Rango Is Not For Young Children

Rating: 7/10 (13 March 2011)

Rango is a western that just happens to star animated animals instead of humans. Little kids wouldn't care for westerns, and shouldn't be taken to them for reasons of violence, and they will not find the subject matter interesting.
The same logic can be applied here as well.
I took my 6 year old daughter to see Rango today, and it became apparent within 5 minutes of the movie that this would not be the ideal film for her, or any other young children. The entire time the movie was playing, kids were talking, barely laughing, and many were obviously bored. It's difficult to summarize quickly what was 'bad' about Rango because it's difficult to do.
The Good

the animation is absolutely top-notch, picture perfect and beautiful - Johnny Depp and other actors did a great job with their performances, probably due to the unique way lines were recorded - tons of inside jokes that referenced other movies (I love the Fear & Loathing In Las Vegas moment)

The Bad

the story will bore any young child in no time flat, they just won't like it - most laughs are from the inside jokes, I can't remember the theater laughing strongly at any moment - the language is not good for a kid movie; others have complained about "hell" being used over and over again, I was unhappy that "damn" was used at the end for no good reason

For adults I recommend Rango but just barely. The story 'should' work better, but there is no clear flow to the film. It feels jagged and rough around the edges, and just doesn't grab you. If you appreciate animation for what it is, then I can lay 5 stars on this. It's a treat for the eyes and will no doubt get you to say "wow" several times.
I expected a lot more from this movie and it didn't deliver. If the target audience truly is little kids, then higher ups should have intervened long ago. If the audience was adults, then I guess the end result is good, but it's a shame the animation effort was used on a movie that just doesn't hit any home runs.
***