RANGO

 

 

Rango is a pretty entertaining computer-animated flick that would appeal to both children and adults. Rango is about a wayward rather bumbling lizard named--you guessed it!--Rango who stumbles into the small western town populated by assorted critters appropriately-named Dirt that’s in dire need of not only water but a new sheriff after the last sheriff met a rather untimely end. Rango manages to con his way into the job after telling the townsfolk the tall tale of how he defeated a gang of outlaws with only one bullet. The town is run by a conniving turtle mayor who’s controlling the town’s water supply unbeknownst to the town’s populace for his own nefarious scheme which Rango stumbles upon of him secretly building a more “modern“ town. The movie pays homage to a number of other movies which adult viewers might recognize, including a number of “spaghetti” westerns such as A Fistful Of Dollars starring Clint Eastwood whose Man With No Name character even makes a cameo in the film (though not voiced by Clint). The movie also contains a number of action scenes, including the “climax” of the film when Rango confronts the head bad guy named Rattlesnake Jake whom the scheming turtle mayor “hires” who runs Rango out of town after publicly humiliating him in front of the town’s populace by making him admit that his story about taking on the outlaw gang with one bullet was untrue. Rango is voiced by Johnny Depp which, of course, may explain why the character Rango sounds like a cross between Jack Sparrow and Hunter S. Thompson--whose likeness also makes a cameo in the film--which are, of course, characters that Johnny Depp has played. Like I said, I think Rango is a film that would be entertaining to kids and grown-ups alike (though I will say that the film‘s move violent scenes, especially the ones with the character Rattlesnake Jake, might be too intense for really younger viewers). Rango also gained the distinction of being the first Nickelodeon movie to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Film. The Man With No Name would be so proud!