Blu-ray Review: Rango (2011)

Rango is what Gore Verbinski made while not directing the fourth Pirates of the Caribbean. Freed from the shackles of a mega-franchise, and the pressure to meet a too-tight release date, Rango is a quirky, offbeat animation with the director's stamp all over it. After seeing the Rob Marshall-directed latest Pirates, efficient if anodyne, it's evident that the source of much of the surreality and kookiness that defined the earlier entries in the series was Verbinski himself. Certainly, those qualities manifested themselves in perhaps less successful fashion in At World's End, but the real problem there was lack of a script. In Rango, not only is he able to let his idiosyncratic imagination run wild, it's married to a good story penned with the assistance of seasoned scribe John Logan.

The eponymous Rango is the hero of the tale, a pet chameleon, who, through a vehicular mishap, finds himself stranded in the middle of the desert. Soon he stumbles upon the ramshackle settlement of Dirt, where numerous desert-dwelling animals have formed a town straight out of the wild west. Rango, a wannabe thespian, styles himself as a travelling gunslinger and accidentally manages to become the town hero. It emerges that Dirt has a severe water shortage which may have suspicious origins, so it's up to Rango to solve it. Surprisingly, for a family film, that involves numerous similarities to the plot of Chinatown, while simultaneously allowing Verbinksi to indulge his obvious passion for the Western genre with numerous references to the likes of Once Upon a Time in the West and High Noon. Hans Zimmer is able to build on his Morricone riff in the third Pirates with a full score indebted to the maestro.

The real treat with Rango is the design of the film. Not only is it unique - the motley band of critters are all full of character but none are exactly cute - it is also beautifully crafted. The textures and dirt-encrusted tangibility of the visuals set it apart from any other computer animation. Moreover, the film's eccentric, sometimes mischievous, sense of humour is extremely endearing, with jokes more aimed at adults than young 'uns. There are sights and sounds here that straddle the border between genius and madness - witness the attack on a carriage by bat-riding prairie dogs scored to Ride of the Valkyries, for example. Such wanton oddness is refreshing in a big-budget film, and it is entirely down to this individuality that Rango manages to be such a wacky delight.

Release Information
Country: UK / Region: B (unconfirmed) / Version: Triple Play / Discs: 1 BD, 1 DVD / Distributor: Paramount

Presentation
As expected, Rango looks flawless. The detail in the animation - by CGI wizards ILM, this being the first time they've produced an all-animated movie - is incredible, and is shown off brilliantly in this stunning presentation. The DTS-HD soundtrack is similarly faultless, bringing to life Verbinski's world in all its peculiarities.

Extras
There are two versions of the film to watch, the extended cut being about five minutes longer, its main difference being an extended ending (not necessarily an improvement, but it is amusing). A commentary accompanies the extended cut, while the theatrical can be watched with Picture-in-Picture storyboards. Elsewhere there's a healthy two-part, fifty-minute Making Of, and an enjoyable twenty-minute piece looking at the real creatures that the characters were based on, presented by a guy who seems to be the South African Steve Irwin. The deleted scenes are simply a compilation of those added to extended cut.

Summary
Rango may not get off to the most promising start, but when the titular character reaches Dirt, the film explodes into eccentric life with a character all its own.