The First "Must See" Movie of 2011!

I chose Circulo Antigua as today's fractal cookie for two reasons: the colors are the same ones used to render the title character Rango and the title carries something of the atmosphere of the movie.  So--on with today's review!
-
Rango is that rarest of birds--a movie that is actually BETTER than the trailers and ads.  (All too often the best stuff gets put in the previews and the rest of the movie is drek--but not here.)  Rango is both homage and send-up of of every Western ever made, classic or otherwise.  Yes, the plot of a stranger saving a town in distress (populated by the usual character archetypes) is as old of the hills but the writers manage to give it a delightfully twisted quality that is rarely seen.  (Dunno what everyone involved with this movie was on when they were making it but it had to be some seriously good sh#t!)  Even the most familiar scenes take a turn for the bizarre.
-
Johnny Depp, provides the leading voice (and inspiration?) for Rango and is matched in twisted glory but the other players Isla Fisher (Beans), Abigail Breslin (Priscilla), Alfred Molina (Roadkill), and Stephen Root (Merrimack).  The villains of the piece (voiced by Ned Beatty as the Mayor and Bill Nighy as Rattlesnake Jack).  The movie is directed by Gore Verbinski who has worked with Depp and Nighy on some of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. 
-
In spite of the fact that Rango is animated--this is NOT a kid flick: I saw a matinee with children and adults--and the kids didn't get most of the jokes.  There are a few moments where the kids laughed but mostly it was the adults who were belly-laughing.  The computer animation is effective (and sometimes starkly beautiful) if not ground-breaking.  Is there a deeper message in the script?  Honestly I don't know (and I don't really care).  AII I can tell you is that Rango works on the big screen and I'm sure it would work equally well on television.  There's a lot to enjoy for a lot of folks--so long as they are old enough to appreciate the movie.  In my opinion, Rango is the first "must see" of 2011!
-
FINAL GRADE: A+