Shadow Reviews #15: Rango (2011)

Instructions

My Review: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rango was worth the wait. I delayed watching this movie so many times, I checked it out from the library and during the time I had it, there were all these wonderful movies available on streaming and such, plus I had the Peanuts Movie and Fantastic Mr. Fox (my favorite film, but I cannot figure out how to write a review that does it justice) to watch. I even had to renew the movie, and it was nearing the end of that renewal that I finally watched the film. And my God, it was definitely worth the wait. This movie literally makes me want to watch Westerns – something I never thought I’d say. First of all, one word – well, two words: Johnny Depp. Depp brings such a repertoire to this film, he is the perfect voice for Rango. I couldn’t see anyone else voicing him. Depp is a master of the comedic and an artist at acting with different personas – something that serves the titular character well. Rango himself is an actor, and it is fitting to bring in the actor of actors to benefit him. Voice talent is one of the driving forces behind this film – along with Depp, Isla Fisher and the rest of the gang are perfected in their roles; simply put, the characters are brought to life the way they should be – which is a relief to many moviegoers. Second of all, the movie’s opening scene is wonderfully crafted. It sets the premise for the film, establishes Rango’s status quo, and the character himself – foundational things for a opening scene to do, granted – but then it becomes self-aware and commentates on the dramatic and narrative skeleton of the movie itself, which is a twist of genius that intersects with the plot twist sending the story into motion – propelling our little chameleon friend out of his little vacuum. That was one of the movie’s most clever moments and there indeed are many clever moments in the rest of the runtime. I truly believe Nickelodeon surprised us with their ability in film, and Rango was a great demonstration of animation truly being used for the enhancement of the film and not as the singular selling point. It breathed the Wild West and the action scenes were particularly impressive, but it immersed this animation with the plot and the themes; every scene’s colors were particularly chosen for what was trying to be expressed in the film. The plot did borrow from Chinatown – with the whole water scandal thing – but this is to the benefit of the film. It was engaging and fun to watch Rango mature as an individual and his experiences as a sheriff. Plus, the movie is littered with references to classics Westerns and other films, which adds to the magic of Rango. I wasn’t bored at all watching this movie; every second was absorbing and if a movie can both entertain and make me think, then it’s a great movie. And that’s exactly what Rango does. It’s kinda like “Tarantino for kids”, I think one critic said. (But that's kinda strange because Django Unchained didn't come out until 2012. So.) But anyway, whether that’s much of endorsement or not, I still believe this film is utterly fantastic and gripping. So, seriously, I recommend watching Rango as soon as you can. It reminds me a lot of Fantastic Mr. Fox for some reason – Depp and the crew behind Pirates of the Caribbean just have this Anderson air around them. Perhaps that’s a misjudgment but I love this movie and I’m glad I finally saw it. That is all. What I watched it on: DVD Other critics: Rotten Tomatoes: 88% Metacritic: 75, "generally favorable reviews"