Rango

Director: Gore Verbinski
Writers: John Logan, Gore Verbinski, & James Ward Byrkit
Actors: Johnny Depp, Isla Fisher, Bill Nighy, & Timothy Olyphant
[Like most big budget animated movies, this movie is voice acted by quite a few big name actors]

Rated PG {despite its low rating, I would not recommend this movie for children}

This was a movie that I went into with very few expectations. Pretty much everyone I know that saw said it was dark but enjoyable. While I enjoyed some parts of the movie, I found the description of dark to be a major understatement.

WHAT I LIKED

The animation in this movie kept me watching it. I'm not so sure that this is a good thing though, especially for a story driven movie.

Call me a sucker for Hans Zimmer, but I loved the music in Rango.

The thing I liked best about this movie, however, was the character Rattlesnake Jake, a scary, poison-fanged gunslinger with a repeater (gun) for a tail and several bandoliers.

WHAT I DID NOT LIKE

I could write a lengthy commentary about the various things in Rango that I disliked but I have decided that they can be categorized into two broad groups. I really disliked how dark Rango was. This would not be as big of a deal if it had not been marketed to children, but it was. I would be happier showing this to kids than I would be with a dark comedy like A Boy And His Dog (1975) but not much happier.

The other complaint I have is this movie's under theme-ing, by that I mean constantly alluding to something other than what they are saying or showing. I enjoy this in movies when this is done tastefully, but this movie beat you with it like you were probably too dumb to notice they said Thespian, which rhythms with lesbian.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Despite being really well made, Rango left me feeling indifferent. I give it a D for being better than a failure but not on par.


WHEN SHOULD YOU SEE IT?

When someone loans you are copy. This isn't a movie to avoid but it is not one you should excitedly hunt down.


SCORE

Personal Rating: 6 of 10 (D)

Plot: 5 of 10 (a predictable story focused movie)

How does this TS review compare to major reviews?
IMDB 7.4/10
Rotten Tomatoes C-88%/A-69%


CONTENT

Violence: 4 of 10 (Incredibly violent for a PG movie: with animals getting run over by cars, threatened, eaten, shot, blown up, squeezed, crushed, and almost hanged)

Language/Profanity: 4 of 10 (Much more than I was expecting: with several substitutes for testicles, "son of a ...", "damn", and "hell" all being used)

Sexuality/Sensuality: 4 of 10 (Minor flirty throughout the movie, during the bar scene several call girls/prostitutes are seen, and fighting between two female characters ends with one calling the other a "floozy" with other replying "trollop")

Spiritual Aspects: 1 of 10 (There a legend/man who is referred to as the Spirit of the West)

Drugs/Alcohol: 4 of 10 (A surprising amount of smoking and drinking)