"Rango" Film Review (2D Version)

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h2oh NO!
3 1/2 stars
Blog exclusive!

There's a new sheriff in town and it's Johnny Depp! As the title character Rango Depp must bull-shit his way through a old western town run by lizards and other scaly life-forms. But dastardly, viscous "vermin" are out to make sure Rango doesn't fulfill his destiny.

This is a must see movie. But why's that?

Sadly, I didn't watch it in 3D (and no that isn't sarcasm; I am a big proponent of the technology), but nevertheless Depp's performance, the animation style and the "adult" humor cleverly slipped into this children's movie make this one a winner. Also go see "Rango" because it is similar to "Fear and Loathing..." another Depp flick in that it is structured in a much more experimental fashion than other animated movies I have seen as of late.

This experimental style coupled with the desert locale brings to mind "Beavis and Butt-Head Do America." The makers of "Do America" incorporated wildly diverse visual imagery into the plot (which dealt with two guys, Beavis and Butt-Head, trying to get their television back) 15 years ago. One scene in particular has the protagonist hallucinating in the desert. "Rango" on the other hand has some far out scenes in which we see Rango day-dreaming (without the drug, sex and alcoholic undertones Do America and Fear and Loathing bank on.)

Another reason I recommend getting off your couch to go and see "Rango" is its animation style. The team of animators at Industrial Light & Magic make it exceedingly hard to blink when watching film. Each and every frame is rendered with TLC. Therefore every character and object is painstakingly detailed. The dusty, dry and cracked visuals further pop due to the high definition projection.

And trust me, the theater I saw it in wasn't no ghost town.

So check out Rango and tell 'em the sheriff sent you.

“Rango” was written by John Logan from a story by John Logan, Gore Verbinski and James Ward Byrkit and directed by Gore Verbinski.

Feel free to checkout the theatrical trailer for "Rango" below:




As always thanks for reading!

© 2012 Matthew R. Reis, All rights reserved.

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