User Score
7.3 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 414 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Negative: 36 out of 414

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  1. Mar 6, 2011
    10
    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.
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  2. Sep 18, 2011
    8
    The western animation "Rango" is impressive; its realistic graphics, dark & mild humor, and sparse bits of deep meaningful symbolism makes the movie equal to those of Pixar's.
  3. pcg
    Mar 5, 2011
    2
    Great graphics, stupid "humor", totally empty storyline. My 3-year-old and I both fell asleep, and neither of us was ever engaged. No one in the (packed) theater really was. I kept wondering why I bother with non-Pixar animated movies anymore; everything else is poop humor and cheap laughs and big name voiceovers, rather than timeless storylines and sublime humor. Even the trailers were lame.

    Save your money.
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  4. Mar 5, 2011
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. A tortured universe.

    I hated all of the characters, and Rango most of all. He's a pretentious, obnoxious, annoying, stupid character.

    Who is the audience supposed to identify with? The female Gecko? It's just too bad she isn't the main character, and doesn't get more screen time.

    The CG is insanely good, the detail in each animal is incredible and their animations are believable and fluid, it's 1,000 times more impressive than Toy Story 3.

    The environment these characters inhabit, however, is far less impressive : brown, bland, boring, and hopeless, I felt despair just watching the animals carry out their doomed existence.

    The film depressed me. I have no idea what the snake is supposed to do now that he's had a change of heart, what's the poor bastard going to eat?

    The Turtle Villain is a great Franklin Dealanor Roosevelt or Barrack Obama type villian, and I felt myself Identifying with this character the most, as he too hated everyone else in town.
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  5. May 31, 2011
    3
    Just plain boring. The animation and cinematography is beautiful, but the whole film is just as dry as the desert it walks. The voice talent really isn't that great either. One can't help but compare this film to all of it's genre predecessors, and to that respect, this one simply isn't worthy. This one by itself is just......well, read the aforementioned.
  6. Mar 4, 2011
    9
    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.
  7. Mar 16, 2011
    10
    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
  8. Mar 5, 2011
    2
    Rango, it was slow with a very dry humor. It was not a good kids movie â
  9. Mar 6, 2011
    2
    This movie is not really for kids. It is a hard PG, bordering on PG-13 due to guns, violence and language. It's not for kids between 3 and 10 and I regret taking my kids to it because now I have a lot to explain. There were a few laughs in the first 10 minutes and after that it was all explosions and shouting
  10. Mar 21, 2011
    2
    This is one of those movies that everyone that I know likes, but not me. When I was watching this, I kept thinking that "this supposed to be interesting, right?". There was great animation, but most of the stuff that was going on was not compelling. I was begging for this to end when it got to the 20 minute mark
  11. Mar 5, 2011
    3
    I really wanted to love this movie because it is gorgeous. Unfortunately the pacing is repetitious, no pathos you can feel, nothing at risk. Animals all act like humans in animal costumes. The most telling aspect as the number of people I saw in the theater falling asleep.
  12. Mar 5, 2011
    7
    Rango is far less charming than Disney or Pixar -- and more profane than any other "family oriented" animated feature I've seen. But it's cleverly written and beautifully animated, thus winning older audiences.
  13. Apr 3, 2011
    4
    Bland passable fair. It's not crap butit's not epic either. It's just there and it will entertain you... mostly. You will wait a while between laughs but you won't walk out of the theater out of outright boredom. It's fine but completely forgettable.
  14. Mar 5, 2011
    8
    Rango was a fun western animation film with this cool lizard that reminds me of Hunter S. Thompson from Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Johnny Depp's character did a good voicing and keeps his character for being so obnoxious and ackward for making fun for his performance.
  15. Mar 5, 2011
    4
    I fell asleep for a few minutes in the middle. What's that say about it. I thought it was pretentious and self important. Some adult humor sprinkled in to give us a reason to hang out while the kids enjoy it.
  16. Mar 6, 2011
    8
    Being 16 and walking into a cinema to see an animation mainly aimed at children can be quite a dawnting task, as i wasn't to sure as to whether or not this movie was going to be for me. I went with my younger brother who it seemed to be primarily aimed at and surprisingly it was not a hit and miss like i orignally thought. Rango brings a new type of animation to the big screen as it is not just hopeless comedy like alot of the other family movies at the cinema today, it has a rich plot. The voice acting suits the roles completely and the Western style shooter works perfectly when the serious cowboys are replaced with the likes of lizards, rats and snakes. Dont get me wrong the movie is not all just haha it has a very well constructed and creative story to it in which the town is heavily dependent on their water supply which begins to run dry. It is at this point that the loveable lizard Rango(played perfectly by Johnny Depp I might add!) steps into to do his part as the sheriff of the town along with a host of different creatures all portrayed as old westen characters like general store owners, prospectors, bandits and farm owners.The humour varies and will make not only the children laugh, but adults alike not forgetting teenagers my age! All in all Rango is a good day out for the whole family and is definitely not a waste of time. Rango is so high standard compared to most animated movies out now, that it doesn't need 3D to boost its viewing figures. Instead it can rely souly on its shear quality and will not leave you 2 or 3 pound out of pocket from a disapointing trip to a 3 dimentional screening! Expand
  17. Mar 8, 2011
    7
    If you throw in a lizard, Beetle Juice, Salvador Dali, and a small Western town into a blender you get Rango. I must admit, the plot could have been more original, and the dialogue funnier - but the magnificently nightmarish characters keep you mesmerized. Nadim Basna
  18. Mar 5, 2011
    0
    This was a horrible movie! I kept waiting and waiting for the entertainment. I thought is was a family film, but since when did damn, hell, ass become daily words used in a family setting...I will not recommend this movie to anyone.
  19. Mar 5, 2011
    7
    I mostly enjoyed this movie. There was lots of humor, found myself laughing out loud. For the most part my 7 year old had a smile on his face. But by the end he was bored and found it weird. But it's quite common for a movie to not hold his attention the whole way. But then after it's over he usually says he loved it. But this one he still affirmed, the ending was weird. I wouldn't say that, but I just didn't walk away saying I loved it. Depp was wonderful, as usual. The visuals were amazing. I'd say it's worth seeing, but don't go out of your way. Expand
  20. Mar 18, 2011
    3
    My boys and youngest daughter liked it. My middle daughter fell asleep. My 15-year-old said it was OK. My wife thought it predictable, draggy, and inappropriate for kids (they said the H-word a lot!). I thought it wasn't very funny or interesting.
  21. Mar 19, 2011
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Unoriginal script about the guy who inspire everybody , all find out he is a fake, and turns out to be a hero after all. Not even a refreshed looked at the same story. It is slow and I believe that it has a high score because it is Johnny Deep voice. Expand
  22. Mar 21, 2011
    2
    This was a terrible family movie! Ugly, gruesome characters combined with jokes in bad taste. Definitely not a good movie for kids! What do they think kids want to see?
  23. Mar 28, 2011
    0
    What a disappointment. This was not a kid friendly movie. Swearing? Smoking? Since when are these things appropriate for a "kid" movie? This movie reminded me of a Clint Eastwood movie only animated. I wish I would have read the reviews before going. Parents please don't waste your money on this one.
  24. Apr 7, 2011
    10
    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.
  25. Mar 4, 2011
    9
    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
  26. Jul 30, 2011
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Incredible animation. A little slow occasionally and a little slack on the plot. In a sense there was not a single original scene but I think that was the point. Check out the snowman in the snow globe, fear and loathing in Las Vegas, every Western ever made but especially high noon and all the Clint Eastwood pics. The clock looks like it was out of dark city. How about the Lord of the rings and the mines of Morea. Star Wars, Mad Max and above all Chinatown. I am sure somebody who really knows movies could find a few more. (I say the snake looks like Clint Eastwood not to mention Clint Eastwood looking like Clint Eastwood.) Expand
  27. Mar 16, 2011
    8
    Rango isn't a kids film, and it knows it. Riddled with adult humor, violence, and some pretty ugly characters, it's the perfect playground for a western lover such as myself. It pays little bits of homage to various westerns and is absolutely gorgeous to watch. Great animation, great humor, great story, and most important of all: A great western.
  28. Jun 5, 2011
    5
    After watching this movie I felt compelled to write a review. Im a 3D artist, so I could appreciate the incredible work gone into the animation, but if its doing its job right, you're supposed to forget about that and just be engrossed by the story. Also, there is only so much that you can play with scale before you start to lose all grip on any form of stability with the characters. With such a realistic visual quality, I just don't think you can sit a fox next to a chameleon in the same shot and have them the same height when there are much more accurately sized humans, birds and snakes in the film. All in all, I think its a visually stunning piece of work, let down by a flawed story, poor script and unappealing characters. Expand
  29. Mar 9, 2011
    10
    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!
  30. Mar 7, 2011
    8
    Exceptional as an animated picture, Rango is actually a superb FILM! The story of a lizard trying to establish his own identity is followed through a journey of self-discovery that is seldom seen in animated form. The story is adorable, exciting and surprisingly deep. The climax of the film finds Rango at his lowest point, crossing over to the other side and coming to realize who he is...just in time to save the day in the destitute town of Dirt. Funny for kids and meaningful for adults, Rango is the surprise of the year! Expand
Metascore

Generally favorable reviews - based on 35 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 30 out of 35
  2. Negative: 1 out of 35
  1. Reviewed by: James Berardinelli
    Mar 7, 2011
    88
    Rango is the poster child for those who are anti-3-D, and a great reminder that genuine creativity doesn't need a gimmicky crutch to appeal to audiences.
  2. Reviewed by: Kim Newman
    Mar 5, 2011
    60
    A certain percentage of the audience will instantly sieze on this as their favorite movie of all time, and a small, but not insignificant demographic will have nightmares. Verbinski and Depp probably like it that way.
  3. Reviewed by: Peter Rainer
    Mar 4, 2011
    91
    The best of Rango is a lot like the best of the first "Pirates" movie – crazily funny and rambunctious.