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What it's about:
Rango tells the tale of an unlikely hero whose existential angst causes him to ponder the mystery of his own identity. As he departs on a journey of self-discovery he realises that he must fulfil a destiny he could never have imagined. When Rango (Johnny Depp) finds himself in the inhospitable, drought-stricken desert town of Dirt, he is met by a community of strange and gritty critters who have their own mystery to deal with.
What we thought:
It is clear from the very first scene of this fun-filled yet uncanny adventure that Rango is not going to be your average, 100% kid-friendly slapstick parade which has become a sad standard for many films aimed at younger audiences. From the get-go one senses something quirky about the unique characters, the existential questions and the witty, pacey script. Rango breaks the mould and does it well.
Director Gore Verbinski, who dazzled viewers with bar-raising adventure films such as the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, brings his sense of epic action and lush detail to the film. Even though Rango is shot in the now considered "old school" 2D, the lustre of the crystal clear, superbly animated screen is undeniable – in fact Rango is more visually appealing than many of the animated features often seen who have simply jumped on the 3D bandwagon for the sake of it. Every scene is perfectly realised, every character crafted to perfection with staggering attention to detail.
The characters, rather than the plot, are what make this film so ridiculously enjoyable. The feathered Mariachi band that introduces the film and the protagonist elicit laughs before they even act out their narrative. Similarly, the rugged bunch of rodents, lizards and desert creatures all bring their share of funny dialogue and outlandish looks that just forces you to crack up. Johnny Depp supplies the voice of rambunctious reptile Rango and Isla Fisher is the stubborn Miss Beans - delight as both deliver punchy lines with flair. Even Rango’s solo scenes, where we meet him as a lonely household pet with a big imagination, are energetic and sincere.
Although the plot and most of the action will be simple enough for a slightly older children’s audience to follow, some of the themes, sequences and even the characters themselves might be a bit much for a young mind to handle. This certainly isn’t Finding Nemo – even if the characters are endearing in their own wacky ways. Surreal dream sequences, seriously evil looking creeps and weird philosophical half-dead armadillos would’ve kept me awake at night had I been a young 'un.
Rango is delightfully fun; it draws from spaghetti Westerns and tips its hat to classic cinema by means of subtle references and familiar archetypes. Sure there are a few predictable moments and some of the pace is lost towards the middle, but the end product is one that is surprisingly refreshing and decisively exciting.
Rango tells the tale of an unlikely hero whose existential angst causes him to ponder the mystery of his own identity. As he departs on a journey of self-discovery he realises that he must fulfil a destiny he could never have imagined. When Rango (Johnny Depp) finds himself in the inhospitable, drought-stricken desert town of Dirt, he is met by a community of strange and gritty critters who have their own mystery to deal with.
What we thought:
It is clear from the very first scene of this fun-filled yet uncanny adventure that Rango is not going to be your average, 100% kid-friendly slapstick parade which has become a sad standard for many films aimed at younger audiences. From the get-go one senses something quirky about the unique characters, the existential questions and the witty, pacey script. Rango breaks the mould and does it well.
Director Gore Verbinski, who dazzled viewers with bar-raising adventure films such as the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, brings his sense of epic action and lush detail to the film. Even though Rango is shot in the now considered "old school" 2D, the lustre of the crystal clear, superbly animated screen is undeniable – in fact Rango is more visually appealing than many of the animated features often seen who have simply jumped on the 3D bandwagon for the sake of it. Every scene is perfectly realised, every character crafted to perfection with staggering attention to detail.
The characters, rather than the plot, are what make this film so ridiculously enjoyable. The feathered Mariachi band that introduces the film and the protagonist elicit laughs before they even act out their narrative. Similarly, the rugged bunch of rodents, lizards and desert creatures all bring their share of funny dialogue and outlandish looks that just forces you to crack up. Johnny Depp supplies the voice of rambunctious reptile Rango and Isla Fisher is the stubborn Miss Beans - delight as both deliver punchy lines with flair. Even Rango’s solo scenes, where we meet him as a lonely household pet with a big imagination, are energetic and sincere.
Although the plot and most of the action will be simple enough for a slightly older children’s audience to follow, some of the themes, sequences and even the characters themselves might be a bit much for a young mind to handle. This certainly isn’t Finding Nemo – even if the characters are endearing in their own wacky ways. Surreal dream sequences, seriously evil looking creeps and weird philosophical half-dead armadillos would’ve kept me awake at night had I been a young 'un.
Rango is delightfully fun; it draws from spaghetti Westerns and tips its hat to classic cinema by means of subtle references and familiar archetypes. Sure there are a few predictable moments and some of the pace is lost towards the middle, but the end product is one that is surprisingly refreshing and decisively exciting.
