Review: Rango

From the mind of Gore Verbinksi comes the tale of Rango - a lizard (gecko?) voiced by Johnny Depp. Rango finds himself in the middle of the western town, Dirt, after a near car wreck flings him out of his owner's car and the safety of his cage. A quite enjoyable adventure ensues.

Rango, is obviously an animated movie and animated movies are directed toward kids. What's interesting is that this movie really feels like it was made for adults (but kids should still very much enjoy this movie). Rango boasts some very deep and interesting characters that look really cool as well. The animation in this movie is very detailed and gritty; some of the characters look just plain scary! It really gives you the feeling of the rugged west, but I really do think they could be disturbing to youngest audiences - Along with that, there are plenty of adult jokes in this movie. Not necessarily dirty jokes, but jokes that only adults would get. They will make you laugh really hard (mammograms and prostates both get a mention). But since this is a children's movie, there has to be some children humor. What's a little sad is that some of the children humor is really predictable and forced, it bogs down the cleverness of the movie. I think they should have taken a look at Toy Story 3 to find humor that is simple enough for kids to laugh at, but still enjoyable for every audience.

The story is fun and there's plenty of action to keep you entertained. I feel like the feel of this movie is what Verbinski wanted for his Pirates of the Caribbean movies. It's comedy is light hearted but the final act of the movie is particularly moving and thrilling. It keeps a good balance of making you laugh, but also having you care about the characters and the outcome.

I'm going to say that Rango will probably get a nomination for Best Animated Picture in next year's Academy Awards. I know it's early, but I'm going with my gut, ok!? Go enjoy the quirky, wild west world of Rango. The humor for the children may be a little bit painful and slapstick, but you can look over that, at least your kids are laughing.

We all know what the next move is.... we need to form a possum.

Makin Movie Blog Grade