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× Talk abut Movies & TV here. Just tell us what you have been watching. Have hyper-academic discussions on visual semiotics. Whatever, it's all good.

Rango...WTF?!

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26 Apr 2012 13:46 - 26 Apr 2012 13:47 #123872 by repoman
Rango...WTF?! was created by repoman
Watched Rango last night. It is streaming on Netflix.

I have a couple of questions:

1) In what way other than that it has anthropomorphized animals and is animated is this a kid's movie? Sure it has animals as characters but they are not cute and cuddly. They are all ugly and twisted. It has a multi-layered plot. The humor is very black indeed at times. And it has a snake that would make a six year old piss himself and then have nightmares forever.

2) What kind of hellish fever dream gave birth to this movie? A talking bit of road kill as a prophet? Outraged, Gatling gun shooting moles riding flying bats that explode when they crash? Mariachi Owl chorus that are seen hanging from nooses in one scene while they sing?

3) Who actually made this movie? Industrial Light and Magic did the animation but it was produced by Nickelodeon? Is that right? Not Pixar, not Disney, not Dreamworks?

4) Is the theme not the traditional Hollywood one that capitalism and development are bad and evil, although that is in there but more as a Western motif, but actually that actions matter more than words, self reliance is a virtue and that evil must be destroyed to be defeated?

4) How big a shame is it that this movie failed to turn a profit and thus there will not be more like it?

This is perhaps the best animated movie I have seen in a long time. I was frankly surprised at how damn good it is.
Last edit: 26 Apr 2012 13:47 by repoman.
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26 Apr 2012 16:12 - 26 Apr 2012 16:13 #123897 by Erik Twice
Replied by Erik Twice on topic Re: Rango...WTF?!
1) It's animated, hence it's for kids. Flawless logic. Please, it has anthropomorphized animals, like obvious kid cartoons like the Looney Tunes or Fritz de Cat. That alone makes it childish, didn't you know?

2) Don't know but obviously it's not Gore Verbinski since he isn't an animator, not someone knowledgeable about the medium. I have looked for the credits and there's no mention of an animation director either but obviously someone must have directed it because the film isn't a train-wreck. Probably one of the layout artists did it but obviously not Verbinski because I doubt he can't even draw, much less animate a feature film.

3) ILMD animated, produced by Nickelodeon, yes.

4bis) Accorind to Wikipedia the film had a cost of 135M$ and the Box Office results were 245M$. It was profitable, and very. Now if that's enough for being considered a "success" in this shitty industry, I don't know.

It was well received among some respectable circles but I'm extremely wary of modern animation so I didn't see it at the time. Perhaps I should check it out someday.
Last edit: 26 Apr 2012 16:13 by Erik Twice.
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26 Apr 2012 16:19 - 26 Apr 2012 22:04 #123899 by OldHippy
Replied by OldHippy on topic Re: Rango...WTF?!
I really wish people would stop thinking that animated means for kids. It has stiffled my favorite medium for years and despite Gore Verbinski being involved in a pretty major capactiy.. and Johnny Depp, the film is still fascinating. Not exactly great because it does follow some sappy formula form time to time but there are some beautiful moments and it is worth seeing, especially if your into animation.
Last edit: 26 Apr 2012 22:04 by OldHippy.

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26 Apr 2012 16:44 #123900 by dragonstout
Replied by dragonstout on topic Re: Rango...WTF?!
The film didn't make money? That's sad.

Personally, I felt like there was a constant wall between me and the movie, because it just felt SO personal, like it was almost a catalogue of the personal interests and obsessions of Gore Verbinski...but I think that's great, and that's my problem more than the movie's problem. On a surface level I just REALLY loved the amazing character designs (by Crash McCreery).

Really unique movie. It is indeed not targeted towards kids, though I see that as neither a good thing nor a bad thing. If I had problems enjoying things meant for kids I'd have to throw out half my comics collection.
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26 Apr 2012 17:13 #123902 by mikecl
Replied by mikecl on topic Re: Rango...WTF?!
Great movie. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Funny as hell and creatively done. No wonder it didn't make any money. The masses these days are rewarding crap more often than not.

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26 Apr 2012 20:09 #123911 by Michael Barnes
Replied by Michael Barnes on topic Re: Rango...WTF?!
Great, great movie. I rented it thinking it was just going to be a throwaway kid flick but it wound up being one of the best movies I've seen in recent years.

That's a great observation about it, Dragonstout...about it being a very personal kind of collage of interests and obsessions. That's what art is all about, and sometimes art isn't very commercial. It's the kind of tough, fearless movie that is FAR too rare in Hollywood, and I guarantee you that it never would have been made if not for Verbinski's success with the Pirates films. In a way, it's almost a vanity picture, the sort of thing that a director is sometimes allowed to make at risk based on past successes.

The character designs are just outstanding, the animation blows Pixar away. The writing is great, the satire genuinely funny, and there's a healthy dose of surrealism that gives it all a kind of genuine (and not manufactured or phony) edginess.

I absolutely love the movie and I've watched it like six times in the last month...whenever I trawl through Netflix, I tend to wind up on it.

I love the "ridin' out scene..."Where are we going?" Such a great, subversive moment.

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26 Apr 2012 20:43 #123917 by repoman
Replied by repoman on topic Re: Rango...WTF?!

Erik Twice wrote: 1)
4bis) Accorind to Wikipedia the film had a cost of 135M$ and the Box Office results were 245M$. It was profitable, and very. Now if that's enough for being considered a "success" in this shitty industry, I don't know.


My observation that it didn't make money was based on the info on IMDB which showed it to have lost about $27 mil. but that was dated sometime mid 2011. DVD sales and such could have pushed it into the black since.

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26 Apr 2012 21:42 #123918 by Disgustipater
Replied by Disgustipater on topic Re: Rango...WTF?!
Hollywood has some really weird accounting when it comes to how much profit a movie actually makes.

io9.com/5747305/how-much-money-does-a-mo...ake-to-be-profitable
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29 Apr 2012 03:29 #124101 by daveroswell
Replied by daveroswell on topic Re: Rango...WTF?!

JonJacob wrote: I really wish people would stop thinking that animated means for kids. It has stiffled my favorite medium for years and despite Gore Verbinski being involved in a pretty major capactiy.. and Johnny Depp, the film is still fascinating. Not exactly great because it does follow some sappy formula form time to time but there are some beautiful moments and it is worth seeing, especially if your into animation.


To me, the best personal example of this was seeing Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas in a theater full of screaming five year olds. Sad, but beautifully ironic at the same time.

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