The Open Rango

I'm a few weeks behind on this one, but it was only last night that I finally got around to seeing the new animated film Rango.

If I were to judge it purely on the merits of the animation, I couldn't praise it highly enough. They animators of Rango have managed to out-Pixar Pixar with some of the most incredibly detailed sets and models ever rendered for film. From the skin and hair details on multiple kinds of animals, to the incredibly realistic water, to the authentic look of the desert landscape, every pixel of this film looks incredible. And the performances are solid too.

Of course, there's more to the best Pixar films than just how they look. Their stories generally have heart and emotion too. Rango isn't missing those elements, but they're not nearly as strong as the visuals. In a way, it's hard to criticize the story for being a bit rote, because the film is a parody of Westerns, and you can't really do that without incorporating all the elements. But I think it is fair to criticize the pace. Rango does drag in places, particularly in the middle of the film. (By the time the climax comes, you've almost forgotten the real origins of the main character.)

It does definitely bring the funny, though. Rango is at its best when it's breaking the fourth wall. Happily, that's most of the time. The film is full of pop culture jokes. Some characters talk to the audience. Most of it is done without much regard to whether an audience of children would actually "get it." And for my money, this is all for the good.

The voice acting is adequate without really standing out. I'd include Johnny Depp in that assessment; he sort of feels like he's bringing the "usual unusual" in his performance here. Timothy Olyphant has a fun but brief role to set up the final act of the film. Bill Nighy is a compelling villain -- but isn't even in the first half of the movie. How much you enjoy the rest of the voices will probably depend on how familiar you are with character actors in classic Western films.

In all, I'd say Rango is a movie that's better while you're actually watching it. I'd rate it a B-. It makes an impact, and has many good elements, but I'm not convinced I'll remember much about it a while down the road.