RIO
Stars (the voices of): Jesse Eisenberg, Anne Hathaway, Will.i.am, Jamie Foxx, Tracy Morgan, Jemaine Clement | Written by Don Rhymer | Directed by Carlos Saldanha
Despite valiant efforts by Fox to persuade you not to go and see Rio – someone somewhere must be responsible for thinking that the Orange Blu ads were a good idea – if you make the effort, you are in for a surprise. Rio is a delight to your eyes, ears, funny bone and tapping feet. From the opening credits onwards, the 3D is put to full use to bring alive the colours and beats of the rain forest and the Rio carnival. Throw in some sharp, witty dialogue, perfectly delivered, plus a number of clever songs, and you have Rio.
Rio tells the tale of the last two blue macaws of their kind – Blu is in Minnesota, looking after his bookshop keeper owner Linda while Jewel is in Rio, doing all she can to avoid being part of a breeding programme. When Linda is persuaded to bring Blu to Rio the trouble begins, thanks to a bunch of smugglers, Blu’s inability to fly (‘I am not an ostrich’), a truly revolting and scene-stealing parrot called Nigel and the rocky path to love.
While Blu and Jewel are the main characters, voiced by Jesse Eisenberg and Anne Hathaway, part of the success of Rio is a result of the assortment of birds, monkeys, dogs and humans that do all they can to either help or hinder the flight of the macaws. Will.i.am and Jamie Foxx feature, as does Tracy Morgan. He voices Luiz, a bulldog with disgusting drool who loves to dance. The highlight, however, is Jemaine Clement as Nigel, the evil white parrot, and, in particular, his song about not being pretty. He really isn’t.
Directed by Carlos Saldanha, the man behind the popular Ice Age movies, it isn’t a surprise that Rio likewise succeeds in creating characters that children and adults alike will enjoy and root for. Much of that is due to the appeal and chemistry of Eisenberg and Hathaway as Rio and Jewel. But above all, Rio is great to look at. The vibrant colours of the jungle and the carnival are enhanced by the 3D, which is used throughout to support the story and not to distract from it.
The Orange Blu trailer played before the screening. It was as bad as ever.
Rio opens in the UK on April 8th and a week later in the US.
