10) Rango
One of the most surprisingly enjoyable movies of 2011 was a reteaming of the talents that brought us Captain Jack Sparrow: Johnny Depp and director Gore Verbinski. Their animated effort on Rango resulted in one of the most outlandish characterizations that demonstrates Depp’s vocal prowess rather than the physical and facial performance he is known for. That part of Rango was the work of terrifically skilled animators, but as is the case with such movies, those aspects are first informed by the work done by the voice artist. It seems like a long time since Depp’s last straight-up comedic performance that was downright silly, but he pulls out all the stops as the charming chameleon who finds himself in the town of Dirt.
Johnny Depp turned 50 last month. Many are pointing out that as the shirtless Tonto in The Lone Ranger, his age is starting to show. He does not appear, however, to be starting to slow, with projects coming up reprising his iconic Jack Sparrow role, appearing in the highly anticipated musical Into the Woods, and starring in cinematographer Wally Pfister’s directorial debut next year. It’s tough to think of anyone who takes on as many diverse and consistently interesting roles as Johnny Depp, let alone anyone who is so dependably complex and sympathetic in his depiction of characters, despite those characters often possessing ostensibly unsavory qualities. Ride on, kemo sabe.
