Ned Beatty

Just return from the cinema where watched “Rango“, a cartoon that I’ve been waiting for a bit after seeing the trailer. I have to say that trailers for this animation are slightly better than the final result, but not by too much. It is a rather brave take on westerns with way more blackness and drama than most other kid’s animations allow.

It was a bit slow at places, and for Maxim’s taste there was a bit too much talk, but the story was good, the characters were interesting, and the whole feel to it was … unfamiliar. If it was a movie, it would probably be one of many. But being an animation, it stand on its own.

Music deserves a special attention. There was as much of it as you could squeeze into a film without making it into a musicale. It helped with atmosphere, entertainment, and more. It changed from Mexican el mariachi to classical orchestra and back. It faded from background to foreground and back. And it was by my movie measures exceptional.

Overall, I’d rate the animation as 4 out of 5. Recommended for adults and for older kids mostly, but anyone would probably enjoy it.

P.S.: If you are watching it in K-Cineplex Limassol, make sure to pick up your portion of nachos with cheese sauce at the cafeteria, which are a special served for this movie only. Helps with the whole Mexican atmosphere, and they are indeed yummy.

Pretty much every Pixar animation release is an event for our family. This time it was even a bigger one than usual. “Toy Story 3” was the first 3D for Maxim. All three of us went together – Olga, Maxim, and myself. While Maxim can sit through a full length feature with no problem, we were worried a bit that he could get distracted by the glasses a lot. So we went for the both parents combo, just in case. Gladly, we were able to enjoy it from beginning to end with no interruptions. Maxim did experimented with the glasses for a bit, putting them on and off, but eventually he settled and started watching.

We were actually waiting for this movie to come out. Maxim is a big fan of the previous two parts, which we have on DVD, and which he watched more than a trillion times by now. He also owns at least Buzz Lightyear toys, one Woody toy, and a bunch of other accessories. And, of course, he quotes both animations quite a bit.

As with many other Pixar works, this one was even better than we expected. Even with raised expectations. Everything was awesome – the story, the animation, the score, the voices, the attention to each and every tiny detail. As always, there was a good combination of action, comedy, and morale, engaging both kids and adults.

The 3D was great! Unlike other 3D titles which flood the movie industry these days, this one is an animation. Which means that it can be rendered to quality 3D much easier, than re-shooting the film.

Overall, all three of us enjoyed it quite a bit, and I am sure this is not the last time we saw it. So I’ll give it a 5 out of 5. This is a must see family entertainment.

P.S.: Traditionally, Pixar opens its features with a short animation. This time it was “Day & Night” and it was awesome too!