SCREEN IT! PARENTAL REVIEW: RANGO

"RANGO"
(2011) (voices of Johnny Depp, Isla Fisher) (PG)

QUICK TAKE:: Animated Western: A chameleon masquerades as a heroic lawman in a Western town where water is scarce and a shadowy villain has it in for the local residents.

PLOT:

Rango (voice of JOHNNY DEPP) the chameleon has a comfy existence. He is the caged pet of a human family driving across the desert on a road trip and fashions himself a swashbuckling rogue and romantic. The driver, though, swerves to miss an armadillo dubbed Roadkill (voice of ALFRED MOLINA) and Rango comes spilling out of an open window.

Stranded in the middle of the Mojave Desert, Roadkill puts Rango on a quest to find the enigmatic Spirit of the West (voice of TIMOTHY OLYPHANT) for guidance and purpose. Instead, Rango happens upon Beans (voice of ISLA FISHER), who takes him to the town of Dirt. Populated entirely by toads, turtles, rodents, and other desert creatures like good-hearted rodent Priscilla (voice of ABIGAIL BRESLIN), Dirt suffers from a dwindling water supply and a corrupt Mayor (voice of NED BEATTY) who is secretly in league with the outlaws Bad Bill (voice of RAY WINSTONE) and Rattlesnake Jake (voice of BILL NIGHY) to cheat the residents out of their land.

The various goodhearted varmints of Dirt turn to Rango, who pretends to be a legendary gunslinger and lawman, to clean up the town and secure water for their survival. For the first time in his life, Rango has a real purpose. He is seen as a hero for real. But he finds himself in a truly life-or-death situation, with lives at stake. He comes to discover that the key is not to fake his own legend, but to be his own legend.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?: Yes, indeed! "Rango" was co-produced by Nickelodeon, and it is getting heavy promotional support on the various Nick channels showing "SpongeBob," "iCarly," and other popular kids programs.

WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG: For rude humor, language, action and smoking.

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