A Reel Review: RANGO

Director Gore Verbinski has quietly become one of the most diverse filmmakers in the business today; having dabbled in horror (THE RING), fantasy (PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN), black comedy (THE WEATHERMAN), and now animation AND old-west in the form of RANGO. Verbinski throws everything he has ever learned in his career into the film, and the result is a ride relying on fun more than heart.

Johnny Depp provides the voice of a domesticated chameleon who becomes stranded in the desert. Stumbling into a drought-ridden town, he relies upon his talent for acting and spinning yarns to get out of a few jams, and winds up becoming sheriff in THREE AMIGOS fashion. The chameleon borrows the name Rango from a beverage bottle, and sets out to save the town from drying out in a water scandal.

With a high concept of bizarre-looking, talking animals, RANGO keeps the flippers on the ground by keeping the story simple. It’s the tale of one’s search for himself; as Rango is not motivated by justice or morality, but to figure out who he really is. He begins the film with no name, and it is only through the accident of becoming sheriff does he begin to figure things out.

RANGO is an old-western right down to the core. The town is full of stock and cliché old-west characters; from the innocent mouse (Abigail Beslin), to the crooked mayor (Ned Beatty) to the town’s heart-and-soul and heroine Beans (an iguana played by Isla Fisher). The characters fit the setting and the story very well, and the audience can and will find themselves rooting for them.

RANGO only touches on the heartstrings here and there, choosing to pull us in with fun, slapstick and some eye-popping visuals/action sequences; there is a classical-scored chase-scene in the middle section that is just the most outstanding thing every put to an animated film. RANGO won’t make you cry in a TOY STORY 3 kind-of-way, but will instead make you laugh and leave with a big ol’ smile.

Dozens upon dozens of movie references are subtly scattered throughout. Verbinski toys with a thin veil of homages only to whip it back totally towards the end with a whopper of a cameo. Verbinski also doesn’t water things down for an animated flick; there are plenty of go-to-hells, character deaths, and even a suicide attempt. By far this is the most mature animated film seen in years. Kids may have a hard time really connecting with it.

The visuals are outstanding; not only just in the incredible detail of the characters but in the environment as well. Certain characters and scenes are so well realized we half-expect a live-action person to walk through. Depp is perfect as Rango; injecting his own personality into him to the point that he can almost be seen on screen.

RANGO is a triumph in both visuals and storytelling. Verbinski has managed to make a true western epic in an animated world; a feat that is not easy to do.

BOTTOM LINE: See it.