Rango 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Review
SteelBook
Score: 82
from 2 reviewers
Review Date:
The 4K UHD Blu-ray of 'Rango' offers a small visual enhancement with Dolby Vision HDR and retains excellent audio and extras, making it highly recommended for fans.
Disc Release Date
2K Upscale
HDR10
Dolby Vision
DTS-HD MA
Video: 80
The UHD release of Rango with a 2160p/Dolby Vision presentation boasts improved clarity in textures and colors, notably enhancing close-up details and depth in earthen tones. Although not a monumental upgrade over the Blu-ray, improvements in black levels and contrast provide a richer cinematic experience.
Audio: 92
Rango's 4K UHD Blu-ray audio presentation retains its demo-worthy DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack, providing a spacious soundstage with room-penetrating dynamics, crystal-clear clarity, robust low-end extension, and immersive rear activity, ensuring dialogue remains precise amidst the action-packed scenes.
Extra: 75
The 4K UHD release of Rango offers a visually busy SteelBook, featuring all previous extras, including a detailed commentary, comprehensive making-of segments, and informative features about the film's characters and animation, all housed on the included Blu-ray disc identical to the 2011 release.
Movie: 87
Rango's vibrant 4K UHD release showcases stunning CGI detail and Dolby Vision video, but maintains its original DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack. While the film itself, directed by Gore Verbinski, offers a delightful, adult-leaning homage to classic Westerns, the package lacks new bonus content, retaining only previous extras in its SteelBook presentation.
Video: 80
Paramount's "Rango" strides into the UHD format with a 2160p/Dolby Vision presentation. The video clarity is marked by fine enhancements, although an immediate, striking difference from its Blu-ray predecessor isn't stark. The high-resolution 2160p transfer ensures every subtle detail—be it individual hairs, scales, or wood grain—is more discernible and sharper. Close-up and medium shots of the characters exhibit marginally better texture, but the overall leap from Blu-ray’s already impressive image is fairly modest. Minor aliasing is noticeable in some wide shots, though it doesn't considerably detract from the otherwise crisp visuals.
Dolby Vision HDR grading introduces a subtle yet noticeable improvement in the color palette and contrast. Earthy tones gain a smidgen of vibrancy and accuracy, with blue skies and Rango’s red Hawaiian shirt receiving a mild boost in depth and punch. The blacks are significantly deeper, adding a richer dimension to the low-light scenes, while highlights are crisper, enhancing visibility and cinematic quality. Although the HDR presentation does not transform the film into a more dynamic visual experience due to its artistic choices, it still achieves a beautiful and arresting display with enhanced saturation and detail. Despite being a pedestrian upgrade overall, its intricate details and refined color grading make it an essential pick for new buyers and a considerate option for avid fans when on sale.
Audio: 92
The audio presentation of the 4K UHD Blu-ray for "Rango" is engineered with a demo-worthy DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack that showcases a breadth of activity across the entire soundstage. This front-heavy design imbues the visuals with warmth and a sweeping sense of spatial presence. The dynamics are piercingly clear, with high and mid frequencies differentiated excellently, preserving detail even amid sudden transitions from loud action to serene quietness. Notably, in scenes like Rango’s aerial dress-wearing escapade, the shift from tumultuous noise to whispered calm is managed impeccably, reflecting the track’s skillful balance. The low-end performance is robust and full-bodied, delivering powerful extensions that enhance the viewing experience without overpowering the other elements.
Moreover, dialogue is meticulously preserved, remaining intelligible and precise throughout the cacophony, so that viewers capture every humorous line. Rear activity receives substantial attention with several discrete effects, contributing to an utterly immersive and enveloping soundfield. Various atmospheric noises fluidly traverse the room, adding to the immersive quality of the experience. The lossless mix of this audio track is remarkably satisfying, amplifying fans' enjoyment through its comprehensive and nuanced audio delivery.
For a full UHD audio review, please click here.
Extra: 75
This 4K UHD Blu-ray release of "Rango" includes a robust selection of legacy extras housed on the accompanying Blu-ray disc, identical to the 2011 release. The extras provide an in-depth look into the making of this unique animation, offering valuable insights from the creative team. The audio commentary, engaging featurettes, and supplementary materials enhance the overall understanding of the film’s production and creative process. With high-definition format for most features, the supplemental content is both visually and informatively enriching, making it a must-have for fans and aficionados of animation.
Extras included in this disc:
- Audio Commentary: Perspectives from Director Gore Verbinski, Story Co-Writer & Producer, and key production team members.
- Breaking the Rules: Making Animation History: An extensive look at the innovative techniques used in creating "Rango".
- Real Creatures of Dirt: Exploration of the real-life inspirations for the film's characters.
- A Field Trip to Dirt: Behind-the-scenes journey into the film's world.
- Storyboard Reel Picture-in-Picture: Interactive feature comparing storyboards with final scenes.
- Deleted Scenes: Cut scenes that did not make it into the final film.
- Theatrical Trailer: Promotional material for the film’s release.
Movie: 87
Gore Verbinski's 2011 animated film, "Rango," now on 4K UHD Blu-ray, presents a uniquely entertaining experience that distinctly favors adult audiences over children. Despite being produced under the Nickelodeon brand, the dialogue and themes veer towards a more mature audience, replete with nuanced humor and nods to classic Westerns. Johnny Depp delivers an exceptional voice performance as Rango, a chameleon with a vivid imagination thrust into a small town called Dirt where he inadvertently becomes the hero. His portrayal strikes the ideal balance of farce and charisma, adding depth to what could have been a straightforward animated comedy.
"Rango" is a celebration of the Western genre, filled with references to Sergio Leone’s films, "High Noon," and various other classics. Verbinski's direction is both a homage and a playful nod to these beloved cinematic pieces. The narrative cleverly combines elements from "Chinatown" and "Once Upon a Time in the West," establishing an intricate yet highly engaging plotline revolving around themes of identity and heroism. The animation, executed by ILM for the first time in a feature-length film, is visually stunning. The UHD edition enhances this further with its 2160p/Dolby Vision video, showcasing the incredible detail and textures achieved through CGI.
While the UHD release lacks new bonus content, it compensates with immaculate production quality. Retaining the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack from the original 2011 Blu-ray ensures that the auditory experience complements the visual finesse. Each character is brought to life with precision, from Isla Fisher’s determined Beans to Bill Nighy’s menacing Rattlesnake Jake, enhancing the film's narrative complexity and viewer immersion. Overall, "Rango" on 4K UHD stands out as an exemplary blend of avant-garde animation and storytelling, offering a richly entertaining experience primarily tailored for adult cinephiles and Western aficionados.
Total: 82
"Rango," directed by Gore Verbinski and featuring voice talents such as Johnny Depp, Isla Fisher, Ned Beatty, and Bill Nighy, is a standout animated Western comedy. ILM's inaugural foray into animation shines in this thoroughly enjoyable film that melds humor with stunning visuals. While it may appeal more to adults than children, its 2011 Blu-ray release has already set a high standard. The new 4K Ultra HD edition builds on that foundation with a 2160p/Dolby Vision HDR presentation, offering superior clarity, textural accuracy, and enhanced color depth. Though the improvements may be subtle, they are discernible to the discerning viewer.
In addition to its visual uplift, this 4K release retains the film's original DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack, ensuring the audio experience remains immersive and robust. Paramount hasn’t added any new extras to the mix, but the existing bonus features are still comprehensive and engaging. The new SteelBook packaging is an aesthetically pleasing addition, capturing the spirit and fun of the film. However, potential buyers who already own the previous Blu-ray might find the incremental visual enhancement insufficient to justify the price unless found at a significant discount.
In conclusion, "Rango" on 4K UHD Blu-ray is a visually captivating and entertaining package that excels in both presentation and content. The Dolby Vision HDR brings a notable enhancement to an already impressive visual experience, while the audio remains top-notch. Although the additional content hasn't changed, fans of the movie will find this edition a worthy upgrade, particularly if picked up during a sale. Highly recommended for aficionados of animated films and Western comedies alike.
Blu-ray.com review by Martin LiebmanRead review here
Video: 70
Fans wanting the absolute sharpest image that UHD offers instead of the nearly absolute sharpest image that Blu-ray offers will want to upgrade, but it's really a matter of degrees here, if that, and certainly...
Audio: 100
...
Extras: 70
The SteelBook also ships with a transparent plastic slipcover with additional content, notably a color image of Rango, grasping a fish, on the front....
Movie: 100
At time of writing, Paramount has released 'Rango' to the UHD format exclusively in SteelBook packaging....
Total: 80
Fans will love the whole package, really, which comes highly recommended, but with the caveat that repeat buyers would be smart to wait for a significant sale....
High-Def DigestRead review here
Video: 80
However, it's not a huge night-and-day difference with much of it looking similar to the HD version, but the upscaled 4K transfer nonetheless offers a welcomed uptick with sharper, better clarity of the...
Audio: 100
Rear activity is filled with several discrete effects, generating a fully immersive, enveloping soundfield as various atmospherics move throughout the room with ease....
Extras: 60
Making Animation History (HD, 49 min) Real Creatures of Dirt (HD, 22 min) A Field Trip to Dirt (HD) Storyboard Reel (HD) Deleted Scenes (HD) Trailers (HD)...
Movie: 80
Johnny Depp stars as the titular character, a fast-talking chameleon with lots of imagination but lacking the proper outlet....
Total: 80
Arriving on 4K Ultra HD, it is nonetheless a fun movie with a beautiful Dolby Vision HDR presentation that offers a notable, albeit small, uptick, but it ports over the same DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack and...
Director: Gore Verbinski
Actors: Johnny Depp, Isla Fisher, Timothy Olyphant
PlotIn the midst of a journey, a pet chameleon with an identity crisis finds himself unexpectedly thrown from his sheltered life in a terrarium into the vast, harsh Mojave Desert. Lost and alone, the chameleon stumbles upon the dusty, lawless town of Dirt, an outpost desperate for water and clinging to the last remnants of the Old West. With no clear path home and inspired by his encounters, he adopts the persona of "Rango," projecting himself as a tough and capable gunslinger. His theatricality and unlikely bravery quickly draw the attention of Dirt's weary residents, who are in dire need of a hero to help solve their water crisis.
Eager for a sense of purpose and belonging, Rango embraces his new role as the sheriff of Dirt with zeal, but his efforts to protect the town and uncover the mystery behind their dwindling water supply thrust him into a world of intrigue far beyond his understanding. As he navigates a complex web of characters, including the smart and elusive lizard Beans, and faces threats from both within and outside the town, Rango's quest challenges not only his courage but also his very identity. The adventure compels him to confront his deepest fears and, in doing so, defines the hero he always aspired to be, revealing the importance of honesty, bravery, and self-discovery amidst adversity.
Writers: John Logan, Gore Verbinski, James Ward Byrkit
Release Date: 04 Mar 2011
Runtime: 107 min
Rating: PG
Country: United States, United Kingdom
Language: English