A dusty, quirky western romp.

Rating: Null/10 (31 July 2011)

"You're a stranger. Strangers don't last long here."
Rango is unique, charming, and off-kilter. When Gore Verbinski and Johnny Depp got involved in an animated movie, chances were good that it would be something different than the usual. And that's exactly what you'll get with this.
This is a western adventure at heart, starring a wannabe thespian chameleon who ends up in a drought-stricken town after he's accidentally abandoned on a busy desert highway. The first thing you'll notice are the visuals, which are a cool mixture of detailed realism and stylized elements. It took me a while to get used to how all the characters looked, I've never seen a similar art style. Once I adjusted, though, I really liked the unique look of the film.
Older people will probably get more out of Rango than younger kids. There's not much of the slapstick humor of many of the most popular animated films, and much of the movie would fly right over children's heads. The voice talent is excellent and as impressive of a cast as any animated movie I've seen,
The story dragged on a bit at times, and it could have been a tighter experience if it was about 10 or 15 minutes shorter, but I'm happy to say that Rango is one of the most refreshing movies of the type that I've seen in a while. Even if you love the Toy Story's, Tangled's, and Despicable Me's of the world (and I certainly do), it's nice to watch something a little different, from time to time. Rango fills that void quite well.