Rango Film Review

It's a cool, crisp Friday night. Mom comes home from work, and her perfume hangs in the air. She sets everything down like a weary traveler after a long journey. We all find our way to her from our rooms. She showers and changes into something more leisurely then grabs the keys, asks who wants to go and is off. Usually, Around this time, someone had to stay home and watch our youngest sister, Sharonrose, who was about 2. I was more adamant about going than my brother and sister. So this time I was the only one to go with our mom. We all decided on which movies while our mom was in the shower. We all nod in agreement as I take on the heavy responsibility. I told Mom the Walgreens down the street has the movies we wanted. A quick turn or two and we were already there. A joyous grin creeps across my face as I jump out of the car. We both head inside. My sister texts my mom what she and my brother want for candy. I stick to my go to of Cherry Sours as I set it onto the conveyor belt, ready to be scanned. My mom thanked the cashier and we headed to the car. Mom parked right next to the Redbox Kiosk, which lit up from the car's headlights. She hands me her card and heads to the car.

I scrolled through the menu, clicked on two movies, and inserted the card. One by one, each movie came out the side. First, some rom-com that Mom always picked for herself. Then a movie about a funny lizard shooting guns and taking names out in the Wild West. Like many movies throughout my childhood, they were first experienced more or less like this. On a Friday or Saturday night, drive to a local Redbox, then candy, and then, of course can’t forget Little Caesars. That there was all that was needed to satisfy three kids for the night. It was always a coin flip if we got to watch Mom's movie first, but no matter what we always had time for ours. Now I wish I remembered the exact day and time I watched this movie because, from the first watch to the latest, I still find new ways to enjoy it. 

As an 11-year-old, my palette of good movies consisted of Rango, Adventures of Tin Tin, and the Spiderman trilogy. Then, there are occasional sports movies like Remember the Titans, Varsity Blues, and Air Bud. We also watched war movies, but they were mostly reserved for watching with our Grandpa. Some of our favorites to watch were Black Hawk Down, WindTalkers, and Patton. Sometimes, he would let us go in the closet and pick out a movie from his collection, all war movies. Needless to say, my very young adolescent brain was easily taken over by helicopters, spiraling footballs, and good one-liners. The deeply introspective works I enjoy now took a while to notice and appreciate. How much introspection could an 11-year-old get? I was enthralled by this lonely lizard trying to make his way in this western town of Dirt. Getting to be the sheriff and ultimately hero this town needed. A fun story of an unlikely hero is something that I, like many 11-year-olds, are drawn to time and time again. I think of Walle, which I adored and still do. A tiny cleaning bot cleaning up an abandoned Earth. Mox in Varsity Blues, getting to start in Texas Hs football, a longtime backup gets a chance at glory. Val Kilmer in Tombstone was an ailing doctor and lover, spinning cups and guns along the way to saving the day.

All that being said, even in the movies I watched, some were designed for kids, while others like Tombstone and Varsity Blues, not so much. They all have themes and points they try to get across. But the introspection in those movies and Rango was more than I could comprehend at the time. I have watched Rango a handful of times throughout my life. But it was more of a casual viewing, and sure, I was aware of some of the themes of self-discovery and the significant role destiny and fate play in the movie. But I never internalized it or put any thought into it. While watching Rango as a 24-year-old college graduate still trying to figure out life, I have never before related more to a lizard than I do now. 

One question permeates the entire movie: “Who am I?” At the start of the film, Rango asks himself this question while he performs in his enclosure. Then, towards the middle, when he is integrated into the town of Dirt as he becomes their sheriff, and towards the end, when he is exposed as a fraud and wanders aimlessly. He asks, “Who am I?” Then, with a meeting with the Spirit of West, he is met with the finality of this question, his final piece in this puzzle of identity. 

“I’m going back.”

“Why.”

“It's who I am.”

I had to pause it after that because there it was: what he had been searching for all this time. All his life, from his time as a pet to being a sheriff, to now. He finally finds himself, who he is, and now has this untarnished ability to go forth in knowing who he is. As we have seen throughout films, once that moment of clarity hits and the hero finds their purpose, nothing can stop them. Not even a corrupt old turtle and a Rattlesnake with a Gatling gun for a tail. He had accepted and embraced his destiny, letting the cards fall where they may.

With the ability to understand more of the mature aspects of this movie, I have found a greater appreciation for it. But the moments of laughter will stay with me the most. I still have that moment in my head to this day of him getting all worked up thinking he outdueled the alligator guy in a standoff, as he starts listing off things he wants to be done/changed around this town, and while he goes on that same giant hawk from earlier in the film is towering over him. “Stay out of my peripheral vision.”  Whenever I hear or see the word Peripheral, I think of this scene as I mimic his voice.

This leads me to something I like to call pause-worthy moments. These moments are exactly what they imply. Moments in a film where I pause it. In this case, it's a good thing. It's not always a good thing. Other times, the dialogue or action is so cringe-worthy that I must pause it and take a breath or two. There were 2 times when I had to pause the movie because I laughed so hard. The first is where he burped in the gator's face after drinking the cactus juice and swallowing the outlaw’s cigar. The second one is where they ride off to catch the water thieves. Spoons, while they are riding off in this moment of bravado and courage to catch the water thieves and save the water, asks, “Where are we going?” then Rango has this moment of realization that he has no idea where to go. all the music and bravado is cut short as they walk back into town. The pause ratio for this movie is good. I usually like at least two good pause-worthy moments and we got two.  These pause-worthy moments also include dope one-liners or realizations. Basically, it's something that makes you pause the movie; it's a feeling. I don’t look for these moments; they are more of an in-the-moment type of thing.

I thoroughly enjoyed re-watching this film. Johnny Depp absolutely nails his role as an embattled, outrageously funny lizard with some below-average acting chops but a unique personality. The plot is simple yet effective and keeps sight of the grand scheme of things. The supporting cast does its job, with the love interest in Beans, the antagonist in the Mayor, and everyone in between. The ragtag group he has that follows him all have their own quirks, which I love. One I like to shout out real quick whose presence was enjoyable every time he was on the screen, from giving the “signal” when they were in trouble to stopping a conversation about the weirdest thing they ate with his talk about finding a human spine in his poop. My rewatching experience only added to the novelty of this film, which, with themes of discovery and loneliness that I can relate to, only adds to its grandeur. Now, it's time for the rating of this film as we get to the end. I want to thank anyone for reading this far; I really appreciate it. It means the world to me, unto the rating.

 Rating: I give it a 9.2 out of 10. It is a quintessential animated comedy that has withstood the short test of time.