Rango (2011)

It's been seven years since I first saw Rango and the only thing I could remember about it was the main character being a lizard, that I kinda cried at some point and that I really enjoyed it. So I played it safe --you never know what you get with movies you have never seen before. Or nobody has ever heard of before-- and rewatched it.

Turns out Rango (voiced by Johnny Depp) is not a lizard but a chameleon (which is kinda funny since I watched The Office episode where the a cappella group from Cornell sings Culture Klub's Karma Chameleon), not just some random chameleon but a pet chameleon with a passion of acting. As his human family is crossing the desert, his aquarium falls off the car and after a series of unfortunate events, Rango ends up in Dirt, a thirsty town inhabited by animals in desperate need of water. They also need a hero and a sheriff, and Rango takes on the role of both as he embarks on a quest to find water. 

Sounds like a good storyline, right? Unfortunately, after a promising and interesting start, the plot is nowhere to be found and, as soon as Rango becomes sheriff, there are just some random events happening that aren't even that interesting and therefore the movie gets a little boring. Not to mention that it's quite predictable and that it doesn't have the depth required to engage adults. 

Which is very important since Rango seems to target adults rather than kids. This being a Gore Verbinski movie, it is filled with dry humour made for an adult audience. In addition, it has many references to old western movies that kids will never get. Actually, the whole "plot" is a collection of references. But overall, the movie is fun (for adults). 

Paramount Pictures

Just like the plot, the characters too are quite weak. There isn't much depth nor development, not even Rango, the hero of the story, has a lot of development which kind of makes it hard to care about him. And yet, he manages to be likeable and I guess I have to give credits to Johnny Depp for bringing charisma, weirdness and craziness into the character. Some of the supporting characters are lovable too, and the supporting cast, which includes Bill Nighy (yes, he plays a villain), Alfred Molina and Timothy Olyphant, does a pretty good job.

Easily the most outstanding aspect of Rango though is the very realistic animation. The scenery is stunning but the character design and animation are just top-notch and often and easily steal the scene.