Video: A great film that may get passed over by The Academy

By: Holley Sinn

Verdict:  Approved

There's no question that animation is changing.  The days of hand-sketching are largely behind us, and digitally produced computer features have taken over.  Add to that the incredible advancements in 3D technology, and animated films have become exercises in virtual reality...designed to be immersive and transporting.  These advancements have also freed filmmakers up to take animation across genres - perhaps we can thank Matt Groenig for originally making animation palatable for adults, but when it comes to the big screen, major directors are starting to see the value in approaching complex and sometimes difficult topics through the childlike innocence of the cartoon.  There is no better example of this in 2012 than Gore Verbinski's "Rango". 

"Rango" features the voice talent of Johnny Depp in the title role.  Rango is a lizard who is a family pet in search of an identity, thrust from a moving car during a cross-country move, and forced to start his life again in the scorching heat of the Mojave Desert.  After an encounter with a wise Mexican armadillo named Roadkill, played by Alfred Molina, Rango finds himself in the company of a female lizard named Beans, voiced by Isla Fisher.   "Beans" is a rancher who is given to catatonic spells brought on by stressful situations.  Despite her obvious disdain for Rango's odd behavior and loud Hawaiian shirt, she offers to drive him into town, yielding his first encounter with the desperate, thirsty creatures of "Dirt". 

Frightened by the dusty town and its inhabitants, Rango assumes the role of a visiting gunslinger and convinces his new acquaintances that he is not to be messed with.  After accidentally saving the townspeople from a hawk attack, Rango is taken to meet the mayor, a disabled turtle voiced by Ned Beatty.  Rango discovers that the town is experiencing a serious and unexplainable water shortage, and having been dubbed "Sheriff of Dirt" due to his earlier display of bravery, the unlikely hero takes on the mission of finding the water and the thieves who robbed the town of its final, meager supply.

While the subject matter in this film is not exactly original, the story-telling more than makes up for the well-worn idea.  As Rango becomes aware that "he who controls the water, controls everything" his pursuit of an identity shifts.  He is forced to confront his own lies and to value the needs of the townsfolk above his own.  A mariachi band of owls laments the hero's inevitable peril, but still, Rango does not give up on his quest to save his new friends, discover who he truly is, and to align himself with the great "Spirit of the West".  The animation is stunning in all its grit and filth, and the characters are well developed despite the film's relatively short run time.  While the audience for "Rango" is questionable, there is no mistaking this film is a true gem, even if it did presenting a marketing conundrum.   I would simply advise parents to watch "Rango" alongside your children.  They may need to hold on to you now and again - there's a big scary snake that might be the cause of nightmares. 

"Rango" is rated PG for some frightening imagery, depiction of death and a bit of mild language, and it is now available on DVD and Blu-ray.