|
Rango
| Released |
4 March 2011 |
| Director |
Gore Verbinski |
Starring
|
Johnny Depp, Isla Fisher, Timothy Olyphant, Abigail Breslin, Bill Nighy, Alfred Molina, Ned Beatty |
| Writer(s) |
John LOgan |
Producer(s)
|
John B. Carls, Graham King, Gore Verbinski |
| Origin |
United States |
| Running Time |
107 minutes |
| Genre |
Animation, adventure |
| Rating |
PG |
|
|
Cold blooded.
Judging by the evidence of Rango, the new animated feature from Gore Verbinski, there’s nothing the family film audience love more than a little bit of Hunter S. Thompson. They also can’t get enough of Sergio Leone references. I must have missed a memo.
Anyway, aside from celebrating subversive journalists, Rango does its best to channel the spirit of Mel Brooks with a story that plays like a lizard based re-hash of Blazing Saddles. We first meet Rango (voiced by Johnny Depp) in his terrarium, where he passes the lonely time indulging his passion for amateur dramatics. This talent comes in handy when, following a transportation mishap, he finds himself in a frontier town called Dirt - where strangers never fare well and a mysterious drought is hitting citizens hard. Recognising a patsy when he sees one, the shifty mayor makes Rango the new town sheriff; a job that proves more dangerous than was expected.
First off the bat, the film looks fantastic. It may be the first venture of Industrial Light and Magic into animated features but it doesn’t show- the desert environments are wonderfully crisp and realistic and the character design is exceptional with every scale and tuft of fur immaculately rendered. The voice acting too is all up to scratch with Depp pitching up on just the right side of zany alongside a nice supporting cast featuring Isla Fisher and Abigail Breslin.
It is just unfortunate that more care wasn’t put into the script, which to be honest is a bit of a mess. Many characters are underused- particularly Ray Winstone’s Bad Bill, who at first is established as Rango’s nemesis but this conflict fizzles out quickly. Most importantly though, while Rango himself is an entertainingly silly creation, what laughs there are are few and far between. Mel Brooks it ain’t.
A disappointment then, but noteworthy for being a first time triumph for Industrial Light and Magic in the realm of animated features.
-
Linda O’Brien |
