Rango (2011)

Rango is an ordinary chameleon who accidentally winds up in the town of Dirt, a lawless outpost in the Wild West in desperate need of a new sheriff.

Director:

Gore Verbinski

Writers:

John Logan, John Logan (story)

Stars:

Johnny Depp, Isla Fisher, Timothy Olyphant

Won 1 Oscar. Another 45 wins & 25 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Johnny Depp	...	Rango / Lars (voice)
Isla Fisher	...	Beans (voice)
Abigail Breslin	...	Priscilla (voice)
Ned Beatty	...	Mayor (voice)
Alfred Molina	...	Roadkill (voice)
Bill Nighy	...	Rattlesnake Jake (voice)
Stephen Root	...	Doc / Merrimack / Mr. Snuggles (voice)
Harry Dean Stanton	...	Balthazar (voice)
Timothy Olyphant	...	Spirit of the West (voice)
Ray Winstone	...	Bad Bill (voice)
Ian Abercrombie	...	Ambrose (voice)
Gil Birmingham	...	Wounded Bird (voice)
James Ward Byrkit	...	Waffles / Gordy / Papa Joad / Cousin Murt / Curlie / Knife Attacker / Rodent Kid (voice)
Claudia Black	...	Angelique (voice)
Blake Clark	...	Buford (voice)

Storyline

Rango is a pet chameleon always on the lookout for action and adventure, except the fake kind, where he directs it and acts in it. After a car accident, he winds up in an old western town called Dirt. What this town needs the most is water, but they also need a hero and a sheriff. The thirsty Rango instantly takes on the role of both and selfishly agrees to take on the case of their missing water.

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Plot Keywords:

water | sheriff | chameleon | lizard | desert | 

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Taglines:

From the director of 'Pirates of the Caribbean'

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Genres:

Animation | Adventure | Comedy | Family | Western

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for rude humor, language, action and smoking

Did You Know?

Trivia

Roadkill, the armadillo, is the image of Don Quixote de la Mancha (complete with armor and lance) --- a character who, like Rango, was driven by chivalrous ideals to defend the helpless and destroy the wicked.

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Goofs

There are no natural Saguaro cacti in the Mojave Desert. They are native to the Sonoran Desert.

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Quotes

Spirit of the West: No man can walk out of his own story.

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Alternate Versions

The DVD and Blu-ray releases include an extended version, which adds one scene after Rattlesnake Jake drags the Mayor off into the desert. Due to the water that has flooded up from the ground, the town of Dirt has become a beach resort and re-named itself Mud. As the locals enjoy the new scenery, Rango gets news that Bad Bill is causing trouble in another town. He decides to make a dramatic exit, delivering an inspired speech to the town while mounted on a roadrunner, but falls out of the saddle before he can finish it.

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Connections

Referenced in That Fellow in the Coat: A Look Back at the Animated Features of 2010 (2010)

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Soundtracks

Selenger's Round
Traditional
Arranged by Nicholas Parker and Francis Silkstone
Courtesy of DeWolfe Music

User Reviews

Rango... Every archetype, convention and finest detail is here! The west lives on...

Rango... yes it is a play on the classic Western Django. Thats why its so interesting!

I had eagerly awaited the arrival of Rango, not only as a western fan but also as an admirer of Gore Verbinski; and the inclusion of Johnny Depp has yet to be a bad thing. The trailers had almost completely left out any kind of plot hint, which i now realise was a very good decision.

So, the story is that a chameleon, with acting ambitions, longs for social interaction outside of his lonely environment. His wishes are granted when he stumbles into the western town of 'Dirt' and takes over the vacant role of Sheriff. When he discovers the towns water supply is almost run dry he searches for answers along side the townsfolk, all of whom believe Rango to be their Saviour.

If you have seen the trailer you will have noticed the singing mariachi owls, who tunefully break down the forth wall to open the film. Not too dissimilar to the rooster in Disney's classic Robin Hood they help guide the story along and in doing so also keep you guessing. Which was a real bonus for me in terms of animated films as they do tend to get predictable, despite how well they are told.

Rango himself upon first meet is absolutely NOT a hero. Even more interesting though is that his name is not Rango. In fact we have no clue as to what his name is... no doubt an obvious reference to the classic Spaghetti Westerns to which its inspired by and its Eastwood lead 'Man with No Name' character. But Rango, despite his lack of name, knows what he wants and Verbinski very clearly makes sure the audience knows too... He wants the chance to be a hero and to one have a story to tell. Let the narrative unfold...

The real winner here is the scenery, its animated alright but i was struggling to believe that at various points in the film. The scene in the saloon towards the beginning is fantastically lit and the final showdown is shot better than a lot of the classics. I'm not kidding! In fact I would happily pay to see it again just to look at those shots again because they capture the tension so well.

Although the real audience is those who love the classic west, Verbinski is able to make it accessible to a vast number. The younger audiences will definitely appreciate Depp's eccentric character as well as the very well timed humour, both visually and verbally. The more mature audiences will appreciate the latter a lot more so. The story is excellent! It unravels perfectly and its runtime passes by almost without effort.

Rango is western... make no mistake. But i assure you one thing should you decide to give it a chance, its what it needs to be! Its entertaining, action-packed, funny and sincere. Above all else, it has what makes a great film, alongside the great protagonist is a great antagonist! Rattlesnake Jake is scary... he's great with his words and deadly with his gun and he helps build to a great and tense final showdown!

Rango gets 10/10 from me!

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 March 2011 (USA)

Also Known As:

Untitled Gore Verbinski Animated Project

Filming Locations:

Arizona, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$135,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$38,079,323, 6 March 2011

Gross USA:

$123,477,607

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$245,724,603

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures, Nickelodeon Movies, Blind Wink Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

107 min

Sound Mix:

SDDS Dolby Digital DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1 (HDTV)