Rango (3 1/2 Stars - 4 Stars)

            Perhaps a great way to start the movie year of 2011. Rango is an extremely original, yet daring piece of a story. It's adventurous, and yet surreal, despite being a Nickelodeon movie. The movie plays as a Western with desert animals and has a Chameleon who goes by Rango as the main character, despite stealing it from a Durango bottle. It's self-reflective, meaning, it makes itself aware that the movie is a movie. In fact, the owls even mention in the trailer that he's going to die.

            The movies starts with a pet Chameleon getting stranded in a desert. Here, he meets an Armadillo who constantly speaks in metaphor. He moves onto the town, Dirt, where he feels unwelcomed at first, but is gained respect when he accidently takes down a hawk. Because of this, the mayor offers Rango the title, Sheriff. He also talks about the shortage of water, which is the equivalent to money in the desert, and that the water bank reserve is low on water. Rango goes on a mission to find out why there is a shortage, but he ends up finding a bigger mystery himself.

            The movie makes numerous references to many other movies. As an avid movie watcher, I had fun spotting out the many movie reference. The whole plot was revolved around Chinatown, which basically about water and someone taking it. There are many Spaghetti Western film references, especially the "Man With No Name" trilogy. There was a trench scene (Star Wars), and there were a swarm of incoming bats flying (Apocalypse Now). In fact, you might catch a small glimpse of one of Johnny Depp's past human character in this movie. The movie also breaks the fourth wall by having the four owls talk about the future of the main character, such as stating on how he will die. There are also the many conventional Western imagery to gives us a nostalgic feel when we are remembered by them. There is the riding with the sun in the background shot, the main character entering the saloon filled with a mysterious unfriendly atmosphere, and of course, the dueling scenes that involve cutting back and forth, along with a medium wide shot of both characters. It was referencing and parodying off of Westerns so much, that you can even argue that it drew inspirations from Blazing Saddles. Even though it's a parody of certain films, it's got to be one of the most original work of this year so far.

            The special effects in this movie is worth the price of the ticket stub. It would work as a 3D movie, and yet it chose not to do so which gained my respect as an aesthetic choice. The great detail in Rango's feature, to the way water is featured and animated, and the color temperature made it feel really dry and bony of an atmosphere. Warning, do not watch this movie while being thirsty. It's torture. Not only that, each and every character was different and unique. One was green, one was a menacing rattlesnake, one has only one ear, another has an arrow in its eye. Rango has a great deal of body language. He's jumpy, he bounces off the wall, and he's constantly in motion. We can see him when he's scared, confident, and even more so when he's witty.

            The script is really witty for a Western movie. It was directed by Gore Verbinski, the Pirates of the Caribbean guy, and it was written by an Oscar nominated writer. The way the story is setup is really weird and even surreal. For one, Rango notes that he wants to be a hero, but a hero must be thrust into a situation. Right after he says this, he is thrusted in a situation. The unnecessary owls talk about his dilemma and his future actions and even interact with Rango himself. The characters will do the silliest things that will only happen in an animated comedy. It has a wise old sage who's mystical and noble, a damsel in distress, a big and scary villain, and a villain who betrays the people. It has everything that a normal movie has, and yet it seems really new for a movie.

            Ultimately, Johnny Depp is what's called a "Chameleon Actor," meaning, he can act in any performance, whether it's a pirate, a horrible movie director, a chocolate factory owner, and even a rebellious druggie on the quest for the American dream. In this movie he literally plays a chameleon. It's an action adventure, it's a western parody, it's funny, surreal, and it's animated. It's well made, in terms of special effects, and yet it has a really good story. So much is shoved in this kid's movie, and yet, it was great fun watching something fresh off of the movie tree.