Rango is very disturbing.
At least it’s not what I imagined from a Nickelodeon produced movie. It starts with what can only be described as creepy imagery, the titular character playacting with discarded material, making inappropriate innuendo with a decapitated Barbie. These are the toys his owner chose for him.
Soon after, our ‘hero’ is speaking with roadkill, and the movie is quickly devolving into what can only be described as a cross between a Roadrunner cartoon, and a western that includes an inordinate amount of dialogue intended for heavier thinking than the average 6 year old is going to muster, and more than a few jokes that are more appropriate for a PG-13 rating.
The aspiring actor takes the moniker of Rango in an effort to save himself, and gets into a typical corruption/outlaw tale that we’ve seen a hundred times before in a thousand westerns. There’s nothing really new or interesting here. It comes across clunky, and the constant breaking of the 4th wall seems intrusive rather than story driving. Another thing, it’s surprisingly violent.
I do like the animation style, if not the character models themselves, and I do like the nods you see to some of Depp and Verbinski’s earlier work. Ultimately Rango feels like it could have been it could have been fantastic but falls short due to poor execution and over-reaching dialogue, it just doesn’t know what it wants to be. The movie might have come across better if it hadn’t been marketed as a kids movie. I don’t think cursing, even mild, should be in something you want to show to your innocent progeny. (Just to be clear, no I’m not a fucking prude, but I don’t talk to my kids that way…)
This sounds rough, it’s certainly not going to scar a child for life in my opinion, it just might not interest all of them for long. And you may have to explain a couple of the jokes. Or cleverly avoid explaining them. But in my opinion this is not a child’s movie. The themes of murder, violence and organized crime are prevalent, and not something I think is particularly appropriate for children.
Bottom line, I cannot recommend Rango. Not at the theater price at any rate. It might be worth picking up on DVD or on a service like Netflix if you have it, but save your theater cash for something better.
4/10
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