Today is Gore Verbinski's birthday, the Academy Award-winning director of Rango.
Synopsis
Rango is an animated Western comedy. A chameleon named Rango (voiced by Johnny Depp), finds himself lost in the Mojave Desert after falling out of his owners' car. He stumbles upon the town of Dirt, where he reinvents himself as a tough gunslinger to impress the locals. Rango's bravado earns him the position of sheriff, but he soon discovers that Dirt is plagued by a water shortage. As Rango investigates, he uncovers a sinister plot orchestrated by the corrupt Mayor Tortoise John (voiced by Ned Beatty), and must rally the townsfolk to save their home.
Why Today?
On March 16, 1964, Gore Verbinski was born. Verbinski has directed a number of successful movies, music videos, and commercials, including the Pirates of the Caribbean original trilogy and the iconic Budweiser 'Frogs' Super Bowl commercial.
But today we're going with Rango, which netted him an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. Critically acclaimed at release, Rango is celebrated for innovate, beautiful, and lived-in animation (cinematography was done by Roger Deakins) and a witty and engaging script. It's a great ode to classic Westerns.