Another Johnny Depp movie “Rango” to watch
Rango, starring Johnny Depp and directed by Gore Verbinski, made its debut in theaters March 4, 2011. On release, the movie was positively received and won an Academy Award for Best Animated feature.
It’s about a chameleon who’s uprooted from his everyday life, and thrown into the middle of the desert. After an encounter with an Armadillo named Roadkill, the chameleon makes his way towards the town of Dirt.
We explore Dirt alongside the chameleon, and learn that despite what his species has evolved to do, he doesn’t fit in. The other animals have lived in the “wild west” their whole lives, and the chameleon is quickly realizing that he’s a nobody. So in the midst of the town bar, the chameleon reinvents himself as Rango, a lawman from the west.
Rango inadvertently solidifies his legacy in the town by sticking up to a band of bullies, and a meeting with the mayor secures his position as sheriff of the town. Everyone in Dirt begins to love him, but he doesn’t have a fraction of the skills he claims to. Rango quickly begins chasing after the legend he’s created.
As the plot progresses, Rango becomes increasingly guilty for lying to his friends. He’s constantly questioning who he is, while trying to search for the town’s missing water. The movie has a jaw dropping ending with beautiful visual effects, making it worth the watch even if you’re not invested into the beginning.
The movie is a mixture of action, adventure, and comedy. It uses its comedy elements as a crutch for getting through its first half, and it constantly keeps you guessing. You never know what’s going to happen next because of how ridiculous the movie is, and it does a great job of making fun of itself. At every point the movie seems masterfully aware of what it’s doing and the effect it creates.
Johnny Depp also does a masterful job making Rango feel alive and sympathetic, he really helps bring the movie to life.
Despite all the praise, I actually don’t recommend the movie for children. Though I might be a bit biased, because when I watched the movie as a child, I had no idea what was going on the whole time and it just scared me. However, rewatching it now, I think most of the themes and jokes are just a little too advanced for children to understand.
However if you’re still looking for something to watch with your kids, the action scenes are all pretty tame and the movie has minimal gun violence. Overall, Rango is definitely worth the watch. It has compelling action scenes and a solid plot with crazy foreshadowing. It’s a charming movie with a spectacular ending
