shootouts and action sequences (especially a wild chase through a canyon) that rivals a lot of action set pieces in some live action films.

I guess the big question is will kids respond to Rango, and that, I seriously don't know. Watching it, I got the impression that adults will appreciate it more, especially those who have watched more than their share of movies. That said, the movie is mostly harmless (there's some mild violence, and one or two curse words in the dialogue), and I imagine kids of a certain age (maybe 10 and up) will find it a lot of fun. At the very least, Rango has given me hope that more animated films (and movies in general) could be released in standard 2D, instead of giving in to corporate greed, and charging extra for muddy 3D. We need more movies like this.

See the movie times in your area or buy the DVD at Amazon.com!

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