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Sunday, April 10, 2011

Rio



A STILL FROM THE MOVIE 
Critic's Rating: 
Cast: Voices by Jesse Eisenberg, Anne Hathaway, Leslie Mann, Jamie Foxx, will.i.am
Direction: Carlos Saldanha
Genre: Animation
Duration: 1 hour 36 minutes
Readers Rating: 
More from Rio

Photogallery
Official Website
Fun family fare 

Story: Blu (Jesse Eisenberg) is a rare blue macaw who would like to be left alone in a cage as the pampered pet of his owner and best friend Linda (Leslie Mann) in a small town in Minnesota. But when an ornithologist informs Linda about the existence of a female macaw, Jewel (Anne Hathaway) in the jungles of Rio de Janiero, the desire to save the endangered species forces Blu out of his comfortable captivity into the inhospitable city of Rio. The fact that he can't fly is the least of Blu's problems as he learns to survive in nature's wilds with the balsy Jewel. Does the cage still beckon? 

Movie Review : There's bound to be chemistry when a city slicker macaw (Blu) meets a wild free bird (Jewel). The romance between Blu and Jewel does form the core of this high-spirited animation film. And that's because the characters acquire spunk and soul with the voice-overs of Jesse Eisenberg and Anne Hathaway. The constant sparring between the two oddballs gradually grows into a special bond as the chained-together birds seek survival in a city spilling over with bird kidnappers, evil cockatoos, wicked monkeys and a maddening carnival.

But apart from the love birds, there are a host of other characters who spice up the proceedings, like the super villainous Nigel, the friend and guide pelican, the drooling-bumbling bull dog and Blu's benevolent owner, Linda with her blossoming romance with the ornithologist.

Technically, the film is a feast with state-of-the-art animation. The jungles of South America and the sprawling city of Rio become a riot of colours, specially when the climax builds up during the carnival. The screenplay is witty and evokes many a chuckle, here and there. The star of the show however is Jesse Eisenberg who adds a whole lot of attitude to Blu, the urbane macaw, with his excellent voice-over.

A happy summer film, Rio is a rollicking invitation for some family fun. 

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