Rango (2011)
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A pet chameleon finds himself in a desert town and must navigate the complexities of the Wild West to become its new sheriff.
The story
After his owner's car accident leaves him stranded in the Mojave Desert, a pet chameleon named Rango is taken to the town of Dirt. The town is in desperate need of a new sheriff. To survive and find his way, the chameleon presents himself to the locals as a tough drifter. He quickly becomes a local hero after a series of events leads the townspeople to appoint him as their new sheriff. However, as the town faces a severe drought, Rango must navigate the dangers of the desert and the complexities of his new role to ensure the town's survival.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
A pet chameleon is abandoned in the Mojave Desert after a car accident and is taken to the town of Dirt. He assumes the persona of 'Rango,' a tough drifter, and is appointed sheriff after a lucky encounter with a hawk. While investigating a water shortage caused by a drought, Rango uncovers a conspiracy involving the town's mayor, who is manipulating the water supply for personal gain. Rango eventually faces off against the notorious gunslinger Rattlesnake Jake. During a final confrontation, Rango manages to sabotage the mayor's plans and restore the water supply. The mayor is apprehended by Jake, and Rango remains as the town's sheriff. The film features numerous references to classic Westerns and other films, and includes a scene where Rango faces off against Jake in a duel.
- First release year
- 2011
- Runtime (minutes)
- 107
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Gore Verbinski
- Writers
- John Logan · writer
- Cast and characters
- Johnny Depp · Rango; Isla Fisher · Beans; Abigail Breslin · Priscilla; Alfred Molina · Roadkill; Bill Nighy · Rattlesnake Jake; Harry Dean Stanton · Balthazar; Ray Winstone · Bad Bill; Timothy Olyphant · The Spirit of the West
- Genres
- animated; Western; comedy
- Themes
- identity; heroism
- Tone and mood
- humorous; satirical
- Premise and plot tags
- anthropomorphic; Western
- Reception
- Rango received critical acclaim upon its release. It was noted for its 'savvy humor' and 'flawless' voice acting, with some critics describing it as a 'movie lover's movie' and a 'wickedly satirical' piece that respected the tradition of animated classics.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 75 · scale: 100 · review count: 35
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Award · Best Animated Feature · Won
- Production trivia
- The production used 'emotion capture' where actors performed in live action for the animators to use as reference.; The film was rendered in 2D rather than stereoscopic 3D.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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