Rango

Rango (2011)
Directed by Gore Verbinski. Starring (voices by) Johnny Depp, Isla Fisher, Abigail Breslin, Ned Beatty, Alfred Molina, Bill Nighy, and others.

Animated film Rango is a horse (or more accurately, a chameleon) of a different color. It's an animated film for adults, rather than children. Most films like this that try to cross the age line focus on the kids and throw in a few nods toward their parents; but the creative team lead by Gore Verbinski really seemed to have set out to make a smart, intelligent, grown-up flick.... and yes, it happens to be non-live action.

Furthermore, Rango was clearly made by somebody who loves films and has seen lots of them... After seeing it, I concluded that Gore Verbinski must be incredibly well versed in genres and cliches. The whole film is one big nod to the classic Western films of the 50s and 60s, drawing on every cowboy convention ever. However, it also tips its hat to surrealist films, Star Wars, Chinatown, and even Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.

Johnny Depp gives an interesting and dynamic voice performance as the titular character (but really, that's to be expected of him)... as do many of the other actors -- most notably, Bill Nighy (whom I didn't recognize until part of the way into the film). Rango is an incredibly human lizard, which of course is what makes this film so appealing and real despite its animated nature. In the beginning, when he is alone in a glass tank riding in the back of a car, we see him neurotically longing for friends (which comprise the wind-up goldfish toy in the poster, and a headless, legless Barbie doll torso), attempting to figure out who he is, and what role to play (literally). When his tank falls out of the car and he is left stranded in the wilderness of the Mohave desert, we see him struggle to fit into his new surroundings (ironic, of course, since he is a chameleon). There is a wonderful light bulb moment when he first walks into the bar of the little town that the film is about... and Rango decides to reinvent himself.

The CGI animation is impressive. Fur, skin, and scale textures on the many animals are incredibly realistic... as are the desert surroundings. There's one scene that stays in my mind, where the sand is gently blowing in the nighttime breeze... and all I can say is that they nailed it. The sand sparkles in the right way, moves in the right way... It just looks real. If not for the stylization in the characters (oversized faces, and such -- like Rango's left eye), you honestly might question for a moment whether or not it was real.

Fun fact for those interested in how films are made: Verbinski and Co used a system they dubbed "emotion capture" to create the film... where the actors didn't just stand in sound booths and voice their lines, but actually acted the scenes out together. (Read more here.)

To sum up, I really enjoyed Rango. It was entertaining, yet didn't sacrifice intelligence to be so. It was a film that was savvy but legible. It was fun and funny and yet it dealt with some interesting themes (identity, community, environmentalism, interconnectedness). Of course, it helped that it featured my favorite actor and was made by the man who made my favorite movie (Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl)... so I was perhaps pre-disposed to like it. But I really would recommend it to any type of film-goer as an all-around good movie.