Viewed once in theaters, March 2011
Being a huge Johnny Depp fan (and a lover of Gore Verbinski, the producer who also made such swashbucklers as Pirates of the Caribbean), I was pretty excited when I first learned about this movie. I had alot of expectations of it being a high-times, rootin'-tootin', gunslingin' adventure. And yeah, sure, I got that--but with alot of unexpected things thrown in.
This film's biggest strengths are the absolute breathtaking beauty of the animation, and the pop-culture references that are thrown in here and there. The animation is as "photo-realistic" as I've seen in a while, coming awfully close to even Pixar's realism masterpiece Wall-E. A couple of times I almost forgot I was watching an animated movie. Even such notoriously difficult-to-animate things like dust, water, and fire came breezing onto the screen effortlessly. It was often beautiful, despite the hideousness of most of the characters. (And yes, they are ALL equally ugly--not quite sure why this is, but there you have it. Rango's the easiest one on the eyes, actually.) The pop-culture references are frequent and mostly fly over the spectator's head. I'm sure this film would take multiple viewings to catch everything in it. For that reason, I think that this is a well-layered movie. It is, in a nutshell, an animated Western.
That being said, let's get down to the nitty-gritty: This is NOT a kid's movie. Allow me to repeat myself: This film was not made for children. Yes, it's animated; yes, it's talking animals; yes, the parent production company is Nickelodeon; and yes, the premise is rather silly. But with all of the violence and the peppering of profanities, this is not a film I would feel comfortable bringing very young children to. Rango took me by surprise, and not in a good way. The story was strange and rather disturbing; tongue-in-cheek references to death, murder, and violence are uncomfortably offhand. Characters talk about sending other characters "straight down to h-ll." Many of the story elements are completely random and totally unexpected. It's quite unnerving and not very enjoyable.
Rango is a chameleon who has spent his entire life in a terrarium as someone's pet. Being alone so much is difficult for someone who believes he's been born to be a theatrical headliner. As the star of the "stage," he is free to place his "friends" in supporting roles--a plastic wind-up fish, a headless Barbie, and a dead cockroach. When an accident lands him in the desert, with strange and rough-and-tumble reptilian/rodentian inhabitants, Rango feels that this is his chance to "really be somebody," and he tells the townspeople of Dirt that he's a legendary hero. Naturally, this quickly leads him into problems, as he's faced with villains, outlaws, and the looming problem of the massive drought that is plaguing the desert.
NEGATIVES:
>>Profanity: There's not many, and they're "not bad," but personally I think that one is too many in a "kid's" movie. They're used just like every other Western--i.e., it's a part of the characters' vocabularies rather than actual obscenities. (That's no excuse, but it's a reason.) Plugged In counts the profanities as follows: ""Seven or eight times the word 'h‑‑‑' is not intended to reference the place. 'D‑‑n' and 'a‑‑' also show up once each. There's an unfinished 'son of a …' (The final word is covered by a bird's squawk.) A character calls out, 'Madre de Dios.' A Greek chorus in the form of an owl mariachi band sometimes sings out choice little blurbs such as,'"Watch him lose his cojones.' Name-calling includes 'floozy,' 'tramp' and 'trollop.'"
>>Violence: Here's the most disappointing part of the film. Although there is no blood, characters are drowned, thrown from great heights, blown up, shot at, kicked around, punched in the face, lit on fire, threatened by scary villains, crushed by dry watertowers, picked up by predatory birds (presumably to be eaten), and hit by cars. Gunfights are constant, including one altercation with a rattlesnake who has a revolving semi-automatic shotgun as his "rattler." Almost every character draws or uses a gun at some point. Rango belches flames into one character's face. Although this is a cartoon, it's pretty graphic because of the photorealistic nature of the animation.
>>Spiritual content: Most of the characters ascribe to a belief in a diety named "The Spirit of the West," a Clint-Eastwood-type outlaw who governs all things Western. Some of the townspeople even say a heartfelt prayer to the Spirit of the West in thanks for Rango. ("It's nice to have something to believe in again.") One of the Dirt-ians has a Bible. In a separate instance, the people of Dirt have a near-worshipful reverence for the large water spigot in the middle of town. They follow a choreographed ritual that includes gathering in ranks, saying "Hallelujah" to the "holy spigot" and call the occurrence "sacred." Later, when one character sees the underground pipe of the spigot he likens the experience to "seeing the face of God."
>>Alcohol and Drugs: Alcohol makes a surprising and disappointing appearance. It's consumed in the town saloon as a substitute for all-too-scarce water. But even more upsetting is the constant use of smoking--USA Today counted OVER 60 uses of tobacco in an article about anti-smoking advocates' reactions to the film. Granted, it is an animated Western film. And yes, it is kindof a tradition to have characters in Westerns with a permanent cigarette affixed in their mouths. However, this is a film that children will be watching, and smoking can be misinterpreted as "cool" or evidence of being a "tough guy."
>>Sexual content: In his loneliness, Rango has a "date" with the silent headless/legless Barbie doll. They have a silly and flirty conversation in which he asks, "Are those real?" A few sexual innuendos are made during the film, and Rango embellishes his backstory by saying his Mama had an "active social life." Some jaw-dropping threats are made by characters involving "private parts," including ripping off another character's face to "wipe my unmentionables." Rango kisses another character twice. One of the Dirt-ians is the "town prostitute," and as such she is wearing a disgustingly low dress that showcases her barely-covered cleavage.
There are positives to this film, such as messages of heroism, self-sacrifice for the good of others, doing the right thing, telling the truth, "It's the deeds that make the man" and, "No man can walk out on his own story." All of these are pretty blatant in the film. What taints this message, though, are interruptions by violence, sexual innuendo, profanity, excessive tobacco use, and befuddling morals that are lost in a confusing story. (An unsettling reference is made to the "harm that mankind has wreaked on the environment," by blaming the water shortage on man and his "progress.") Rango has the feel of an old, flawed Western--it also hearkens back to the early Johnny Depp, where he was drawn to the more experimental and strange projects that didn't always do so well.
Overall, I enjoyed this film for the art piece that it is, but I don't think I will enjoy it a second time. It's worth watching, but brings up several good discussion points: Is it OK to smoke? What are the far-reaching repercussions of stealing and lying? Does fighting solve all of our problems? What does a true hero look like and act like? Are bad words always "bad words?"
This film is rambling, wandering, searching for a real story to latch onto. It's disconnected, weird, and not all that funny. I would not recommend this for very young children, but it is probably okay for older kids, as long as they understand the true morals, the right way to treat people, and how much words can hurt other people.
2 1/2 out of 6 stars
So that everyone (including myself) may benefit from it, please feel free to leave your own personal opinion of this film.
Plugged In Movie Reviews
The Internet Movie Database
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