This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Who is the movie buff: the filmmaker or the protagonist? Is "Rango" the culmination of all the films that the hammy chameleon may have glimpsed perchance from behind his terrarium glass over the course of time in a home with a nearby television. In other words, is Rango's misadventures in the hallucinatory town of Dirt a moving picture, a post-modernist one to boot, that unreels psychically through his tiny reptilian head? It sure looks that way. From time to time, the domesticated(and cultured) animal constructs an invisible box in the air with his finger, which would seem to indicate a screen, as if he was setting up the next shot. It's a little bit of self-awareness on the film's part suggesting that it's the chameleon calling the shots, like a John Ford with scaly green skin, filling the mis-en-scene with costumed critters in a tribute to the old west that's more cracked than Alejandro Jodorowski's cult-classic "El Topo". "Rango" could be entitled "El Dopo". It's almost a stoner movie. If Rango is indeed the true author of the film-within-the-film, the next question we should be asking is if he's even alive? After all, terrariums don't come equipped with either seatbelts or airbags. When the chameleon is jettisoned from the back of his owner's crashing vehicle, does the impact of the road leave him unconscious, paving the way for his dreaming self to conjure up a glass shard, the remnant of a blown-out back-window which allows him to skid safely along the highway? If the armadillo(Alfred Molina) with the missing midsection offers any indication, Rango probably never did survive that vehicular accident, because only roadkill can hear other roadkill speak. Arguably, death is the best thing that ever happened to the chameleon with directorial aspirations. (This decidedly avant-garde offering actually has a lot in common with Brad Bird's "Ratatouille".) In life, Rango suffers from writer's block, somebody who is long on theory but short on story; somebody who can't even decide on a genre, mulling over as he does on a multitude of genre-specific roles, among them, a sea captain, a rogue anthropologist, and a Casanova type. Limited by the inanimate objects that make up his sorry compliment of ensemble players, the chameleon also seems to be disenchanted by his apparent medium, the play, as suggested by the demarcations of the imprisoning glass which confines the lonely varmint to a single setting, thereby converting his terrarium into a stage. Throughout his opening soliloquy, steeped in metafiction and existentialism, Rango interacts with "actors" who can't act back; he yearns for the collaborative experience that mere props simply can't offer, and a change of scenery from the fixed mountain range and sky which comprises the backdrop of his controlled environment; his laboratory for artistic development. Stuck in a sort of Brechtian hell, Rango indicates his desire to escape from the terrarium(which is, for all intents and purposes, a metaphor for experimental theater), and then to enter the filmic world, a diegesis, when he draws that first rectangular screen, a sort of portal which leads to the place where dreams come true. No more aimless soul-searching: this chameleon wants to break free and live. Construed as a death metaphor, the allusion to the "other side" that the sage-like armadillo imparts to his new scaly friend, can also be taken as a showbiz one, meaning the transition from stage to screen. Later in the film, Rango successfully crosses the highway, and on this other side, he meets the High Plains Drifter himself, which to the chameleon, is the perfect being, a god who looks over the weird array of cowfolks that populate his movie. In reality, Rango may be near-death on the highway, or on the side of the highway, so what we're actually seeing is an imagined life filtered through the cinema as it flashes before his(and our) eyes, which encompasses a span of diverse films(especially Roman Polanski's "Chinatown") that met the chameleon's approval. When one of the minor characters uses the term "man" in a speech(rather than "critter" or varmint"), the fourth wall is broken, because in this self-contained world, there are no humans to speak of. It's Rango who is providing the lines; it's Rango who is doing all the talking. His reptilian consciousness forgets to convert "man" into animal terms. Being domesticated, maybe the chameleon forgets that he's an animal, as well. Look at his god. It's Clint Eastwood, not some animal version of the venerable actor/director. Rango flatters himself. He may think that he was made in god's own image.… Expand

Why did I love this movie? Well, you got a director who directed one of the best trilogies ever, you got Johnny Depp, and you got George Lucas's ILM, the guys behind some of the best special effects seen in movies, animating the movie. Not to mention a great homage to the Western genre. 10/10!

I was actually really looking forward to this movie, and I was not dissapointed. I love this movie!!! The animation is stunning (ITS NOT IN 3D, THANK GOD!!), the voice work was amazing, especially Johnny Depp, who has his best role since POTC, and Bill Nighy, who's insanely perfect as the bad guy snake who has a badass machine gun for a tail, the humor is great, the film references are hilarious, and the score is brilliant! But the best thing about this movie is that its so different. Instead of being a runofthemill animated movie, its so quirky and weird. This movie is destined to be a cult midnight hit. I actually recommend it to younger kids, around 6 years and younger. There's some scary parts, some cussing, and a lot of adult jokes. But overall, Rango is a fantasic film that's one of my favorite animated movies in years. Highly recommended.… Expand

The voice talent is undeniably awesome, especially Johnny Depp, and the story is highly original and creative. Rango thoroughly exceeded my expectations. 4/4 stars.

So beautiful, so perfect, so perfectly timed. Finally Pixar has meet its match. This movie was perfect on all fronts, I didn't find myself bored or upset at any time in this film. Gore, please do more animated films!

Hands down the best movie ive seen this year so far. I enjoyed every second of this awesome animated picture. It is Gore Verbinski's best film and i hope that they make sequels because this was well worth $10.50

I think Rango is very well done.

The animation was stunning.
All of the voices were fantastic especially Johnny Depp he was perfect for the role.
Also this movie was hilarious! I wasn't expecting it to be funny but that was brilliant that they added lots of comedy in there.

All and all i thought it was brilliant and better than i was expecting!

Having a young daughter means I often get pushed into watching family movies, most of which bore me **** but RANGO is an exceptional movie, the stark contrast of city slicker pet vs wild desert critters in a western themed story is brilliant.

Rango is indeed a quirky film; certainly not for kids, but still very satisfying. Not only a great comedy, animation, and adventure film, but also a great western. Rango is probably the first good film of 2011 and most people would agree with me. Plenty of great action and dialogue push this film along and it keeps on pushing until the end. The movie's theme is much more deep than I expected and the writing is excellent; something you would expect from a Pixar film. In short, I was happily surprised with Rango.… Expand

Not a johnny Depp fan but since I didn't have to see his hobo looking self, I sucked it up and agreed to make this a date night movie. What a surprise. It ended up being my favorite animated film. An action packed animated film that looks and sounds great. Love the Clint Eastwood reference. The snake was pretty bad ass! Packed a lot of punch for a Kids movie!

A damn fine animated movie that isn't shot in pointless 3D, contains memorable characters, superb voice-work, and painted in vivid animation. It has the all the beauty of "The Legend of the Guardians" minus the blatant stupidity.

ts...Very...Weird, But in a good way, Depp did a fantastic job as Rango, along with Bill Nighy as the snake, and Ned Beatty as the mayor, Though my only problem is that, well one its very weird and by weird i mean, weird like its never mentioned again, like the tunnel in willy wonka, And there is al ot of stuff that could be skipped over and it wouldnt have made a difference on the plot, Half the animals i couldn't tell what they were. But the movie was just decent overall, its at least worth seeing once but its a movie that you have to make your mind up for yourself, the weirdest part however is when Clint Eastwood (known as the spirit of the west) Appears in a vision or something to rango. Its a very strange movie and is definetly not for kids, There are several sexual references, And 9 uses of hell and one point the snake says "Sign the Damn Paper!!!!" But it pays homage to some of the old western movies with a funny little reference to "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" Which is also funny knowing how Depp was also in that movie. All in all a fairly decent movie with some good action, plot, and some good comedy… Expand

This movie was wonderful and fun it is really a good start in 2011 for Disney, I have heard that some people hate it, I mean how can they say this the person that says this movie is terrible is really bitter and doesnt enjoy life, im tired of reading this reviews with people keep saying that most movies are terrible, come on people we must learn to love everything not matter what, execept violence! i recommend YOU to watch this.… Expand

I never heard of this movie until i went to see it in the cinema on the kids club a few weeks ago. I really enjoyed it and my 7 and 8 year old did too. Its not the traditional animated movie id thought it be. It has a strong story coupled with some amazing voice acting and some truely breath taking animations. Its fun, silly and sometimes serious in places but this is the best animal crossover modern western movie ever put to film. Its not suprising that this is up for oscars next year. Very very good film, Johnny Depp is amazing as Rango and his supporting cast are fantasic too. Highly recommend to see this film and own it on DVD, I hope they make another style of movie like this. It is truely an epic tale.… Expand

From me its a solid 10 ! So far the best animated movie this year, well developed characters with good voice acting and top notch CGI.But to be honest I had feeling this movie was made for little bit older audience especially with all violence and gun fighting...

Overall I would say one of the better 3D animated movies in a long time (IMHO). Visually unique and a funny movie for kids (and sophisticated enough for older viewers). I'm very happy we're starting to get movies like this and not just repeats of Pixar-clones.

BLEW MY MIND INTO PIECES AND THEN FIX MY MIND THEN BLEW IT AGAIN. Johnny Dep more like Johnny Deep for the role of Rango I felt as if i was in the old west his acting was unbelieveable. I divorced my wife because of this movie she said she saw a problem i said I saw her leaving the house. Anyways Great movie have a great day.

i think that this movie is absolutely awesome, i really like cartoons and the new ones like rio, how to train your dragon, cars 2 and this are work of a genius! johnny depp was amazing, as always, and rango is the coolest lizard i have ever watched!

I did not give a perfect score not to exaggerate, but certainly one of the best animated films of all time. A true delight that shows that not only PIXAR entertain and knows to send a message.

This is the best animated film I have seen in a long time. Beautiful movie, absolutely fantastic to look at. Btw, all you over-sensitive idiots, this is what I would have wanted as a kid, a film that treats you like an adult.

The film is worth paying full price just to see the mind-blowing animation. It's like watching the most detailed painting ever... in MOTION! Seriously, you will be entertained watching each character move. Doesn't hurt that the film is a hilarious, clever and surprisingly traditional western full of exciting set -pieces, nods to classic cinema and one of the most bad-ass cameos ever. Surreal brilliance.… Expand

I loved this movie. It is really interesting and well written and goes into the problem of teenagers and how it is difficult for them to find out who they really are and where they fit in this world. Anyway, that's what I got out of this movie. I can understand how many children may not be entertained by this movie. I would not recommend taking your kids to see this movie, bu I think parents complaining about the use of foul language need to get a grip of themselves. Your child, whether you like it or not, is probably constantly exposed to "foul " words like hell and damn at their school. It is not that big of a deal. If your that sensitive with your kids then do some research on the film you take them to watch… Expand

The most unusual 3D animated feature film I have ever seen. Gore Verbinski and Industrial Light & Magic has opened up a whole new dimension in the field formerly dominated by pixar and dreamworks. The images and animation in this film is of such photograhic quality that sometimes it just seems so real that I find myself lost in the desert just like rango.....Not that it's a bad thing, as the story is superbly engaging, the jokes were so absurd that it's funny and the animation was totally convincing given the realistic nature of the visuals. All in all, if you are the type of person who isn't afraid to try something new, who wouldn't mind getting yourself dirty in a mud bath for the sake of FUN, then this movie is DEFINITELY worth your while!… Expand

No one should give this film a bad review for it's language. It's the old west, it was like that. The awesomeness of the graphics kept me so intrigued. The story was fast paced and witty, it was only a tad predictable though. I would have gave it a 95/100 but i had to round up. Your kids though may be bored because actually, it seems it gears towards teens, which is what Nickelodeon has become. If I would watch their channel non stop. So in conclusion, a heartwarming, hilarious movie for ages 12 and up.… Expand

Absolutely brilliant I will predict right now that it will not only be nominated for the Best Animated Oscar, but it will also upset the Pixar offering of Cars 2.

Rango pays homage to all of the western that came before from the Serio Leone style score to the John Ford visuals. Roger Deakins, cinematographer for True Grit and No Country, consults on this film and you can definitely see his influence.

This is not a kids movie, though Evan definitely enjoyed it (he also enjoyed True Grit), this is a real western with all of the dirt, death and violence you would expect.

The acting is brilliant and though there are name actors in the cast I didn't spend the entire time trying to guess who they were.… Expand

This movie was entreating as an adult movie but certainly goes way beyond what I think is appropriate for children. Several scenes including the beginning showed a female naked torso of a mannequin, the phrase 'go to hell' was used and among other things, the word lesbian was used in such a way that an adult would understand and choose to like or dislike the connotation, but not a child. My 9 year old granddaughter stated in the car on the way home " I liked the movie but there were some inappropriate words". I couldn't help but agree with her. Great animation but also somewhat violent with lots of gunfire and in my opinion a reference to low self esteem that might lead to suicide. Unacceptable for children.… Expand

Poissbly the best animated film this year will grab all awards from animation giant pixar, absolutely enjoyed it and loved how it page homage to the great westerns, amazing animated film :)

I always said Johnny Depp should do more voice acting but in Rango he manages to combine several of his past characters into one oblivious chameleon,the humor the pacing and the rest of the actors are amazing,it's missing a bit of grip,some cultural references could have gone better but some moments your guaranteed to remember,anyway if you like Depp and animation than this film is for you

A very good movie that is definitely not intending for kids. Not every animated movie is meant for kids people. Read some reviews of movies before you take the kids out and you won't be surprised. The dry humor and comedy in it had me rolling in laughter, but I do have a very sarcastic and dry sense of humor myself. If you want a laugh and a good time watch Rango.

It started out, what the heck did you buy this for? I then started hearing all kinds of different lines from all the old westerns from the 70's and 80's and then realized my wife did right. Awesomely funny! The Spirit of the West was the absolute. Who'd of thought Olyphant as Clint, perfect. Loved it, Loved it, Loved it.

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view.