Releases: 7th April 2011
Rating: G
Duration: 96 minutes
Genre: Family Animation
Rating: G
Duration: 96 minutes
Genre: Family Animation
Starring: Will I AM, Jane Lynch, Leslie Mann, Jamie Foxx, Anne Hathaway, Jermaine Clement and Jesse Eisenberg
Director: Carlos Saldanha (Ice Age1,2&3 Robots)
GUEST REVIEWER: Jodie Clist
The Premise>> 3D animated family flick – from the makers of Ice Age and Horton Hears A Who – Rio tells the story of Blu (Eisenberg), a rare macaw who is stolen from his nest as a chick and ends up in the snowy Minnesota town of Moose Lake. He is raised and cared for by Linda (Mann) and lives a life of domesticated luxury in her bookshop. Then they receive a visit from Tulio (Santoro), a bird expert from Brazil who tells them they must travel with him to Rio so that they can introduce Blu to the only remaining female of his kind, Jewel (Hathaway). Arriving in Rio, Blu and Jewel are soon stolen by bird smugglers intent on selling them on to the highest bidder. They soon escape but they have one small problem. Blu has never learned to fly. He must overcome his fear of the skies with the help of Jewel, a wise Toucan called Rafael (Lopez), two wisecracking birds Pedro and Nico (Will.i.am and Foxx) and Luiz (Morgan) a slobbering Bulldog, if they are going to keep one step ahead of the bad guys and their evil cockatoo Nigel (Clement) and make it back to Linda and Tulio alive.
The Review>> Rio is bright, colourful and detailed – and manages to sneak in “more than usual” dancing bird/animal scenes due to the setting of the film during Carnival in Rio. The vocal talent is brilliant; with Eisenberg nailing the nervous and neurotic Blu in all his nerdy glory and Hathaway portraying the feisty Jewel perfectly.
I will admit to being “kiwi proud” when I realized that the villain of the film, Nigel the Cockatoo, is voiced spectacularly and evilly well by none other than Jermaine Clements of “Flight of the Conchords” fame.
With a storyline that dances along with crazy bike-rides through the back alleys of Rio, a pack of pick-pocketing monkeys and some brilliant comedic support characters (Foxx, Will.i.am and Morgan) Rio is funny, entertaining and an easy watch for both adults and children.
The Conclusion>> Definitely a “must see” on the big screen for the school holidays, though not necessarily in 3D, as the vivid colours of Rio are slightly muted by having to wear the 3D glasses.
Some extra bits to know about the film and to look out for>> Flight of the Conchords fans will be glad to hear that Jermaine got to co-write and sing his own song ‘Pretty Bird’ (sample lyric ‘Like an abandoned school I have no principals/principles’).
Big Screen NZ 