VivirLatino

It’s been a long time since our last film review! If you’ve been watching commercials lately chances are you’ve seen ads for Rango, the new animated film by Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon. Starring Johnny Depp as the voice of Rango, a sheltered chameleon who has a passion for theater and acting. As I watched the trailers for the film, I couldn’t tell if I really wanted to see it or not. When an invitation came to us to check the film out, I thought why not?!

The morning of the screening we walk in and it’s one of the largest screens in the theater and it was filled with children and the adults who came with them. I took a deep breath and we headed up to the top right hand corner of the theater where there were a limited amount of children. I didn’t know what to expect, but I definitely was surprised and entertained!

What I assumed about this film was that it was rated G for all audiences, however, it is rated PG, so this explained a lot of the humor and script. There are many adult themes and jokes throughout the film, which is one of the many reasons it held my attention (then again have animated animals talking about getting mammograms and prostate checks will have me giggling anyways!)

The film follows Rango, a name he picked for himself when asked who he was by other characters later in the film. We get the impression he’s been a lonely pet for a very long time acting out scenes from plays he creates in his head with the random toys in his tank: the headless naked torso of a barbie doll, a wind up plastic goldfish, and some other items I can’t remember. He ends up falling out of the car he’s in with his human owners when they try to avoid running over a armadillo named Roadkill. His tank falls out, breaks and he finds himself alone in the hot southwest desert.

Roadkill, performed by Alfred Molina, provides guidance to Rango and encourages him to go to the nearest town of Dirt to find community and some water. He also talks about his desire to simply get to the other side, and how that is a part of a more important journey to self discovery. As he sets out into the desert, he’s reminded of Roadkill’s wisdom: he can be whomever he wants to be. His first encounter is with a hawk as seen in the trailer above, and one of the first times I laughed hard was as he was encouraged to avoid the hawk by trying to blend into the scenery. We watch as Rango shifts through his colors as another animal tells him to hurry up! Rango has an interesting reply that changing his colors to blend in is more of an art than a science.

His first encounter with a Dirt resident is Beans, performed by Isla Fisher, a young, quick, cleaver animal who has inherited her father’s land. She’s out to search for what is causing the water drought in Dirt and takes Rango back to Dirt with her. This is when the story of the Wild West begins.

Dirt has several characters that really represent some of the human characters we see in Western films, which makes it hilarious in itself! The oldest animal, and mayor of Dirt (Ned Beatty)  is a tortoise who uses a wheelchair and is a shady character who surrounds himself with the muscle of amphibians and reptiles to give the illusion of protecting Dirt residents while also instilling fear in them.

Rango is one of those characters that “lucks out” when it comes to having certain situations come out in his favor, such as killing the hawk that’s following him in the trailer above. He also has tall tales to tell of killing seven brothers with one bullet that earns him the respect and admiration of Dirt residents. He’s soon appointed the new Sheriff of Dirt whose mission is to protect the remaining water in the Dirt Bank and investigating why there is a drought.

The film is exciting and witty as we watch all of the characters of various species work together to obtain water. It’s a very adult theme, the lack of water, what happens when we do not have clean water or access to any water, and how communities are affected. There are many “teachable moments” in the film to discuss larger environmental issues of drought, food access, and community building.

Because the film is rated PG there is lots of Wild West gun violence, animals do get shot, either with guns or other weapons and some of them do die. If you are not ready to have your child view such images this may not be the best film for them.

What stands out the most for me was the music. The soundtrack was brilliant! I’m finding myself really impressed with the music that many animated films are producing today in comparison to other films. There are four owls that introduce the story and they play as a Mariachi band various corridos of Rango’s adventures. This is one soundtrack if your kids insist on getting and hearing over and over you’ll enjoy for a while too!

VL Verdict: 9 out of 10, start saving some money it’s in theaters Friday March 4th!