Rango (2011)
2011 was easily one of the most interesting times when it came to the Best Animated Feature race during awards season. Especially at the Oscars Disney traditionally dominated the field winning 6 of the last 8 awards including even getting a Best Picture nomination the previous year with Toy Story 3. In 2011 however they were left without a major contender, Cars 2 had been a flop and Winnie the Pooh struggled to find momentum. The field was open for some other studio and film to make a move and thrive. That film ended up being Rango which had huge momentum behind it after being an early critical and financial hit in the year. Rango (Johnny Depp) is a pet chameleon who has found happiness in his life of acting for imaginary friends and not really doing much in the small tank that he calls home. All this changed though as his cage falls from a moving car as the family he belonged to is moving and he finds himself alone stranded in the desert. Luckily an armadillo named Roadkill (Alfred Molina) points him in the direction of a town. Once arriving quickly finds himself being awarded the role of mayor and everyone looks to him to solve the mystery of their water supply which is quickly running out. I remember seeing Rango in theaters and hating the movie, Being younger I did not really understand or enjoy the humor and the overall message of the film went way over my head. It also doesn't help that this movie is a western which has always been my least favorite genre of film. I went into rewatching this film not expecting much but from the very first scene, my jaw was dropped. No matter what your opinion of the quality of the film is there is no denying how wild it is. At every turn, this movie shocked me with some of the weirdest and most insane decisions I have ever seen made in an animated movie.

From the humor to message this movie does not play at all like a kids' movie, first starting with the humor it is dark but also quite profound. This movie really centers around the character of Rango as he confronts and reflects on his purpose in life and what matters which is a running theme. Nearly right off the bat, we meet the character of Roadkill who despite literally getting ran over continues to cross the road time and time again to find the "Spirit of the West". These scenes are not only played for deeper messages and conversations but also for comedy. This movie heavily dives into dark comedy with death and existentialism around every turn which is a bold choice. I don't think most children would appreciate this dark and dry humor. Yet in the messages of the film, it strays even further away from something that will connect to kids. It is about purpose, authentic self, power, and authority told through symbolic storytelling that requires analyzing what this movie says. There are even points in the film where it feels like Johnny Depp could be just talking about his own life as an actor and feeling like a fraud. I have never seen a movie so clearly marketed for kids take on such a profound and artistic approach of storytelling and message. Coming out of the film I had the desire to talk to others and break down the themes and ideas of the movie as it is a great start to some really profound and huge conversations.

On a more surface level, I will say this movie does have a good plot. Sure this fish out of water story isn't anything new but the mystery they build surrounding the is quite intriguing. Especially when mixed with the deeper commentary this film builds you don't really know what is happening and why it's happening. It is really engaging and kept me guessing and thinking, again due to some of the deeper aspects built into the mystery regarding character motivations I don't know if a ton of children will become as engaged as I was but I can only review a film from my own perspective. If there was one issue I had with the movie it was how Rango evolved in the fish out of water story. He becomes Sheriff based on lies and acting as he belongs in the role but once he reaches it that never really comes into play again at least from his perspective. For the most part, he is legitimately great in this role which felt a bit weird with how they set him up in that role.
My other noticeable issue with the film was some of the animations. It is crazy to see how far we have come with animation in just 8 years from when this movie was released and where the actual characters do look pretty solid plenty of the backgrounds are noticeably weak. Still, though overall Rango was just a wild experience to watch again, this is not a kid's movie. This is deep existential look at the power and the power we have. It asks huge questions that deserve hours of thought and conversation to fully break down and understand which is just insane to be saying about this movie considering how it looks on the outside. If you have been hesitant about watching this movie due to it seeming like a basic kids movie please don't wait any longer, this is so much more and is easily one of the most interesting films of the decade. I know I will be returning to the desert in the future, maybe after a glass of water.
My other noticeable issue with the film was some of the animations. It is crazy to see how far we have come with animation in just 8 years from when this movie was released and where the actual characters do look pretty solid plenty of the backgrounds are noticeably weak. Still, though overall Rango was just a wild experience to watch again, this is not a kid's movie. This is deep existential look at the power and the power we have. It asks huge questions that deserve hours of thought and conversation to fully break down and understand which is just insane to be saying about this movie considering how it looks on the outside. If you have been hesitant about watching this movie due to it seeming like a basic kids movie please don't wait any longer, this is so much more and is easily one of the most interesting films of the decade. I know I will be returning to the desert in the future, maybe after a glass of water.