We recently netflixed The Warrior's Way (2010) followed by Rango (2011), without really intending to watch westerns back-to-back.
In fact, neither of us really remembers how the Warrior's Way got into the queue -- I expect it was my fault, but we're both glad to have seen this "sushi western". It was very thin on plot, so they smartly kept it to 90 minutes and minimized the dialogue. It was thick on slick, stylized contrast and commentary on the "years of disciplined training to become a great swordsman" of the east versus the "shoot 'em up" of the west, and, funny enough, no matter which way you go, you mostly end up dead. I could quibble with the denouement, but had too much fun to bother. Recommended for a brain's night off.
Rango begins brilliantly and ends well, but the middle is a mess. They seemed desperate to try to fit a complex "whodunit" plot into the middle of a movie that didn't need one. We both fell asleep around the halfway mark and had to finish the next night. Never a good sign. Simplify, and cut the running time from 100 to 80-90 minutes, and we've got a movie.
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