Brazilian culture is renowned for its carefree, celebratory lifestyle, with Rio de Janeiro being one of the country’s most exciting destinations. Perhaps unfairly, in recent years the city has also gained a reputation as a haven for kidnappers and smugglers. These two contradictory facts accurately describe Rio – a slightly-above-average film about the adventures of a kidnapped bird in a colourful and vibrant city. The film itself is a bit of a contradiction too.
Blu (Jesse Eisenberg) is a blue macaw who as a baby is taken from the South American jungle by bird smugglers to be sold as an exotic pet in America. His crate falls off the truck in small-town Minnesota, where he is found and raised by Linda (Leslie Mann), who becomes his lifelong companion. Growing up in comfortable surroundings, Blu never learns to fly.
Adventure comes calling one day when Brazilian bird researcher Tulio (Rodrigo Santoro) arrives at Linda’s bookshop. He tells Linda that Blu is the last known male of his species, and requests that Blu travel to Rio to mate with the last female, Jewel (Anne Hathaway). Both Linda and Blu are reluctant to go, but are sensitive enough to the problem to change their minds.
They arrive in Rio just as the city prepares for the annual Carnival celebration. The initial meeting between Blu and Jewel doesn’t go well – she’s too busy trying to escape from the bird sanctuary, and he’s too pampered and fussy to be very interesting to her. (Apparently, “pet” is quite the insult in the animal kingdom.)
Then both birds are kidnapped by smugglers. (Again? Blu can’t catch a break here!) They escape, but have been chained together, and as they make their way across the city in search of someone who can separate them, they are pursued by the smugglers’ pet bird Nigel (Jemaine Clement) and a horde of monkeys. Linda and Tulio are actively searching for them as well.
Apart from the animal slant, there’s nothing new about this scenario, and very little happens here that feels surprising or unpredictable. You could be forgiven for nodding off in the film’s middle stretch. But there are some lively scenes and visual delights, particularly when director Carlos Saldanha (of the Ice Age films) shows us around Rio itself. The city is lovingly rendered, not just in the colourful spectacle of Carnival but also in the urban and surrounding landscape. A motorcycle chase entertains not just with action but also its depiction of the city’s bustle, and scenes of flying among the hills surrounding the city could very well be re-used as tourism promotions.
There is also a good deal of music, quite appropriate for a film in these surroundings. The soundtrack has the requisite salsa beat, and additional song-and-dance numbers performed by the cast recall the vibe of the classic Disney musicals, even if they aren’t as memorable. Musician will.i.am and Jamie Foxx contribute a love song, and also play smart-talking comic relief characters Pedro and Nico.
It’s a pity the story couldn’t be more interesting, but Rio is a movie that is a bit more than the sum of its parts.
Tags: movie review
About the author: David Raitt
David Raitt is a writer and lover of pop culture. He lives in Oakville. He has also worked as an actor for The Second City, and has written, produced and performed his own sketch comedy, including the Canadian Comedy Award-nominated ALL THE RAGE. Semi-retired from performing, he still teaches improv and communications skills to students and corporate groups through his association with The Second City. Check out Dave's website at http://davidraitt.com
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