Rango (available July 15) Gore Verbinski (Pirates of the Caribbean) directs this first animated film from Industrial Light & Magic, starring Johnny Depp as a chameleon sherriff of a Wild West desert town, which proves a worthy competitor in the genre: The visuals pop (with no need for 3D, by the way), a sophisticated script pays homage to rather than apes Western clichés, and obvious tearjerking is thankfully absent (yes, Pixar, I’m glaring at you).
The movie might be a little tough for the younger kids…this isn’t your average silly, googly-eyed cartoon, and it makes some adult references that might not be appropriate for some children. Meaning: You might screen this first before showing your little ones. Extras: Theatrical and extended version, commentaries, "Real Creatures of Dirt" featurette with animal experts, 10 deleted scenes (DVD/BD); the BD also offers "A Field Trip to Dirt," "Breaking the Rules: Making Animation History" with Gore Verbinski, and picture-in-picture storyboards.
