Nondescript Chameleon Stumbles into his Karma in the Shabby, Parched Satirical West – Some Random Remarks

Rating: 7/10 (11 March 2011)

1. The above is one synopsis of "Rango"'s plot.
2. Speaking of which, will Culture Club's "Karma Chameleon" make it onto the soundtrack?
3. Some moviegoers will have a blast spotting the cornucopia of movie references "Rango" throws at us, particularly "Blazing Saddles". The Star Wars Tatooine saloon scenes, "The Road Warrior", "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade", and even "Kung Fu Panda" also come to mind. However,there is another movie from which "Rango" borrows its premise which I bet nobody ever considered: "Flushed Away" (except the danger there is too much water, not the lack of same). Check it out on IMDb, and you'll see why.
4. If you have young children, instead of "Rango", where they'll probably fidget, yawn, and whine, take them home and pop SpongeBob Squarepants's "Pest of the West" episode into the DVD player instead. Same boisterous "Rango" premise, but much more attention-grabbing.
5. In that vein the PG-rating is too lenient. I would elevate it to PG-13 for mature themes, killings, scatological humor, and risqué references. Smart, sophisticated, irreverent moviegoers who appreciate intelligent, polysyllabic, sizzling word play will probably get the most out of "Rango". Stoned people, too, though of course I don't advocate this. It will probably be extremely popular at college campus film festivals in the near future.
6. Most of the time, Sheriff Rango (Johnny Depp) seems to channeling the late Don Knotts's Barney Fife, or Knotts's character in "The Shakiest Gun in the West".
7. Yep, the cinematography is even more realistic-looking than that of "Wall-E".
8. With its menagerie of mangy, unsightly desert critters, "Rango" seemed to be shooting for a gross-out "Ren and Stimpy" or "The Misadventures of Flapjack" vibe.
9. I went to see "Rango" with my mom. She liked "Rango's" theme of ultimately accepting responsibility. "But, Mom", I said, "you were asleep for half the movie!" "That's okay, I was awake for the climax (the showdown with Rattlesnake Jake), the important part."
10. By the way, Rattlesnake Jake (Bill Nighy) was my favorite character in the movie. Imposing, malevolent, intimidating, he was like a venomous anaconda. Ironically, he humiliatingly and mercilessly exposes Rango's phony lawman stunt and forces him into temporary, suicidal exile, where he has an epiphany.
11. As for the gigantic eye in the tunnel, it was either a heat-induced hallucination or a reference to the 1998 version of "Godzilla".
12. Now, did I enjoy the movie? Generally, I did because it was ambitious, whip-smart, engrossing to look at, and lively. However, it was also derivative, meandering, a bit self-conscious in its humor, and sometimes difficult to hear. Still, it was worth the $6.25 I paid.
P.S.: I think Rango should team up with the gecko in those Geico commercials.