exceptional animated insanity

Rating: 10/10 (23 March 2011)

Movie reviewer Roger Moore panned "Rango" in the Saturday March 5th Atlanta Journal Constitution. I had seen the trailer and was impressed with the spot on animation and characters, so I went anyway. I'm glad I ignored Moore's negativity. He seemed to stew in his own juices over the fact that the movie is not necessarily geared toward children. And it's not geared toward children. Who said it had to be just because it's animated? Dare I say that Rango is a great animated movie. As I said the animation is perfect. The characters are in turn cute, precious, nasty and down right ugly. I marveled at how an animator can evoke so much emotion in a computer created character with a voice. It is amazing. I must add that I did not take a small child to this movie, I'm 63, and I would not advise that others do. While some of the characters are cute and cuddly, some scenes are scary. But that's why it's rated PG. In addition the movie is funny, makes an environmental point, is at times poignant, sad, gross and hokey. And if you don't like Jonny Depp, who is the voice of Rango, don't worry you don't have to look at him and he does a credible job as a lizard. I recommend it highly.