Rango

Typical Verbinski. The ideas are pressurized to burst, in a matter of minutes it's able to pulverize Leone, Coppola and Bay together, and it just burps lightly. It's much more functional as a Western ensemble than as a film. The scattering of the individual parts is even surreally generous, so the resulting impression is somewhat restless. With the addition of Czech dubbing, I will have to take away the fifth star, which does not change the fact that it is probably the animated highlight of the season. (01.03.2011)

Rango is more about episodic gems than about its story. But these gems are an avalanche of fresh ideas, paying homage to famous westerns, Robert Rodriguez movies and even Pulp Fiction. The characters of bearded lizard hombres spitting in the dust who are rendered more vividly and with greater attention to detail than Clu in Tron: Legacy are a true feast for the eyes of genre enthusiasts. Hans Zimmer’s post-Sherlock music laced with Mexican motifs spices up the comical episodes and boosts the action ones that are shot and edited better than anything you’ve seen in the best action flicks. And there are significantly more jokes aimed at adults than at kids. (08.03.2011)

The film features excellent individual elements that stand out on their own (Clint), underlined by spectacular visuals (Deakins), playful music, and a horde of allusions, quotes, and parodies. Unfortunately, the result of the aforementioned is a rather incoherent patchwork, whose issue is not so much that it dabbles in multiple genres, but rather that it lacks the real wit that might have brought (paradoxically!) a bit of childishness in Verbinski's writing, the absence of which, on the other hand, I can quite understand after the Pirates trilogy. (03.08.2011)

Spaghetti, chorizo and chilli. An excellent combination. Wackier and more mature than Pixar movies, but no less entertaining and consistent in the emotional aspect (from laughter to fear to poignancy). With its exaggeration of genre conventions, inclination toward self-reflection and numerous references to particular films, Rango soothes the mind by stupefyingly blending mainstream productions to such a degree that I at first enjoyed it and was enthusiastic about it instead of analysing why I was so enthusiastic. The last animated film that I found comparably impressive is Surf’s Up, which could be the second half of a balanced double feature alongside the “arid” Rango. 95% (12.03.2011)

Rango definitely has its share of great moments, with unique and well-designed characters, but for me, that’s about it. It just lacked that special something that makes a five-star animated movie stand out. The humor was there, but it felt a bit too grown-up at times. The animation itself was flawless, and the storytelling style was solid. I think the real issue lies with the plot—it’s easy to overlook it because of the film’s visual beauty, but when a movie doesn’t compel you to keep watching, that’s usually a sign something’s off. (07.05.2012)