"Rango" Thirsts for Originality

Rating: 6/10 (4 March 2011)

In a year that will be bringing us more than 20 remakes, reboots or sequels, it seems that Hollywood is having troubles in the originality department. What's left other than taking an unoriginal idea and adding on some really cool, yet sometimes unneeded, 3-D imagery? It's like putting a rear spoiler on a 1979 Camaro. It doesn't really need to be done but it looks so cool.
The creative team at Nickelodeon Movies understood that we don't always need the latest technology crammed down our throats. Sometimes taking a somewhat imaginative idea and developing the 2-D imagery works just as well.
"Rango" begins with a scene of a thespian lizard (voiced by Johnny Depp) with an over active imagination putting on a stage play by himself in his glass case of existence. He is doing a fine job of entertaining himself although he knows that there is more to life. He is the lizard with no name; this leads him to question his own existence. Pretty deep for a kids' movie, huh? Our soon-to-be hero becomes stranded in the middle of the Mojave Desert (which includes a quick homage to one of Depp's earlier cult films). Only being in his new location for a few moments, he has caught the attention of a very hungry hawk. After an extensive, action-packed chase our hero ends up in the hands of a lovely lizard named Beans (voiced by Isla Fisher). She agrees to bring him to the town of Dirt.
Once there, our soon-to-be hero finds that by using his self-taught acting skills, he can make up any story and become someone else. The townsfolk of Dirt don't know any better but to believe his wild tales.
Things are going well for our hero, who through a clever lie came up with the moniker of Rango. The townsfolk are convinced that Rango had killed seven other men with one bullet. Soon that pesky, hungry hawk comes back and by pure luck Rango kills the hawk cleverly yet unwittingly with one bullet. Because of this innocent heroic act the mayor (voiced by Ned Beatty) soon makes Rango the sheriff of Dirt.
There are some problems that come with being the sheriff of Dirt. As a matter of fact, the town is in its worst drought in years and the last of the water supply is stolen. Rango, still believing his own lies that he is actually courageous, leads a posse to find who stole the water.
Eventually the townsfolk are shown the true Rango when Rattlesnake Jake (voiced by Bill Nighy) shows up to reclaim his right to be the town villain. Rango chickens out and goes back to being a coward. After a brief discussion (albeit, a discussion under delusions from the dehydration) with another famous "man with no name" Rango mans up, or lizards up, and goes back to try to save the town and to reclaim the water supply.
Should you see this movie? Maybe, if it was in 3D it would be so much better. I'm kidding. Because this is animated feature you might have the notion to bring small children. This is not the case. There are some adult elements here that would be lost on the younger audience. This would be more of film for the ages 8-13 if anything.
The cast was wonderful at voicing their characters. However, the thick old west accents were difficult to understand at times. With the imagery, lighting and shadowing of the computer images, it was pleasant picture to watch. Being set in a desert, I really felt thirsty during the film. Just be sure to drink plenty of water before you go.