Rango -- There's No Western Like It

Rating: 8/10 (4 March 2011)

I realize a review is supposed to talk about the movie, but indulge me for a moment.
I enjoy Westerns. But, that wasn't always the case. My mother of all people turned me on to the virtues and value found in "Bonanza", "Cimarron Strip", "The Big Valley", and "The Virginian". Later, I would discover what made everyone from Sergio Leone to Clint Eastwood cool. I came to respect the romance and intrigue inherent in the genre; rarely was I turned off.
It's that much more pleasing when the genre is taken in a different direction. We have an excellent example this year! It starts with a neurotic pet chameleon (Johnny Depp), naturally well-versed in drama and portrayal. Cruel fate sees him stranded in the wasteland, literally guided by voices, as he spends an amusing opening trying to survive. A chance meeting with strong-willed rancher lizard Beans (Isla Fisher) gets him a ride from the sewer to the toilet, a last-legs town, appropriately called "Dirt". There are water problems as well as outlaws aplenty. Mr. Neurotic lays eyes on a label in a saloon, spins a few tall tales, and Rango is born! After more dumb luck sees him nail a hawk and run toughie Bad Bill (Ray Winstone) and his gang off, Rango becomes a name in the community.
But, can he figure out what's behind the water shortage? He's on a clock, since to said outlaws, a sheriff's star may as well be a bulls-eye.
Prior to rushing out to see this, I heard a couple of pre-cog complaints about ugly character designs. That's easily answered, along with many other stigma you true believers may be having. First, if you are into clean, perfect, "attractive" character design and execution as displayed through the rose-colored, 3-D VR helmets borne of the PIXAR/DreamWorks debate, stay away from this film. That goes triple for you parents looking for the next animated film before which to plop your kids down, where any animated film will do. Don't do it. Save money and gas...go see "Toy Story 3" for the twelfth time.
None of that here. Just as men are men and women are women in the Old West, "Rango" is it's own film. More "Shane" than "Shrek". More "Foreign Correspondent" than "Finding Nemo". It's gritty. Raw. Filthy. Surreal. Disturbingly violent at times. But with just the right amount of well-placed humor to break it up. Gore Verbinski's trademark pacing, put to increasingly awkward use in the "Pirates Of The Caribbean" franchise, works surprisingly well here. Equal attention must be paid to animation director Hal Hickel and the ever-improving staff at ILM, as they trade firm handshakes with art director John Bell and production designer Mark McCreery in the successful effort to craft stunning, unforgettable visuals, accented by outstanding lighting, which puts the fruit of the current 3-D, hi-def craze to shame. The not-so-original, yet solid story receives further grand support from a sweeping score by the winning Hans Zimmer and the further contributions of co-producers such as Mark Bakshi. (Yes, he's related to that Bakshi. Those in the know need not hear anything further. The rest of you, get to Googling.) Everything about the film cries "unorthodox", including the performance of a highly capable cast, who actually performed their scenes on sound stage, near-to-unheard of in animation procedure. Keep eyes peeled for humorous set pieces and important cameos. This is well worth your repeat viewings.
So, head on west. But leave the kids at home to wrestle with PIXAR, DreamWorks, and the other juveniles of the terrarium.