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The Ballad of Rango: The Art & Making of an Outlaw Film [Hardcover]

David S Cohen , Gore Verbinski
4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)

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Book Description

March 1, 2011
Unlike any animated feature you’ve seen before, Rango is an utterly unique story from acclaimed director Gore Verbinski, and features the voice of Johnny Depp and other regulars from Verbinski’s Pirates of the Caribbean films. Blending off-beat humor with a Gonzo visual style and the enduring heroic archetypes of the Western, this highly entertaining adventure marks the debut for Verbinski’s production studio, BlindWink, and is the first animated feature from Industrial Light & Magic.

An actor by nature, Rango has developed a habit of trying on different guises while in his lonely cage—his head filled with dreams of being a swashbuckler, a musician, a knight, and many other leading man types. When this hapless reptile wanders into the town of Dirt, he can’t help but play to his audience, assuming the role of the Western hero. Boasting of his gun-slinging prowess to the locals, he inevitably stirs up a hornet’s nest. Soon he finds himself at the center of action, wearing the sheriff’s star and forced to take on the fearsome gunman Rattlesnake Jake.

Rango, like its lead character, is a film that set out one day to find itself and did, to great effect. Illustrated with some of the most vivid and visually creative concept art produced for any animation to date, The Ballad of Rango tells its story like it is.

Frequently Bought Together

The Ballad of Rango: The Art & Making of an Outlaw Film + The Art of Tangled + The Art of How to Train Your Dragon
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Product Details

  • Hardcover: 156 pages
  • Publisher: Insight Editions (March 1, 2011)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1608870170
  • ISBN-13: 978-1608870172
  • Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 11.4 x 0.9 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #244,837 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
(11)
4.5 out of 5 stars
A must have for animation buffs! surfthearts  |  3 reviewers made a similar statement
Once he receives my copy he will mail me a new book. Jonathan Cappolino  |  1 reviewer made a similar statement
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
23 of 25 people found the following review helpful
By Nerd
Format:Hardcover
Since I don't have any deep-seated rage, and because I'm reviewing the book instead of ranting about a personal dislike for the film (which is not yet out in theaters) like the previous reviewer, I give this book four stars based on having actually read it.

The story behind how this movie got made is entertaining enough in itself. Verbinski, who is largely known for his commercial blockbusters (Pirates of the Caribbean, the Ring, etc.) actually took a stand in making this film, and the book chronicle's, in an entertaining way, the efforts of the animators, writers, and director to craft an entirely new type of animated feature both in terms of aesthetics and its more adult-oriented content. Coupled with fantastic art from illustrators like Crash McCreery, The Ballad of Rango offers a refreshing perspective on a new direction for animated features, proffering innovation in a market that is largely defined by Pixar pathos and candy-coated narratives from DreamWorks.

Bottom Line: The Ballad of Rango offers a satisfying amount of something new, in a market full of uniform `art of' books.
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15 of 16 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Great art and stories but binding is bad March 9, 2011
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Length: 0:58 Mins
I was enjoying the book when I felt something wrong. The pages came off the spine. Now, they are hanging by the threads that hold the pages together. I don't know if it's just my copy or the printing batch.

Anyway, if you're getting this book in Europe, it's distributed by Titan Books. Not sure about the binding quality for that. Prices are slightly different.

Luckily, the content is pretty good. The concept art are very beautiful. The artists really nailed the character designs. They look quirky and wacky, and have a great sense of personality, judging from their looks to posture to attire. The harsh desert environment sure is unkind to them. You can almost feel the dryness of their skin, or even sand in their hair. Most of them are designed by production designer Crash McCreery.

There aren't a lot environment art besides the towns and buildings. Other images included are some storyboards and film stills.

The film is made by Blind Wink Productions and Industrial Light & Magic. There's a good amount of commentary on the characters, design concepts and the experiences of working on a full length animation - a first for both the director Gore Verbinski's production studio and ILM.

The book is enjoyable to read with the great art and stories but the binding is a letdown.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Exceptional Book! BINDING ISSUE RESOLVED! June 23, 2011
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
UPDATE 7-13-11 (Read original post below)

I contacted the publisher. He told me that they were aware of the binding problem and
that the first printing had yielded a defective batch. With no questions asked, he was very
helpful and is allowing me to mail in my book for an exchange.

I mailed him (Richard at Insight Editions publishing) my copy though USPS with the book
rate ($3.64) today. Once he receives my copy he will mail me a new book. Success!!!

(If you got one of the defective copies, I suggest you contact them)
--------------------------------------------------------------------

(6-23-11)
"Exceptional Book! TERRIBLE BINDING!!" (1 out of 5 stars)

* The book is amazing.
* The artwork is outstanding.
* The book WILL quickly fall apart. Such a shame.

This book is filled with beautiful concept art, and I was totally enjoying it, until it started falling apart.
I just noticed a few other posts with the same issue. The first several pages are hanging by threads. I
missed the cutoff date for a full exchange or refund, but I might contact the publisher.
Was this review helpful to you?
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars Superb as the movie
If you liked the movie you’re going to love this book. It’s by all means an art book. I highly recommend it.
Published 5 months ago by R2
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful Book
Took the book out of the plastic wrap and was mildly surprised to find the exact same binding problem I had read about! Mine is pretty manageable though, luckily enough. Read more
Published 16 months ago by Hannah R. Novotny
5.0 out of 5 stars Rango rules!
This book is a very good summary of the character design and art direction of that excellent motion picture. Read more
Published 17 months ago by GcuervoG
5.0 out of 5 stars Ballad of Rango
Beautifully bound book with excellent graphics and Rango art. Looking forward to sharing with my Grandson! A must have for animation buffs!
Published 22 months ago by surfthearts
5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome book for any artist
What an amazing book. Beautiful images and useful information. I'm so glad I bought it, and I recommend it to anyone who appreciates the work put into a movie.
Published 23 months ago by Jacob
1.0 out of 5 stars Great art, bad binding
A new book known as falling apart that should have been corrected, replaced!
The art in the 'book' is great, too bad for the binding.
Published on May 17, 2011 by Dominique Gantois
5.0 out of 5 stars Awesomeness
Hello people,

before anything, let me tell you something, this book rocks for many reasons.

1. it contains high range of drawings and concept art
2. Read more
Published on April 12, 2011 by Ali
5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome!
This was genuinely great. It had great art and taught me alot about the backstories of each character which I didnt understand in the movie.
Published on April 10, 2011 by Ash
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