RANGO
A wonderfully kooky western adventure with a redemptive heart.
Should You Watch It?
RANGO is a rare animated film that knows exactly what it wants to be: a western, a comedy, and a loving send-up of classic movies. Its cutting-edge animation, colorful characters, wit, and general kookiness make it a genuinely delightful adventure.
The content is the reason to use discernment. There is lots of western action violence, including a scary snake villain, along with a few “h” words and one “d” word. Younger children may find some scenes and characters frightening, even though the film ultimately points toward courage, truth, and helping others.
If your family includes older children or older pre-teenagers who can handle those elements, RANGO is worth seeing. For younger children, choose something gentler.
The Story
NO SPOILERS — WE KEEP THE SURPRISESA lonely pet chameleon is separated from his aquarium and stranded in a vast desert. When he reaches an isolated western town called Dirt, he reinvents himself as Rango, a fearless gunslinger.
His tall tale impresses the town’s creatures, who make him sheriff. But someone is stealing the town’s water, and Rango must discover what is happening before Dirt dries up. To save the town, he will have to become more than the hero he pretends to be.
Is It Any Good?
Four stars means RANGO is an outstanding piece of entertainment. It is hilarious, fun, exciting, witty, clever, delightfully quirky, wonderfully winsome, and thoroughly engaging.
The film is staged like a live-action homage to comic westerns, with references to spaghetti westerns and CHINATOWN woven into the story. Its animation is a giant leap forward, using vivid characterizations and colorful, asymmetrical designs to make every character distinctive while serving the story and its characters.
The Worldview
RANGO has a strong Christian, redemptive worldview and a very strong moral sensibility. It includes overt and indirect references to God, prayer, and the Christian worldview that permeated the Old West in the United States. The “Spirit of the West” is presented in a somewhat ambiguous way, but the idea is handled as part of an entertaining and redemptive journey.
Rango begins as a teller of very tall tales. His lies are eventually exposed, and he learns that his real purpose is to courageously help others, specifically the people of Dirt. The film therefore exalts truth, courage, self-sacrifice, and becoming a genuine hero rather than merely pretending to be one.
The film’s central moral question is whether a person will live for reputation or for a meaningful purpose. Scripture likewise calls believers toward truthful, self-giving service: “Whoever would be great among you must be your servant” (Matthew 20:26).
The Content Guide
The specifics — spoilers included by nature — so you can judge for your own family.
Content Summary
Strong Christian worldview with very strong moral elements featuring Christian, redemptive references and content, including references to prayer and to God that include references to “the Spirit of the West,” which are a little bit ambiguous but done in an entertaining redemptive way that’s endearing; about five or six “h” words and one “d” word, plus a couple references to the place called Hell and, in a homage to THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY, the SO of SOB is said but the obscenity is not completed; strong action and comic violence includes hawks chase lizards and animals, gunfights, tower kills hawk, big chase scene with moles flying on bats and explosions, bats carrying moles catch on fire, animals hang onto wagon for dear life, scary rattlesnake threatens innocent lizards and animals, characters almost drown, guns pointed, villain dragged away to his apparent doom, aquarium carrying pet lizard flies out of car and smashes onto road, water fountains gush and carry characters, and lead singer of owl mariachi band keeps saying that the hero will die soon; no sex scenes; no nudity; cactus juice provides a stand-in for alcohol but no drunkenness; some cigar smoking; and, protagonist lies to survive and gain respect but the truth eventually comes out and he must decide what his real purpose should be.
Talk About It
Questions for the drive home, the dinner table, or the youth group.
Rango tells impressive stories to gain respect, but the truth eventually comes out. Why is truth more valuable than a reputation?
Proverbs 12:22 · Ephesians 4:25Rango learns that his purpose is to help others. What gifts has God given you, and how could you use them to serve someone else?
1 Peter 4:10 · Matthew 20:26The people of Dirt are in danger because their water is being stolen. What responsibilities do we have toward people who are vulnerable or in need?
Proverbs 31:8–9 · Philippians 2:4Rango must choose courage when pretending is no longer enough. What is the difference between looking brave and doing what is right?
Joshua 1:9 · James 1:22The Final Word
RANGO is a hilarious, inventive western adventure with cutting-edge animation and a strong redemptive heart. Its language, action violence, and scary snake villain call for discernment with younger viewers. For older children and up, it is WORTH THE TRIP — OLDER CHILDREN AND UP.
