Rango

Behold, 2011’s first masterpiece. Gore Verbinski and the people over at Industrial Light and Magic have made an animated movie like no other, and it can be ranked alongside the best of Disney and Pixar. A pet chameleon (voiced by Johnny Depp) is dumped out on a desert highway, and finds himself on a strange journey to an Old West town inhabited by various furry animals and a mysterious tortoise mayor. The town is suffering through a drought and being terrorized by a giant hawk and sinister rattlesnake. After a short series of events, the chameleon becomes Rango the Sheriff, and he sets out on a quest to get the town its water back and conquer the evil animals. This movie is pure wonder to look at, and contains a surprisingly adult sense of humor that includes references to Hunter S. Thompson, Clint Eastwood and Chinatown. It’s a remarkable, instant classic.