Rio (C or 2/4 stars)
'Rio' (directed by Carlos Saldanha) is a mildly fun, bright, & colorful children's animated film -- nothing more. And it did nothing for me, a 31 yr. old. The setting: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Blu (voiced by Jesse Eisenberg) is a blue macaw, a rare breed of bird that is native to the lush jungles of South America. Captured just out of the nest by dealers & smuggled to the U.S., he has been living a wonderful, domesticated life in small town Minnesota with his loving owner, Linda (Leslie Mann). Problem is: he never learned to fly {haha}. Some 15 yrs. later, out of the blue, a dorky Brazilian conservationist named Tulio (Rodrigo Santoro) searches for Linda with a proposition -- he's discovered the last-known female macaw; and if Linda will bring Blu to Rio, they can mate & save their species.
Blu's initial encounter with the independent female bird, Jewel (Anne Hathaway), doesn't go very well, but the 2 aren't given much time to get to know each other before a gang of 'bird-nappers' break into the institute they're in and take them away to sell to foreigners. Now it's up to Blu & Jewel to escape the talons of the criminals and, with the aid of a few friends (birds/dog), break away from their chains (in a harrowing scene for children to see), overtake their main villain - a cockatoo named Nigel - & make their way back to Linda & Tulio before they're sold off as prize specimens! Chaos ensues. And boy, do I mean it.
'Rio' is an okaaaay animated film. Kids will eat it up. It's not an embarrassing failure. Jesse Eisenberg & Anne Hathaway provide some decent voice acting. There are bright colors abounding. The animation has its bright spots. I liked any scene where we're shown the birds' point of view (while flying). I like the variegated landscapes. Nigel the cockatoo is batsh*t crazy (in a good way). The film has exuberance. And the climactic sequence set during 'Carnival' is eye-popping. But with that said, I can't imagine how this film has made as much $$ as it has. Mars Needs Moms - a superior animated film, in my estimation - got poorer reviews & made next to nothing. What's the difference? 'Rio' is, at best, cute. But there's little-to-no story at play; with the 86 min. narrative is little more than a road trip. Some of the comic hijinks are odd. And the action sequences are so frenetic & hectic that all I can remember honestly ... is color.
On the whole, young kids may find 'Rio' wildly entertaining (oh look, cute birds, a dog, Samba music). It's a decent family film that parents can trust in. There are themes of friendship, love, courage, blah blah blah. But I imagine that most adults will find it quite boring. The mechanical story, juvenile humor, whizz bang action, & conservationist message ... all pitched towards the kiddies. There was just nothing invigorating about 'Rio' for me. Still, you could do far worse.
Blu's initial encounter with the independent female bird, Jewel (Anne Hathaway), doesn't go very well, but the 2 aren't given much time to get to know each other before a gang of 'bird-nappers' break into the institute they're in and take them away to sell to foreigners. Now it's up to Blu & Jewel to escape the talons of the criminals and, with the aid of a few friends (birds/dog), break away from their chains (in a harrowing scene for children to see), overtake their main villain - a cockatoo named Nigel - & make their way back to Linda & Tulio before they're sold off as prize specimens! Chaos ensues. And boy, do I mean it.
'Rio' is an okaaaay animated film. Kids will eat it up. It's not an embarrassing failure. Jesse Eisenberg & Anne Hathaway provide some decent voice acting. There are bright colors abounding. The animation has its bright spots. I liked any scene where we're shown the birds' point of view (while flying). I like the variegated landscapes. Nigel the cockatoo is batsh*t crazy (in a good way). The film has exuberance. And the climactic sequence set during 'Carnival' is eye-popping. But with that said, I can't imagine how this film has made as much $$ as it has. Mars Needs Moms - a superior animated film, in my estimation - got poorer reviews & made next to nothing. What's the difference? 'Rio' is, at best, cute. But there's little-to-no story at play; with the 86 min. narrative is little more than a road trip. Some of the comic hijinks are odd. And the action sequences are so frenetic & hectic that all I can remember honestly ... is color.
On the whole, young kids may find 'Rio' wildly entertaining (oh look, cute birds, a dog, Samba music). It's a decent family film that parents can trust in. There are themes of friendship, love, courage, blah blah blah. But I imagine that most adults will find it quite boring. The mechanical story, juvenile humor, whizz bang action, & conservationist message ... all pitched towards the kiddies. There was just nothing invigorating about 'Rio' for me. Still, you could do far worse.