Rango

Voices of: Johnny Depp, Isla Fisher, Abigail Breslin, Ned Beatty, Alfred Molina, Bill Nighy, Timothy Olyphant, Ray Winstone, Stephen Root, Harry Dean Stanton
Directed by: Gore Verbinski
Rating: PG
Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy
2011

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A lizard, (Johnny Depp) finds himself in the midst of an isolated desert town, where the inhabitants are suffering from a lengthy drought and dangerous outlaws around the town.

Review:

Tim: Rango is a really hard movie to pin down. I loved that it was a completely unique, fresh take on animation. There is certainly no film that feels or looks quite like this one. There were also moments in this film where I was convinced I was watching true brilliance translated onto the screen. Unfortunately, there were also moments where the sheer boredom I felt was overpowering. I went back-and-forth on this film- masterful or dull? In the end, Rango lands somewhere in the middle. Unfortunately, it's not quite where it wanted to be.

The first twenty minutes of the film were excruciatingly bad. Maybe it's just me, but I simply could not get into the character or the story. I hated the start of the film. Once Rango enters the town, the movie picks up immensely. While it saves itself, the slow, boring beginning doesn't fade away.

The story is a bit all over the place. There were moments of intense excitement where I absolutely loved the film. I loved the battle between Rango and the bird, the showdown with the snake, and the aerial/wagon chase. These moments were incredible, and director Gore Verbinski deserves so much credit for bringing them to life. I loved the animation, the look and feel, and how an animated movie could feel so real.

Unfortunately, with a film all over the map, there were definitely misses as well. I never really got the whole Spirit of the West thing (besides loving Timothy Olyphant's voice) and it seemed a bit out of place. I likewise had a hard time enjoying the three birds and whatever they were singing about. It just seemed like needless distraction from the main story. The movie dragged in certain places, and felt like it meandered off the main plot points too much. Even though it clocks in at 107 minutes, it felt longer.

I did love the cast, for the most part. Isla Fisher and Abigail Breslin were both good as the two female leads. I loved hearing Ned Beatty, Alfred Molina, Bill Nighy, and Ray Winstone. The voice cast is just so full of talented actors, and that shows up on screen.

Johnny Depp, in the titular role of Rango was a bit harder to love. I won't say that he's bad- he certainly does a good job with the voice work and making Rango feel alive so that he can connect to the audience. However, it felt a little like Depp taking it to the extreme for the sole purpose of being different. There were times when I could so clearly picture Depp behind the voice that it distracted me from the character and the story. He was the right choice, but I wish he showed just a bit of restraint in certain parts.

I am a bit disappointed I couldn't convince myself to like Rango more. I certainly loved aspects, but just not the whole. I loved the adult orientation of the film. It is rated PG, but it really will appeal to adult audiences because of the many homages it makes to classic films. It feels like a very adult adventure movie that just happens to be animated. I was hugely appreciative of this unique approach. However, the movie as a whole just missed the mark. It wasn't a big miss, but I wanted more from the movie. I know this is a bit of a contrarian opinion since so many people loved the film. I just thought amidst the chaos and the frantic pacing that the story lost something. It was certainly a marvel to watch, but it felt like too little was beneath the surface. Here is the fatal flaw for me- I was amazed at the big action/adventure set pieces- when bullets were flying and action was happening, I was completely tracking with the film. However, in all the quiet moments- the interactions between characters- I lost my enthusiasm. I didn't care about them or their plight. I should have, but didn't. The action was superb, the characters are less so. Rango is certainly a decent movie and worthwhile attempt, though.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 6.5



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