Rango, an animated comedy starring the voices of Johnny Depp, Isla Fisher, and Bill Nighy, is a story about finding your place in the world and runs some old tricks not seen in a while.
An unnamed pet chameleon (Depp) is thrown from the back of a station wagon and into the Nevada Desert. On the road, he survives by sliding on the back of glass shard and meets into the philosophic armadillo that rolled in front of his owner's car: causing him to be stranded. Making his way to the side of the road, the chameleon is advised by the armadillo to head out into the wilderness until he finds Dirt. Narrowly escaping the clutches of a hawk, the socially isolated chameleon meets into a female lizard dressed in western garb named Beans (Isla Fisher) that frequently freezes up in self defense. Weary of the chameleon and somewhat creeped out by him, Beans takes him to the town of Dirt and its western desert animal citizens. Lying emphatically at a bar, the chameleon takes the name Rango and runs afoul of the local desperados. As fate would have it, Rango faces and kills the Hawk instead of dirt's rustlers, is appointed sheriff and has to solve the town's water problem.
When watching Rango, it appears a comedy that mocks not only westerns but many conventions of the real, modern western America and itself. Clichés of the corrupt mayor, the bad guy with the Black hat, and the random American Indian are rampant. Two characters even seem to mock the protagonists of True Grit in appearance. However, much of the real funniness of Rango has to be that it knows it is a farce and draws from almost everything. Characters that can barely assemble a logical argument conclude that the change from searching for water thieves to water is a "paradigm shift."
On the other hand though, Rango is a silly way of getting to environmental critique. In both the microcosm of Dirt and the macrocosm that is Los Vegas in everything but name, there is a definite focus on the importance and protection of a natural resource that is to the Dirt citizens both a religion and money. In real world Los Vegas, an issue has been carried on for some years as to the city getting more water resources than the surrounding rural areas and even wasting water. This may manifest directly in the un-followed lead of water that is just dumped in the desert and indirectly in the mayor's willingness to leave the town thirsty while building a better, bigger vision based on the larger human world.
Animation in Rango is as top-notch as its story is really eye-catching. Details from drifting clouds to wrinkles on Rango's shirt to the slightly translucent, opening flowers are rendered in all the glory of modern techniques.
While Rango's humor must be praised on one hand, it must also be critiqued for some staleness and moments that really aren't very charming at all. All and all, Rango acts as strong entry into the new film year and forms a great movie-going experience for those who can understand its light raunchiness. For any lovers of Johnny Depp who want to see him in an unforeseen light or simply those who enjoy a good animated film, Rango is well-advised.
