Rango: four stars
Rated: PG for language and mature subject matter
Rango is a true delight. It’s like being handed the keys to the Aquafina plant during a period of great drought. Not only is it breathtaking to look at, the story is compulsively watchable. The characters are well rounded, the setting is perfect, the voices are spot-on, and – gasp! – it’s filmed in glorious 2-D to boot. It’s movies like this that make me question the higher cost of the third dimension; my hope is that, after seeing Rango, most others will too.
The film belongs right up there with other great parodies, from Blazing Saddles (which Rango draws a lot from) to the Naked Gun movies. There’s a horse chase through a tight canyon that’s an obvious nod to Star Wars, and a bat attack that’s reminiscent of the helicopters in Apocalypse Now.
Rango, however, loves westerns. In many ways, it is the perfect western: new man in a small town plagued by a water shortage; gang of outlaws who hold the town in their slimy clutches; new man must prove his worth by saving the town from the gang of outlaws and restoring the water supply. It’s everything I used to love about the old Spaghetti Westerns. There’s even a small cameo of a CGI “Blondie” as the “Spirit of the West.”
If you’ve seen a lot of movies, Rango will be that much more enjoyable. It’s really a delight being able to pick out the aspects of the film that were inspired from other films. But what if you haven’t seen a lot of movies? What if you’re just a kid? I’m sure you’ll still be pleasantly surprised.
The movie is rated PG. I hope this doesn’t spoil it from being a huge success at the box office. It is a beautiful looking film with a splendid story and a marvelous voice cast, which includes: Johnny Depp, Isla Fisher, Ned Beatty and Bill Nighy. Take the kids, take the whole family, then in a few months, when you’re on your way to the next 3-D bit of fluff, you can wonder why just a short time ago you paid half price for something infinitely better.
‘Til next time! See you at the movies.