I agree that they also threw in elements that adults appreciate (in fact, I think that kids wouldn't really have understood the first 15 minutes of the movie, where Rango's in the fishtank personifiying inanimate objects out of lonliness and boredom).
But I *also* think that they're two different facts--you can more easily market an adult plot to children with animal characters in it than you could market the same plot to children with live actors (parents would get upset about violence and stereotyping in a way I think they wouldn't with animal characters).
Plus, you can then add a lot of allusions that kids wouldn't get. I kind of feel like the stereotyping is one of those allusions. I guess I'm not a kid of today, but honestly the last time I saw the "hick" or "Native American" stereotypes written that broadly in popular media was when I watched Nick at Nite reruns from the 60's. I can't think of any kids' media today that I've seen that has either of those as a stock sterotype in quite the same way (though maybe there are, and I just don't know them).
no subject
But I *also* think that they're two different facts--you can more easily market an adult plot to children with animal characters in it than you could market the same plot to children with live actors (parents would get upset about violence and stereotyping in a way I think they wouldn't with animal characters).
Plus, you can then add a lot of allusions that kids wouldn't get. I kind of feel like the stereotyping is one of those allusions. I guess I'm not a kid of today, but honestly the last time I saw the "hick" or "Native American" stereotypes written that broadly in popular media was when I watched Nick at Nite reruns from the 60's. I can't think of any kids' media today that I've seen that has either of those as a stock sterotype in quite the same way (though maybe there are, and I just don't know them).