Rango

First thing first, you need to see this at the cinema to get the complete experience. I don't know how you will be able to enjoy this film without kids running around and shouting across the cinema to each other, while ineffectual parents fail to stop this. Rango, despite it's rating, is not a kid's film.

But if you can block out the incessant wailing of children, you're in for a treat. Rango is a tribute to Sergio Leone's Spaghetti Westerns, from the music to the atmosphere to the characters. But rather than just simulating them, it parodies other Westerns, and takes cliches and turns them around. I found myself laughing at quite a few moments, especially at the big reveal.

This is also a visual treat. Rather than going for a realistic look like Avatar or the fluffy-ish style of Pixar, it reminds me most of Tim Burton's animations. While they're meant to be animals, most of them look more like the creatures of Halloween Town than anything you'd find anywhere on the planet. This twisted, gritty environment is so much more beautiful than any animation I've seen in ages.

As I mentioned earlier, the score has a lot in common with Ennio Morricone, and it works perfectly. The twangy (Is that a real word? Should be anyway) sounding instruments complement the film incredibly well. But unfortunately a lot of the tracks sound a lot like Pirates of the Caribbean, which was another Hans Zimmer scored film

Overall I would recommend you see this film, but maybe wait for the DVD. And then you can control how much ruckus occurs in the "cinema"

4/5

True Grit

I'm a big fan of the Coen Brothers. Their films contain brilliantly witty scripts, dark humour and idiosyncratic characters. And True Grit doesn't disappoint.

Despite being called Coen-lite, I would say it bears many of the same elements. None of the characters are particularly heroic and even fewer of them are normal. The main character is played by Hailee Steinfeld, in her first ever film. Despite this fact she is brilliant. Rather than making the character seem like an annoying brat constantly nagging to go on an adventure, she gives the character wit and intelligence far greater than most 14 year olds. Then you have Jeff Bridges as Rooster Cogburn, the drunken US marshall who has the title's true grit. Rooster is a brilliant character, hilarious and often drunk, Jeff Bridges makes this character likeable despite his heavy drinking and often horrible attitude. Finishing the trio, you have Matt Damon, who for the first time I actually liked. LaBouef is a loud mouthed idiot, who isn't liked by either of the other two characters. This creates a brilliant dynamic and the scenes where they're all together and just talking are brilliant.

Which brings me onto the next start: the script. It'll probably be the wittiest script of the year. Despite the fact that it seems like it'll be incredibly gritty, it's banter is brilliantly written.

Ultimately it's a film you should see whether or not you like the Coens. I loved the Social Network but I started thinking that it shouldn't of won best adapted screenplay, that's all I'm saying.