It’s not common forWesternsto be fully animated, but those that do dare to venture into the medium typically produce some amazing films. Although the humble Western was once a cornerstone of American filmmaking, surprisinglyfew films in the genre have experimented with animation. While all themost classic must-see Westerns may be live action affairs, animation can offer a welcome break from the typical process of the genre’s tropes.
While the Western was once a much more powerful force in pop culture than it is today, films set in the old American West rife with gunslingers, horses, and breathtaking expanses of untamed land never fully went extinct. Many of thebest modern Westernsare also animated, taking advantage of the great strides the medium has made since the heyday of the Western in the 50s and 60s. Animated Westerns experiment witha variety of tones, subjects, and themes that might be harder to access in live-action material.
Rango
Cast
Rango is an animated comedy that stars Johnny Depp as a pampered pet chameleon named Rango, who finds himself lost in the desert when he falls out of his family’s truck. Rango accidentally stumbles into the role of a sheriff for a town under control by a greedy baron who limits access to water for his citizens to make more money. When Rango meets a young woman that catches his fancy, he’ll utilize his acquired knowledge of Hollywood westerns to assume the role of a Sheriff to win her heart and save the town - if he isn’t found out first.
A masterpiece by Gore Verbinski, better known forthePirates of the Caribbeanseries,Rangois the gold standard when it comes to animated Westerns. Taking place in the American Southwest,Rangostars Johnny Depp as the titular chameleon, a captive pet fancying himself an actor who is accidentally stranded in the Mojave Desert on a road trip.
Coming across the town of Dirt, which is going through a bitter drought, Rango re-invents himself as a heroic Sheriff in order to save his new friends from a mysterious conspiracy.Rangois a brilliant film for many reasons, not the least of which being its lovingly-rendered photorealistic animation that still conveys cartoony character designs.
Rangohas an 88% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Depp and the other actors actually acted out each scene while doing the voice work to be used as reference for the animation, and the subtle details of this influence are easy to see in the finished product. The film is also notable for having one of the coolest villains in Western history, Rattlesnake Jake, a massive rattlesnake with a gatling gun for a rattle.
Most animated Westerns were only created in the last couple of decades, yearning to surprise audiences with a new spin on the irreverent genre. One of the most glaring exceptions to this rule is 1971’sDaisy Town,a seldom-seen but woefullyunder-celebrated Western that marked the first entry of theLucky Lukeseries. The charmingly antique story centers on a small town in the desert that springs up around a lone daisy growing out of the ground, the only vegetable life for miles.
Daisy Townis an endearing encapsulation of everything that makes Westerns great, with tense duels, dimly-lit saloons, and dastardly outlaws.
Here, the emerging criminal influence soon calls for a response from Lucky Luke, the quick-witted lawbringer capable of drawing a gun faster than his own shadow.Daisy Townis an endearing encapsulation of everything that makes Westerns great, with tense duels, dimly-lit saloons, and dastardly outlaws. The whimsical olden style of animation is also something of a lost art, being hard to find in the modern era of filmmaking.
Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron
Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron is an animated adventure film directed by Kelly Asbury and Lorna Cook. The story follows a wild mustang named Spirit as he navigates the challenges of taming and captivity in the American West. Matt Damon provides narration, giving voice to Spirit’s thoughts and emotions. The film combines traditional hand-drawn animation with computer-generated imagery to bring the American frontier to life.
Spirit: Stallion of The Cimarronis an interesting case for the power of animation in a Western.Taking place in an Old West setting typical of the genre,Spirit: Stallion of The Cimarronbucks conventional character trends by positing not a human settler as its main character, but a wild, untamed horse who is captured and broken in by cowboys.
10 Non-Violent Westerns That Are Still Fantastic
Though the Western genre is well known for including many violent scenes, there are many fantastic films that take a non-violent approach.
Spirit: Stallion of The Cimarronhits its stride as a stunning indictment of encroaching civilization and colonization in the face of the raw, untamed frontier of the American West. The film certainly isn’t perfect, with a fairly shallow narrative and an awkward narration of Spirit’s thoughts by Matt Damon that reads as a painfully obvious last-minute panic decision by the studio, afraid to trust in a film largely absent of dialogue.
Still,the breathtaking 2D animation is one of the finest in the business, representing the last gasp of traditional animation as the cost-effective world of 3D modeling began to overtake cinema. For that reason alone,Spirit: Stallion of The Cimarronwarrants a mention as one ofDreamworks' best films.
Spirit Untamed
Spirit Untamed, directed by Elaine Bogan, follows Lucky Prescott, a spirited young girl whose life transforms when she relocates to a frontier town. There, she forms a deep bond with a wild mustang named Spirit, embarking on a journey of friendship and adventure.
Though it took almost 20 years to happen,Spirit: Stallion of The Cimarrondid eventually get a sequelthanks toSpirit: Untamed.This time around, Spirit is not the main star of the show, but a deuteragonist to the new character Fortuna “Lucky” Esperanza Navarro-Prescott, a young girl who is sent from her New England home to live out west with her estranged widower father for the summer.
Here, she meets and forms a bond with the headstrong kiger mustang Spirit, helping him escape from his abusive owners.Spirit: Untamedis quitea heartwarming tale, even if its story is fairly clichédthanks to many similar horse-loving movies.
The greater presence of human characters makes for a more naturally flowing narrative unburdened by Matt Damon’s narration, giving the film a stronger emotional center compared to its predecessor. The switch to 3D animation was a very smooth one for the series as well, with some truly awe-inspiring riding scenes that are hard to beat.
Home On The Range
Home on the Range follows three cows Maggie, Grace and Mrs Caloway who take on a mission to stop their home from being taken away when their dairy farm is served an eviction notice. Forming a team with the Sheriff’s horse, they set out to collect the ransom on cattle rustler Alameda Slim to take their fate into their own hands.
Far be it from Disney to miss out on an animation trend, the company sought to out-do Dreamworks' animal-centric Western with a similar project of their own,Home on the Range.Rather than focusing on horses,Home on the Rangeputs the “cow” in “cowboy” by following the adventures of a trio of dairy cows.
When a devious cattle rustler puts their idyllic Western community in jeopardy, the three bovine ladies band together to find a way to stop him. Even if it isn’t exactly thebest animated Disney feature,Home on the Rangerelentlessly harnesses the spirit of the West with a serviceable story that mostly functions as an excuse to show off some exhilarating Western landscape background.
Home on the Rangeholds a special place as Disney’s last hand-drawn animated feature, giving it a significant place in the company’s history even if it isn’t the most widely celebrated film in their retainer. The family-friendly adventure also quietly guards Disney’s best original country music, courtesy of musical guru Alan Menken.
An American Tail: Fievel Goes West
An American Tail: Fievel Goes West is an animated film that follows the Mousekewitz family as they leave their New York home for the American West, hoping to find a land with fewer cats. Produced by Steven Spielberg, the story features Fievel, the adventurous young mouse, navigating the challenges of the frontier alongside new allies and familiar friends. Directed by Phil Nibbelink and Simon Wells, the film blends Western motifs with a family-centric narrative.
WhileAn American Tailwas a daring romp through early 1900s New York City through the lens of immigrant mice, the sequel made the daring effort to switch genres, becoming a Western for the follow-up. InAn American Tail: Fievel Goes West, returning protagonist Fievel finds himself once again stranded on his own, this time far out West in a meager frontier town.
Enjoying the last gasps of the Western Frontier, Fievel is tasked with finding a way home while subverting the evil whims of a business-minded cat mogul. Under the steady supervision of visionary directorStephen Spielberg as a producer,An American Tail: Fievel Goes Westnearly manages to outdo the original with scope and spectacle.
The dizzying Western adventure almost moves too fast, if anything, but doesn’t lose sight of the same heart that drove the originalAn American Tail.The celebrity voice cast, innovative “camera” techniques, and delicately hand-drawn animation that keeps up with Don Bluth’s original concepts all contribute to a thrilling animated Western.
Plenty of live-actionWesterns have focused on real-life people, from infamous outlaws to unbelievable bounty hunters. Even if animation may seem better suited to more fantastical pursuits,Calamity, a Childhood of Martha Jane Cannarypulls a similar trick as a fictionalized account ofthe childhood of Calamity Jane, an actual frontierswoman and sharpshooter who really existed.
Despite being a French-Dutch collaborative production, the film clearly harbors a very real love and fascination with the famed period of American history. The narrative puts a heavy and deserved emphasis on Martha Jane Cannary’s breakage of typical gender norms in the time period, ferociously following in her father’s footsteps as the primary driver of a caravan on the Oregon trail.
Jane proves her mettle when she sets out by herself to retrieve precious supplies stolen by a wayward soldier, a fascinating and intense story that’s colored by the beautifully unique animation. By eschewing traditional outlines and focusing on color,Calamity, a Childhood of Martha Jane Cannaryproves itself asa unique animated film in general, let alone for a Western.
Scooby-Doo! Shaggy’s Showdown
Scooby-Doo! Shaggy’s Showdown is an animated film where the mystery-solving gang visits a dude ranch haunted by the ghostly cowboy Dapper Jack. The plot thickens as they uncover connections between Dapper Jack and Shaggy Rogers' ancestry, leading to thrilling ghostly encounters and family revelations. Released in 2017.
At this point, there have been so manyScooby-Doo moviesthat a Western-themed adventure was essentially inevitable. InScooby-Doo! Shaggy’s Showdown, Hanna-Barbera’s famed mystery-solvingteam heads out West to investigate the ranch of Shaggy’s distant cousin, who claims to be haunted by the ghost of their shared ancestor, Dapper Jack Rogers.
From there, the typical formula of aScooby-Doo!episode unfurls, set to the backdrop of a unique Western setting. In truth, the entirety ofScooby-Doo! Shaggy’s Showdownis worth watching for the bursts of courage Shaggy is given by his newfound cowboy ancestry, allowing him to solo an entire bar full of bikers in an extended fight scene.
Beyond that,the film is also quite creativefor being a run-of-the-mill Scooby-Doo story, with an impressively complex villain scheme that presents a few genuine shockers. It’s also one of the few times in Scooby-Doo history that the gang encounters something genuinely paranormal, as evidenced by the open-ended final scene.
Even if it is only a short film,Borrowed Timeis impossible not to mention when it comes to the greatest animated films to delve into the American West. Directed by Pixar veterans Andrew Coats and Lou Hamou-Lhadj, the brief story centers ona father-son duo driving a caravan who are struck by tragedy when a horrible accident befalls them. In the wake of the event, the son must battle with the intense emotional fallout of his memories swirling around the beloved pocket watch gifted to him by his father.
At only 7 minutes long, the film is able to tell a more emotionally gripping story than most animated films, or other Westerns, for that matter.
Borrowed Timewon a litany of awards in the years following its release, and it’s easy to see why. At only 7 minutes long, the film is able to tell a more emotionally gripping story than most animated films, or other Westerns, for that matter. Even if it is bleak, the ultimately bittersweet ending weaponizes classic Western tropes and imagery to potent effect.
Another short Western animated film,DC Showcase: Jonah Hexweaves an exciting tale featuring the titular Old West gunslinger of DC Comics fame. While a live-action film adapting the same material starring Josh Brolin did release the same year,the animated incarnation of Jonah Hex ends up being far superior to the forgettable live-action.
10 Best Slow-Burn Westerns
While many Westerns in the genre go for all-out action, some prefer a more contemplative and measured pace, like High Noon and No Country for Old Men.
In this short, the scarred bounty hunter finds himself in a confrontation with a deadly femme fatale after finding she had already beaten him to the punch of his latest quarry. Though carrying a fairly simple story,DC Showcase: Jonah Hexfeatures some inventive action that puts otherDC animated universe moviesto shame.
The moody art style and dark, violent themes make for a refreshingly adult take on an animated Western film, with some excellent voice acting, to boot. By far the superior Jonah Hex product when compared to the live-action film,DC Showcase: Jonah Hexembodies excitingWesterngunfights via animation.
