Rio (20th Century Fox)
Feeling Blu
Rio is a brightly colored movie that takes the audience down to Rio de Janeiro in Brazil for a fun-filled romantic adventure. The animation is by Blue Sky Studios which also gave us the Ice Age movies. This film has plenty of laughs, songs and chases as it tells its tale of a bird named Blu.
Blu was born in the jungles of Brazil but was captured by bird snatchers and ended up in Minnesota. There, to his good fortune, he was adopted by a young girl named Linda who grew up to run a bookstore . Blu (voiced by Jesse Eisenberg) is her best friend.
One day Linda (Leslie Mann) is contacted by man named Tulio (Rodrigo Santoro). He tells Linda that Blu is the last male of his species and that there is only one female of the species and she is in Brazil. Linda packs up Blu and heads off to Brazil with Tulio so Blu wont be the last of his breed.
Once there Blu is introduced to Jewel (Anne Hathaway). They are placed in a room together but are abducted by bird thieves that night. Linda is distraught and she and Tulio immediately start a search. Meanwhile Blu and Jewel are plotting their escape from the bird nappers. They succeed and try to head back to where Linda and Tulio are.
Along the way they meet a variety of characters including a bird named Rafael (George Lopez). He says he can lead them to someone who can cut off their chains. They also meet two birds voiced by Jamie Foxx and Will i. Am. As you can tell this movie is long on vocal talent.
Luiz (Tracy Morgan) is the dog who supposedly can get the chain off their legs, and he succeeds. But the dangers are not over yet. They still need to find Linda and Blu still needs to learn how to fly.
Eisenberg and Hathaway make a good team in this film. He is shy and awkward in his speaking while she is droll and assured. But the voice talent who steals the show is Morgan. He makes Luiz a hilarious character and one who utters the funniest lines in the film.
The movie is rated G so the entire family can enjoy it.
The bright colors, the musical arrangements under the supervision of Sergio Mendes, the vocal talent are all assets. There is a little bit of slow pacing of the story at the start but once the bird gets to Brazil things start hopping.
The kids will love this movie and the adults will have a great time too. So fly down to your local theater and see Rio.
I scored Rio a feathered 7 out of 10.
