“Rio” has a lot in common with the movie’s main character – a blue macaw who can’t fly: It’s nice looking, but never takes off.
The opening 5-minutes of the film are great. We see Blu as a baby bird, in the rain forest of Brazil and learn how he ends-up in Minnesota as a pet. This sequence sets the stage for what could have been a terrific animated film. But, unfortunately, everything goes downhill from there.
And, as usual, a weak story is to blame. There’s hardly anything original in this script. Blu is the last male of his species and he’s being forced to mate with the last female blue macaw, named Jewel. At first, of course, they can’t stand each other, but you know that will change. And then there’s poachers who want to kidnap the birds and sell them for a lot of money. And what would a movie like this be without the cast of friends they meet along the way who try to help them, save them, and teach them about love.
The only thing that separates “Rio” from other animated films like this is that it’s set in Brazil and it’s filled with Brazilian music. In fact, this movie can best be described as a musical adventure and not a comedy, since there are hardly any laughs. Will.i.am and Jamie Foxx play two of the “supporting” birds and they do many of the songs, some that seem forced into the storyline, in an effort to try to make this like a Disney film. It is not.
And the lack of originality is surprising, since “Rio” comes from the creators of the “Ice Age” trilogy, which is one of the funniest and well-written animated series of all-time, with memorable characters and plenty of heart. “Rio” lacks all of that.
One thing I can congratulate the filmmakers on is the stunning animation. The scenes of Rio de Janeiro from the sky are beautiful and the look of the entire film is colorful and lively. Blue Sky Studio remains one of the best in the business with CGI animation.
Jesse Eisenberg is perfectly cast as Blu and Anne Hathaway voices Jewel. George Lopez and Tracy Morgan are also part of a very talented voice cast. The problem is they don’t have any great lines to work with.
“Rio” was originally rated PG, but was changed to G at the last minute. There are a few dicey lines, some mildly violent fighting scenes and cute birds being kidnapped. But little kids won’t care, they’ll still like all the colorful creatures. Everyone else will have a hard time staying interested in what’s going on.
On “The Official Kid Critic Report Card”, “Rio” gets a C. A bit of a disappointment, to say the least.
Next-up for Fox & Blue Sky is the 4th “Ice Age” film: “Ice Age: Continental Drift next July.