Rio (April 15, 2011)

Rio tells the story of Blu a domesticated male blue macaw who is taken to Rio de Janeiro to mate with a free-spirited female blue macaw, Jewel. The two eventually fall in love, and together they have to escape from being smuggled by Nigel, a cockatoo. The animation is amazing. From the feathers on the birds, to the beading on the carnival costumes, to the lush rainforest it all encapsulates the spirit of Brazil- color and life. The voice acting on the birds is also great, with each actor giving their own flavor to the character they are embodying. Particularly strong performances go to Blu, voiced by Jesse Eisenberg, and his newfound Brazilian amigos, Pedro, Nico, and Rafael, voiced by Will.i.am, Jamie Foxx, and George Lopez, respectively. Blu is our main protagonist, a blue Macaw who was stolen from his home in Brazil as a chick but subsequently rescued and raised by Linda, a Minnesotan bookstore owner. They develop a close bond over the next 15 years as she raises him as a companion. This comfortable existence is interrupted by Tulio, an ornithologist who wishes to bring Blu with him to Rio de Janeiro in order for him to mate with another blue macaw to help save their species (they are the last known Blue Macaws on Earth). This leads to a fun and spirited adventure as Blu is chased and then stolen by smugglers and has to escape with the help of newfound friends (with Linda and Tulio hot on his trail to assist in the operation). Blu’s quirk, however, is that he cannot fly (as he never learned how) which helps create more creative situations and sets up a satisfying conclusion. Jewel, a fellow blue macaw, is a great foil to Blu- she is headstrong and fiery but also fiercely loyal and loving. Their fellow feathered friends, Pedro, Nico, and Rafael, are fun and raucous birds that provide levity (and romantic guidance to Blu and Jewel to help along their budding relationship!) Nigel is a deliciously sadistic villain with an affinity towards theatrics, owing to his former life as a TV star (until he was replaced by a Parakeet), which makes for a fun antagonist for the birds. The human characters are far less notable, though I did enjoy Linda and Tulio’s adorable relationship. Finally, the music is fantastic, really setting the mood and adding to the bright and party-like atmosphere of the film. In fact, the song “Real in Rio” was nominated for Best Original Song at the Oscars but lost out to “Man or Muppet from The Muppets. Carnival was a great occasion and backdrop for the film’s events, lending itself to even more spectacles and humorous encounters. Overall, while Rio does not break new ground it is a fun and exciting romp through Rio with beautiful visuals, amazing music, and stand out vocal work and is well worth watching.

Final Rating: 7.5/10