I would not ever deem to be a kids film in a million years. ¦ but in many ways this is the most adult animated film Ive seen in quite some time. Its smart, its dark, and above all, its dangerous. At least it feels that way. The film is full of some surprisingly dark imagery and situations, and even though nothing explicit is ever actually put on screen, it sure as hell feels like it is, which ostensibly gives the film some nice heft. ¦ There is no doubt about it; Rango is a real western through and through. From the photography, to the thrilling shootouts and chases, to the immersive mystery about the towns missing water, complete with its surprisingly ballsy reveal, the film takes itself deadly seriously. ¦ Nickelodeon is taking a ballsy chance with this film. Its not at all like the trailers make it out to be. Its a smart film, and even though its not nearly as extreme as Akira or Fritz The Cat or any explicitly adult animation, its nonetheless an animated film that pushes the boundaries in all the right ways, and I can only hope that enough people will see it so Nickelodeon or other studios might actually continue to take these kinds of chances on animated films. This isnt your run of the mill animated fluff. Rango is something special.Â