Rango

A Rango inkább epizodikus finom falatokról szól, mint egy teljes történetről. De ezek a finom falatok rengeteg ötletet rejtenek, és a híres western filmek, Rodriguez-filmek és végül a Ponyvaregény előtt is hatalmas tiszteletet tesznek. A szőrös gyíkszerű, köpködő hombres figurák, melyek grafikailag részletesebbek és élethűbbek, mint Clu a Tron filmben, a műfaj kedvelői számára igazi csemege. Zimmer post-sherlockos kompozíciója megszakítja a komikus betéteket, és lendületet ad az akciójeleneteknek, amelyek jobban vannak "felvéve és összevágva", mint bármi, amit a legjobb akciófilmekben láttál. És vigyázat, a felnőtt humor kadenciája messze meghaladja a gyerek humort. (2011.03.08)

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. (2012.05.07)

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. (2011.08.03)

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. (2011.03.01)

For the passage where this was a not holds barred spaghetti western that in each camera angle and every tone nods to its roots, Verbinski can dig Leone up from his grave and shake him be the hand as equals. The only snag is that this constantly oscillates between surrealist animated adventure for adults, packed full of references to movies that are rarely nodded at (kicking off right at the beginning with Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, for instance), through ingenious, slapstick inspired situations in Pirates of the Caribbean style, to spaghetti western. And all of these passages separately are gems, but they don’t work together, getting in the way of each other, because each of these approaches alone are enough make (and deserve) a feature length movie of their own. So on one hand it resuscitates several dying genres (not just western or surrealist, but also intelligent, non-ridiculing parodies or pastiches and CGI animation works as such), on the other it rather wastes the potential. And you must watch it in the English language version, not so much for Depp as for Nighy and Olyphant, and the Czech subtitles are playful and inventive (although very loose) for a change OST score: 5/5 (2011.03.11)