Rio [G]

Taken from his nest as a chick and saved by a little girl in Minnesota, Blu is an exotic bird, the last male of his species. But when his owner, Linda, learns that Blu has a female counterpart in Rio De Janeiro, the two decide to go to Rio to save Blu’s species. But disaster strikes when both Blu and Jewel are kidnapped by poachers and, after a close escape, find themselves chained to each other and lost in the jungle. With the help of a few eccentric friends, the two are in for the adventure of a lifetime and will learn a few tricks along the way. 

After being rather hugely disappointed with Hop, I wasn’t really expecting much with this new animated feature. And maybe that’s the best way to be when you watch a new film, because I found myself laughing, swooning, and even tearing up during this movie. It was absolutely adorable and I thoroughly enjoyed it. 

Taken from his nest as a chick and saved by a little girl in Minnesota, Blu is an exotic bird, the last male of his species. But when his owner, Linda, learns that he has a female counterpart in Rio De Janeiro, the two decide to go to Brazil and save Blu’s species. But disaster strikes when both Blu and Jewel are kidnapped by poachers and, after a close escape, find themselves chained to each other and lost in the jungle. With the help of a few eccentric friends, the two embark upon the adventure of a lifetime, learning a few tricks along the way. 

Well, for a start, the animation and the exuberantly vibrant use of colour is a real knockout in this movie. The whole way through, you are completely captivated by the sheer brilliance and beauty of everything; the animals, the scenery, and how sharp and crystal clear everything looks. Dazzling is the word that I would use to describe this animation. Just dazzling. 

Then, we have the wonderfully vibrant and enchantingly infectious samba soundtrack that is incredibly catchy and grandiose, but at the same time really romantic and passionate. I just loved it. 

And unlike Hop, the casting was right on. Each voice matched its character to a tee. You wouldn’t believe that Will.i.am and Jamie Foxx could be persuasive native birds…but they can! 

Featuring the voice talents of Anne Hathaway, Jesse Eisenberg, George Lopez, Will.i.am, Jamie Foxx, Jemaine Clement, Tracy Morgan, Rodrigo Santoro, and Leslie Mann, Rio is a fantastic family film that’s packed with colour, music, romance, memorable characters, and comedy. It was absolutely adorable and I really enjoyed it.