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Movie Review: ‘Rio’ is an Enjoyable Journey for the Whole Family

The animated feature "Rio" is definitely one of the most enjoyable films ever made.

One element of an engaging animated movie with talking animals is its vivid characters. In Rio, most of the main characters are birds and they will take you to a breathtaking flight to the vibrant Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro.

The story revolves around Blu (voiced by Jesse Eisenberg), a domesticated Macaw (a rare breed of parrot) who never learned to fly. He enjoys a comfortable life with his owner and best friend Linda (voiced by Leslie Mann) in the small town of Moose Lake, Minnesota. Blu and Linda think he’s the last of his kind, but when they learn about another macaw who lives in Rio de Janeiro, they head to the exotic city to find Jewel (voiced by Anne Hathaway), Blu’s female counterpart. The courtship between Blu and Jewel gets off to a rocky start, not least because Blu never learned how to fly.

Along the way, they get kidnapped by poachers to sell them to get a fortune. After they escape, they try to avoid the thieves and their menacing cockatoo Nigel (voiced by Jemaine Clement), and with help from new-found friends: Luiz, a bulldog with an identity crisis (voiced by Tracy Morgan); Pedro, a Red-crested Cardinal (voiced by will.i.am); Nico, a yellow canary (voiced by Jamie Foxx); and Rafael, a toco toucan (voiced by George Lopez).

The adventures of Blue, Jewel and their friends will take you to the famous landmarks in Brazil like the giant statue of Christ the Redeemer atop Corcovado mountain, named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World; Sugarloaf mountain (Pão de Açúcar) with its cable car; the grandstand-lined parade avenue; the beach and the rainforest.

Aside from the landmarks, it’s also nice to experience a little culture of Brazil, the free-spirited people and their love for football via this film as portrayed by the human characters in the movie, even the villains.

The film opened with an audio-visual feast of bursting colors and stimulating latin rhythms. The middle was action-packed and the ending was romantic. There are also lots of funny scenes all throughout the movie as delivered by its lively characters.

No one can downplay the technical achievements of this film. The brilliant animation of its characters manages to match, or even surpass, the film outfit’s (Blue Sky) previous creations like “Ice Age,” “Ice Age: The Meltdown” and “Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs.” The cinematography very much captured the spirit of Brazil. The screenplay is not complicated for kids and not too shallow for adults.

Both young and old will definitely have a great time watching this film. It’s a highly enjoyable journey recommended for the whole family.

“Rio” opens in the Philippines on April 7 (Thursday) and in the United States on April 15.

10 Comments on Movie Review: ‘Rio’ is an Enjoyable Journey for the Whole Family

  1. ui! bukas na pala to..
    nice one to watch for..

  2. alex g: Did you know that gma7 was always the first channel that SIGNS-OFF the tv? And terminated by KBP for Television Code violations? Did you also know that AGB Nielsen Media Research has a pending case here & abroad?. // April 6, 2011 at 1:22 am //

    Early Signing-Off, Cost Cutting, Debt Increase & Financial Crisis.
    Words that best describes gma.
    😎

  3. alex g: gma artists/shows are equipped with Very Poor Acting Skills. Kaya dinadaan na lang sa mga effects & fighting pose, para mairaos man lang ang basurang show at pagtakpan ang mga malalamyang pag-arte (how stupid).. // April 6, 2011 at 1:21 am //

    Boboserye, Flopserye, Peryaserye, Pornoserye, O.A.serye, T.H.serye, etc.
    Practice Acting – tatak gma.
    😎

  4. alex g: Kapit-Tuko tlga si gozon sa ratings, (as usual pag PANIC time). TALUNAN kasi sa lahat ng bagay, mapa Ads, Awards, Movies, Endorsements & Recognitions. Hay, tsk! tsk! tsk! tsk! Walang kadala-dala.. // April 6, 2011 at 1:20 am //

    Weakness tlga ng gma ang lumaban ng patas.
    😎

  5. alex g: AM/FM Programs, Balance Programming, Daytime/Primetime Shows, Foreign Programs, News Channel/Program, Promos, Regional Network Events, Sports, Station ID, TV Format, Timeslot, etc. (kinopya lahat ng gma).. // April 6, 2011 at 1:20 am //

    Konting Delicadeza naman gozon.
    😎

  6. alex g: "Walang kinikilingan, walang pinoproteksyonan, walang kasinungalingan, walang bahid pulitika, serbisyong totoo lang", Dahil d natutulog ang balita, BAYARAN niyo kami para gumawa ng commercials 24 oras".. // April 6, 2011 at 1:19 am //

    gma is afraid of getting involve into politics. that’s why they tend to engage in “barangay” matters.
    duwag kasi.
    😎

  7. alex g: Valentines Box Office King daw, ni wala nga kasabay na Filipino movie eh, 44.26M in 3 weeks lang!? (as compared to BULONG with 67.27M). May "Divine Intervention" pa raw, sabi ni mother lily (how stupid).. // April 6, 2011 at 1:19 am //

    “Napakahirap na ng buhay ngayon, kaya for a movie to make over P135 million in 3 days is a miracle. Divine intervention ito”.
    -lily monteverde (how stupid).
    😎

  8. Rio Mori // April 6, 2011 at 12:45 am //

    Bakit mas nauna pang ipapalabas sa atin kesa sa US?

  9. Louis Eugene Carabini // April 5, 2011 at 9:07 pm //

    These colors also represent the two feuding families of gnomes the Capulates and Montagues..On the blue side Gnomeo voiced by James McAvoy lives with his mother and the rest of his blue family where is reigns supreme and is looked up to whenever there is a battle with the reds. On the other side of the fence is the red gnomes with Juliet voiced by Emily Blunt being their pride and joy after her mother was smashed and the bully Tybalt voiced by Jason Statham who wants nothing more than to destroy the entire blue family..One night Juliet decides she has to prove herself to her father and and family and show that she is not as delicate as they all think.

  10. rio diaz // April 5, 2011 at 7:09 pm //

    i’ll watch this movie for sure!

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