I never saw Rio in theaters, but flipping through channels one evening I stumbled over Rio and dined in to watch it. The vibrant color and the drum roll music is what stuck out most for me--I mean there were a few tunes I wanted to jump up to and start dancing.
With this in mind, I agreed to go see Rio 2 with a friend of mine. If Rio was about learning to fly, then Rio 2 soars. The film not only picks up neatly where the first left off, but it builds from a quartet into a full symphony. There is a fun cast of characters, some old and some new, and they play nice. There are a number of story arcs, but they're plaited snugly together without getting lost or dragging. Quite a feat. And once again the music is superb--I applaud you John Powell. So let's get into Rio 2.
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| Rio 2 poster from Wikipedia. |
The story
Rio 2 continues Blu's story as a domestic family bird happily mated to Jewel with three little personality-driven offspring; the brain, the troublemaker, and the aloof iPod one, no seriously. It's New Year's and the birds (oh, and people too) are celebrating while our human caretakers, Tulio and Linda, are out in the Amazon in ongoing bird research. They think they spy a Spix Macaw in the jungle and share this discovery on the news. Because, you know, they dispatch videographers to the middle of the Amazon for something an ornithologist and his wife were pretty sure they saw. The Blu family learn there might be more Spix Macaws in the wilds of the Amazon and they, along with Rafael (toucan), Nico (yellow canary), and Pedro (red-crested cardinal), fly 2,000 miles vacationer-sightseer Brazil style to where the blue macaw was sighted. We learn Nigel the cockatoo is still alive and out for revenge as well as come across a new villain running an illegal lumber operation precisely where Tulio and Linda are working. Even more precisely, the loggers are pushing toward a wild aviary stuffed with tropical birds of a familiar feather.
The message
Your family is your family whether they have fingers or feathers.
The characters
The Old
Blu - I'm pleased to find Blu is still awkward, but someone his kids can still look up to and his wife can love. He still smart and he shows off some new skills hacky-sacking blueberries. (Which comes in later in the best way.) But while he's still awkward, you can see he's progressed too as a bird in love with Jewel and a father. It makes him a rounded, lovable protagonist. He sets aside his own inhibitions and anxiety to take the family to the Amazon at Jewel's request to explore the possibility of there being others like them, which was the theme of the first movie serving these two as the last of their species. Blu is still uncertain, particularly of his place in the jungle, and it's fun to watch him fail while you know he's trying his best to adjust. His weakness becomes his strength later in the film and something to be respected. At one point, he's actually forced to choose between his family and his human family. Blu is an entertaining protagonist and it was wonderful to watch him grow.
Jewel - She was a bit of a spitfire in the first flick and while we see traces of that personality here, Jewel has turned to motherhood in the same way Blu has become a father. She still yearns for the wilds, understandably, and at the declaration there might be more of her kind, she's eager to get out there and know for herself. Particularly since the kids are eating pancakes (when she brought a Brazil nut home for breakfast), watching TV, and listening to iPods. Yes. iPods. I was actually a bit surprised to witness her subtle arguments with Blu, real spouses with real problems trying to sneak into this film, one gently going around the faults of the other, one wanting things their way, arguments on behalf of the kids' upbringing. I mean, is this a kid's film? Either way, it was fun to see Mama Jewel return to her natural habitat.
Nigel - He looked awful. Which is GREAT. I mean, the guy went through a propeller, of course he's going to look ratty and he DID. I give kudos to the creative director for not only making his plumage look terrible but taking away his ability to fly. Nigel not only has a great reason for hating Blu, but a flightless bird tailing able-bodied ones makes the antagonist's quest all that more difficult. I loved that his journey was so difficult. I loved that he's still a "pretty birdy" actor through and through, demeaning, and a little off. His "I Will Survive" rendition was a bucket of fun. I was almost rooting for him to succeed. Something I rarely say of villains.
Tulio - Our loveable birdbrain ornithologist is still as goofy as ever. Squawks like a pelican, sings like a canary; his work takes precedence as Linda paddles them down the Amazon River. I wouldn't believe his character to be anything more than cartoon-y except I had a professor who acted just like Tulio, endearing stutterer and lover of bird calls. People like Tulio exist. We don't see too much of Tulio, or Linda for that matter, but the bits we do are good for a laugh.
Linda - Blu's owner is still a Minnesota girl up a cree--Amazon--with a broken paddle. She's out of her element and it shows, much like Blu, but she and Tulio have some sweet and silly moments. You can see she cares about the native birds as much as her own Blu and she'll stand up for them at the risk of her own safety. She's braver than I when it comes to snakes. Respect.
The New
The kids - As I described earlier, we have Carla, the oldest and...iPod-wearing one. Ugh. Bia, the brain. And Tiago, the troublemaker. While the kids' individual traits are addressed through use at points in the film, I worry the film will date itself with the technology and hackneyed "this kid is the rabble rouser" and "this one is brilliant!" All in all, I feel the kids are a bit underdeveloped, but in truth, the film isn't about them so I don't expect them to be rounded. Carla gets to use her musical know how, Bia brings some facts to the stage, and Tiago entertains the other kids in the theater. They each have their job and they each perform it well. I'm relieved the voice actors also did a pretty good job acting as, well, kids.
Eduardo - I don't think I'm giving anything away when I say Eduardo is Jewel's father. He's your typical military dad, (buzzcut and all) good with kids but rough on his daughter's husband--except he actually takes his father-chief role seriously to train Blu to the nuances of the jungle. He plays many roles and he plays them well. He's soft with Jewel, a playful grandpa to the kids, a mentor to Blu, and a leader to the village. He's an incredibly rounded character and serious about protecting his family. I enjoyed every scene he was in.
Roberto - You don't even SEE him first. You HEAR him. And the first thing I thought was "...Prince?" (I apologize to all Bruno Mars fans.) Our Casanova of the bird world has the "hair," the song, and the moves. He comes off as a bit pretentious and full of himself and a possible disruption to Blu's happy family as an romantic interloper with Jewel, but we see him serve as watch and guard against any who are threats to the macaws. He also has a bit of a mental breakdown which was hilarious and added more dimension to his character.
Gabi - The poison dart frog. It's established right away this frog has a crush on Nigel and she faithfully follows this arc the entire movie. Her goals are Nigel's goals which gives her a bit more than just "I'm a stupid sidekick for you to kick around." While almost dramatic to the point of being over the top, I enjoyed her song. I loved how shiny her skin was--I could just feel the slickness on her. She was animated beautifully as well; bendy, bouncy, slick--everything a frog is. Much like Eduardo, I really loved every scene she was in.
The animation
Just watch this. Just watch this and tell me you won't see the movie.
Good lord. Watch it again. Go ahead, I'll wait.
All right, let me try to put this in words. Most movies are 2D. Yes, they're filmed (or animated) in three dimensions, but the action is 2D. The Matrix broke away from the "I shot you from across the room and you're dead" routine by actually picking apart the fabric of reality (albeit a software one). Then you have Rio, a movie about birds. Birds do not move like Mario. The x- and y-axis are there, but in Rio, you SEE the z. You see the z-axis in the beautifully choreographed musical numbers. You see the z-axis during Blu's "sightseeing" trip. You see the z-axis in the Pit of Doom. GOD I loved the Pit of Doom! I mean, you feel like you're actually a bird in some scenes. The action is tight, the colors pop but don't overwhelm, and the motion is smooth. Our jerky rescued bird at the beginning turns its head sharply, like birds do. I distinctly remember Blu hopping up on a table at Linda and Tulio's camp just like a bird would. It's sharp, fast, but elegant movements and the animators capture this beautifully.
And the dancing musical numbers are a microcosm of themselves. They're cinematic, they're symmetrical, they're just awesome to watch. I can watch one clip over and over and catch something new every time. Beautifully executed. Wonderfully done.
The music
THE MUSIC! John Powell, hats off all.
"What is Love" sucked me in right away with the party in Rio de Janeiro with its cabana drums, spunky guitar, and cheery vocals underscored by the background chorus--gives the music breadth and a full rich sound. Which I can only ever seem to achieve enclosed in a vehicle with the speakers blasting and the woofer up.
Gabi's "Poisonous Love" is just fun as we witness Gabi professing her love for Nigel and the clever use of shadows to steal a 'kiss.' Over-the-top, yes, but that's just this frog's character. She's small, but she has a huge presence.
"Beautiful Creatures" is, hands down, my favorite song of the movie. We have that full chorus again making the stage seem huge and the scene here is just fluid. Talking about that z-axis, I think I was the most immersed during this piece. The baseline is Rio, but there's an almost Australian Aboriginal flare to it too that transported me to Cairns instead of the Amazon. But that didn't distract me from the get-up-and-dance vibe I had to squash in the crowded theater.
"I Will Survive" --Feat. Nigel. What a card. Disco gets down in the jungle. I was tickled Nigel set aside his personal vendetta to relive his career as performer and he certainly performs for this song. I thoroughly enjoyed his rendition of this old classic.
Possible improvements
-I'm sorry but I draw the line at birds listening to iPods. If Carla was just listening to music, fine, but she doesn't have any ears for earbuds! How are those things staying up?! Is a feather strong enough to work the navigation? That iPod cord should have caught on every low branch she ever passed--ever! No. No iPod for Polly.
-I felt Linda's voice actress could have sounded angrier at Tulio for parts when she's upset with him. Her 'yelling' sort of sound like suggestions spoken loudly.
-I felt Nico and Pedro's presence was a bit of stretch. They were out to scout the jungle for music. Oh...kay? And while they brought some funny audition scenes to the film, I almost felt their being there was a bit out of place. I get the familiar faces tack, but not at the expense of the storyline.
-They put so much love in the detail for the birds--I was almost hoping our humans got a little more love for their features. They look kind of waxy and bowl-headed. Plain. The focus is on the birds and they do a magnificent job of that! And while the people look all right, I feel they could probably look a little better.
The verdict 4.5/5
Should you see Rio 2? Yes. If you enjoyed Rio then Rio 2 is a step up from its predecessor. The animation is top-notch, the story sprawls but isn't terribly convoluted, the songs are great, and some of the gags will even give mature audiences a chuckle. Take your family or treat yourself to this flight of fancy.
Happy Saturday.
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