Animated films made for children have long included winks directed at the grown-ups who've been dragged along. But most of the time those gags were a minor side dish, designed to provide parents a few knowing chuckles in between the outbursts of chaotic silliness and slapstick violence.
"Rango," premiering this week, follows the rise of 'kidult' (kiddy adult) animations, like the critic-friendly, melancholic "Wall-E" and "Up." How about Oscar-nominated "Toy Story 3?" And don't forget "Megamind!" The wickedly funny jokes and big-word banters are aimed for adults.
Check out the article on Salon about the trend of kiddy animations:
