This cowboy got some tricks unda' his hat

Rating: Null/10 (20 July 2011)

Rango is charming, inspiring, beautifully crafted and, for once, it doesn't get cocky by boasting 3D. The film proves my point that a film, not in 3D, can still leap off the screen with its antics and fun. If Rango was in 3D as is, I don't think the 2D viewing would be any less enjoyable, but it would give audience members the impression it was another lame children's movie that's only gimmick is 3D.
Director Gore Verbinski states "Absolutely. But I mean, I'm responsible for my own kids and not responsible for anyone else's. So I think that's what PG means, "parental guidance" when asked if he thinks children are underestimated when it comes to movies. I completely agree. If I had, maybe, a six to nine year old I would definitely take them to see Rango despite its darker approach than more kid movies.
The plot: A pet chameleon (Voiced by Johnny Depp) becomes stranded in the Mojave Desert when his home falls off the back of his owner's car. The chameleon takes the name "Rango" from a sign he sees, and meets an iguana named Beans (Fisher) who takes him into a town called "Dirt." The town is occupied by desert animals, and Rango learns there is a huge drought occurring in the town. With the minor help of the shady mayor (Beatty) and some other town-folk, the group sets out to solve the problem of the drought, and bring water back to their desperate area.
No matter what Verbinski directs, he always darkens the atmosphere and I applaud him for that. The Pirates of the Caribbean series, a series I've never caught on to, I can tell from the first film it was a darker and more serious pirate adventure than the formulaic. Even his forgotten 1997 comedy Mouse Hunt, I've been told, has some darker elements.
The voice acting, even though done by big name actors, still has a certain innocence to it. A good innocence. The kind of harmless tone to it. I fell in love with the Rango character, and how he was simple, yet complex in his journey. He reminded me of the unlikely hero which I'm sure he was representing. He was jittery, yet took acts of bravery. I admire that in a person.
I think the key to really enjoying this film is the more you watch Western films. I, myself, don't watch a whole lot of Western films, but the more John Wayne you watch, the more caught up in the storyline you're likely to be. Its goal is to be very satirical, and boy is it successful. Fans of any Western film, and maybe even some Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas fanboys, will likely be dazzled by the humor in Rango.
If someone had told me a film, like Rango, with fire breathing scenes, chase scenes, a sizzling snake that spins around frequently, and a good number of things that fly around was coming to theaters in regular 2D, I probably would've laughed. But seeing the execution should prove to people that you don't need to add another dimension to the movie to make it come off the screen. If you have enough action scenes that aren't over the top, that have a purpose and have a bit of a cheery nature to them especially in a cartoon, 3D scenes in a 2D movie will come natural.
Voiced by: Johnny Depp, Abigail Breslin, Isla Fisher, Ned Beatty, Alfred Molina, Bill Nighly and Timothy Olyphant. Directed by: Gore Verbinski.