Rango

Who doesn't love Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow? And when he debuts as a chameleon, all the more loveable. Rango, is a family animation movie ... read more

Who doesn't love Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow? And when he debuts as a chameleon, all the more loveable. Rango, is a family animation movie directed by Gore Verbinski and cinematographer Roger Deakins provide the audience some stunning visuals and remarkable animation.
So, when an unnamed chameleon finds himself stranded in the Mojave Desert, he goes hunting for water and comes across a western town of Dirt. Assuming a name as one of the meanest reptile in West, Rango, he is made the Mayor of the town after he defeats a hawk accidentally. Proudly wearing his persona, Rango is in-charge of a town whose currency is "water'. As a ritual, the town folks gather around faucet every Wednesday to perform an intricate dance. But, when the water reserve is stolen Rango gathers a search party to set off and find the truth.
Plenty of charm and fun, the movie proceeds to introduce Isla Fisher with a malfunctioning protection system as our protagonist's love interest. The comedy kicks in and the audience enjoys the movie to their hearts. As the western outlook kicks in, the rest of the cast comprises of southwestern fauna of reptiles and rodents which arent so cuddly as any other animation film would expect to be.
The movie proves that animation studio other than Pixar can even make the cut as a good attempt. The characters may be weird, ugly looking but still make audience fell the love. Thus, an all in all a must watch animation movie this weekend.
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Rango is a Wild West movie. It is directed by Gore Verbinski who made Pirates of the Carribean (this is just to give you an idea of what to expect ... read more

Rango is a Wild West movie. It is directed by Gore Verbinski who made Pirates of the Carribean (this is just to give you an idea of what to expect from this movie). You get none of the technicolour cuteness of regular animated movies. No sweet songs and coy long lashed damsels. What you get instead is a lizard (Rango) who finds himself as the Sheriff of a one horse town that is fighting for water. There is a damsel (Beans) who is some kind of an insect too and the rest of the citizens are mangy, scrawny, one-eyed or one-eared scaly, dirty creatures, all presided over by an ancient tortoise as the mayor. The entire movie is brown and dry and there is no let up from the dreariness of the landscape. What sparkles instead like the droplets of water that the little village is thirsty for, is the witty dialogues and the superb voice over by Johny Depp as Rango and the assorted rag tag cast of characters. There is also a priceless mariachi band of owls that acts like the chorus from a Greek tragedy to move the story along.

The movie could have been a bit shorter or it may just be my adult impatience with an adventure that has gone on too long. There is a thrilling chase in the canyon which would have looked spectacular in 3D (And I, a hater of 3D, am saying this!) and a menacing rattle snake who is the quintessential bad guy in cahoots with the godfather type tortoise. There is also a sweet kiss between Rango and Beans which is the first time two insects have kissed with so much passion outside of National Geographic. The background music is typically Western and provides a racy accompaniment to the action on screen.

I totally enjoyed this movie. It is a refreshing change from the saccharine sweetness that animation normally subjects us to. Very young kids (the 4-6 year age group) will probably not enjoy it. The story is quite dark, the dialogues too grown up and the ugliness of some of the creatures may be too much for some little ones. I would recommend you watch this movie. I never thought I would love a lizard but Rango has given me a soft spot for reptiles.
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The one thing I believe most animated feature films do is "cuteness overkill". No matter if there have to be animals or humans as their protagonist... read more

The one thing I believe most animated feature films do is "cuteness overkill". No matter if there have to be animals or humans as their protagonists they look incredibly cute; not a bad thing necessarily but with the field of animation there is plenty of scope to play around with the look and feel you want to create according to your story and settings. While there are a (very select) few that have veered from this trend, most seem to revel in it. So it's quite a relief to see something like 'Rango' which takes a well-defined cinematic genre, the Western, and puts it's setting to wonderful use with everything that the genre has to offer. Plus its not in 3D!!!

Not too far off from a loose animated re-imagining of 'Blazing Saddles', the movie even combines elements of the 'Man with no name trilogy' and 'Chinatown'. Rango (voice of Johnny Depp) is a lizard living in a home aquarium until an accident leaves him stranded in the middle of the desert. Seeking water he finds the sleepy town of Dirt which is like any frontier town seen in most westerns except this is a watering hole for various types of animals instead of humans. The town is presided over by the Mayor (voice of Ned Beatty) & terrorized by a snake, Rattlesnake Jake (voice of Bill Nighy). Thanks to a combination of luck and pure buffoonery on the part of Rango, he's soon seen the town's new hero and saviour, and eventually even rises to become the sheriff. Fighting off a troublesome hawk seems to cement his place but Rango soon discovers the reason for the town's problem stems from the fact that there is an acute shortage of water, which is killing off the town and it's folk slowly. His investigations into the matter reveal a conspiracy and it's upto Rango to fight off the bad guys.

First off the animation is an absolute beauty inspite of the harsh terrain and the life-like creature designs. Certain scenes like Rango's first encounter with the Hawk, the "bat-attack" and his search for the "spirit of the west" left me in complete awe of the technical work on display.

The screenplay balances the material in such a way that it is accessible to both kids and adults alike. Though I feel most kids won't be able to get the references to earlier movies. The plot too is pretty complex for a movie of this kind and doesnt shy away from scary moments to adult references.

The voice work is top-notch and everyone fits the bill to the tee. Johnny Depp I find can be moody and when the right role isn't there he tends to be on auto-pilot, not here though. He seems to be enjoying the role so much that rarely did I feel I was listening to or watching an animated Johnny Depp. The other notable mention is to Bill Nighy whose silky smooth sinister much like Lee Van Cleef used to be in the older days. The only misstep I felt was Timothy Olyphant as the voice of the "spirit of the west", if you happen to watch the movie and compare his voice to an iconic actor known for these roles, you'll know the difference in dialogue delivery in an instant if you are a real fan.

'Rango' has a large share of content which adults might appreciate more than the kids but it would be unfair to label for an older audience. There is enough in the movie which kids will love and laugh out loud and plenty which will keep the parents occupied too.

A brilliantly animated, written and voiced animated feature that deserves to stand with the best this genre has had to offer in the past few years. Not to be missed at any cost.
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After reading the reviews, quite excited for this one!

The class of animated films has gone up several notches from like a decade back. They are no longer movies made for children but instead a simple p... read more

The class of animated films has gone up several notches from like a decade back. They are no longer movies made for children but instead a simple plot put in some kind of animated scenario. Big names collaborate to give us Rango and they live up to their expectations.

Rango is a lizard who accidentally winds up in a Nevada desert. In his quest to avoid a tryst with death and in search of water he lands up in a town called Dirt. The town is a lawless land in need of a hero and Rango unknowingly boasts his way to becoming the sheriff of the town. When he tries to unearth the mysteries of the disappearing water in the town he is humiliated and ousted from the town by the mayor. How Rango manages to bounce back is what the climax comprises of.

The animation is brilliant as most of the animated movies these days, but what makes this movie special is the story line. This movie could have easily been made as a normal action comedy with real people. An interesting plot and ample humor make this flick super watchable. The background score, mostly a compilation of the wild west themes, is perfect for the movie's feel.

Rango's voice is given by the awesome Johnny Depp and he does indeed give shape to the character. His comic timing is absolutely fantastic. Isla Fisher lends her voice to the female lead, Beans. The other noticeable character is the cameo of Rattlesnake Jake by Bill Nighy who gives a splendid dark voice to the villain.

John Logan scripts a brilliant plot and screenplay. The characters are winners in this story. The lovable yet dorky Rango, the simple and sweet Beans, the machinating mayor and the maniacal Rattlesnake Jake are all brilliant creations. Rango was probably written with Johnny Depp in mind as the character fits him like a glove. Gore Verbinski does a very neat job of putting together the pieces of the screenplay and making this movie a visual treat to watch. He adds another feather to his cap after the super successful Pirates series.

All in all a very watchable film.

Reasons to watch:
1) Love animated films
2) Love Johnny Depp
3) Interesting story line attached

Reasons to skip:
1) A DVD film
2) Wild West is not your cup of tea.

Repeat Value: Several times on DVD view less