Set in the West (and occasionally narrated by a mariachi band of owls), the movie follows the adventures of Rango (voiced by Johnny Depp), an ordinary lizard who reinvents himself as the town sheriff when he sets foot as a stranger in the arid town of Dirt.  The townsfolk are parched due to an extreme water shortage and desperately need a hero.

Following the typical flow of a Western film, Rango becomes that hero, saving the town from several villainous predators and solving the water crisis with the help of a standard gang of Western animals, including the catatonia-prone Beans, who serves as a typically resourceful female lead and love interest for our reptile protagonist. The pair team up to solve the town’s “aquatic conundrum” (as Rango puts it).

As I watched Rango, I found myself comparing it to last year’s stellar True Grit. The two films seem to share an overall look and feel, making great use of the West’s wide open spaces (although Rango does so through animation). While that may not be the best comparison, I haven’t seen all that many Westerns in my lifetime, to be frank. Although the film is loaded with plenty of references to older Westerns, many of which went over my head, Rango still manages to be surprisingly engrossing. Other satirical scenes are more obvious, including one sequence that parodies Star Wars. These allusions were likely a result of the creators’ love for Westerns as well as a favor to parents who dread taking their kids to the movies.

Which is part of why Rango succeeds; it is able to appeal to both kids and adults. Genuinely clever and funny, the film draws its audience in with stunning animation. Each character is uniquely detailed and wonderfully drawn, including a few cringe-worthy critters, such as a grotesque armadillo that had been run over while attempting to cross the road. Rango himself has a particularly unusual countenance; his eyes are disproportionately large while his pupils are beady. The scenery is gorgeous, and the whole movie just has a polished appearance. The score also adds a lot to the film, playfully highlighting the film’s strengths and adding to the strangely beautiful atmosphere.