Rango must be the roughest, toughest chameleon the Wild West has ever seen.
And he is probably also the first chameleon ever seen in those parts.
Rango (Johnny Depp) was living a harmless, carefree life as a child's pet when fate saw him flung out a car window and into the desert.
Lost, alone and very hot, Rango has to find a safe new home pretty quickly before the desert sun shrivels him up.
Of all the places he could wind up in, he finds himself in the lawless and very dry western town of Dirt.
In Dirt, life is all about water and securing a little bit of it for yourself.
It's a roughhouse sort of town where bravado and confidence carry you a long way.
When Rango wanders into town he is immediately labelled as an outcast and faces a tough future until he stands up for himself, spins a tall story and finds himself appointed the town's new sheriff.
Sheriffs in Dirt don't last too long, but Rango is determined to turn that around.
First, he must discover what happens to the town's precious water supply.
There used to be more than just dirt in Dirt so where did all the water go?
With the help of feisty rancher Beans (Isla Fisher), Rango takes on a family of hillbilly moles who are suspected of stealing the town's remaining water.
When they prove innocent, he turns his attention to the most powerful man in town - the mayor.
But if he is going to cause any trouble for the mayor, Rango must first defeat the evil Jake, the rattlesnake (Bill Nighy).
Rango is a particularly lovable character, in a goofy sort of way.
When he can't think what to do next, he just opens his mouth and lets his first thought emerge.
The wonderful animation of Rango allows his creators to
put together a quirky and humorous adventure, pitting our hero against the weirdest (and ugliest) bunch of co-stars you'll ever see on the silver screen.
(PG) 112 minutes
3.5/5
