Rio - (April 15, 2011): G
Distributor: 20th Century Fox
Opening Weekend Box-Office: #1 with $39,225,962
Domestic Box-Office Gross to-date: $89,227,015
Gross Revenue: $316,417,691
Budget: $90 million
Director: Carlos Saldanha
If you really think about it, the willingness of A-list actors to include themselves in the voice-cast of an animated feature isn’t that surprising…what better way to be immortalized than to be associated with an animated character that will be adored by children for generations? That being said though, the immortal status of these characters doesn’t automatically guarantee a high-quality film, a fact that I have been particularly vocal about in my past reviews. Still, despite the fact that it has yet to reach the track-record and reputation of Disney-Pixar, Blue Sky Studios has had a number of past successes, such as the Ice Age series, Robots (2005) and Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who!(2008). With an aggressive marketing campaign, 20th Century Fox was clearly shooting for another powerhouse franchise, attaching the trailer to a number of films and partnering with Rovio Mobile to promote a licensed version of the wildly popular Angry Birds game. As a fan of both Jesse Eisenberg and Hathaway, I was curious to see what they could accomplish together as animated characters, and with the trailers highlighting some clever jokes, I actually found myself very excited for Rio.
The central character of Rio is a neurotic Spix Macaw named Blu (Eisenberg), who was taken from the wild in his youth, and has since been raised and domesticated by the kind-hearted human Linda (Leslie Mann). Once it is discovered that Blu is the last male of his kind, Linda brings him to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where it is hoped that he will mate with the last female of his kind…the free-spirited and sarcastic Jewel (Hathaway). Unfortunately, the rare status of these two animals leads to them quickly being stolen by smugglers, and even though they eventually escape from confinement, their efforts towards freedom are hampered by the fact that they are chained together and Blu is unable to fly. Being chased by one of the smuggler’s sadistic Cockatoo, Nigel (Flight of the Concord's Jermaine Clement), Blu and Jewel seek help from the friendly toucan, Rafael (George Lopez), the musical Cardinal and Canary team of Pedro (Will.i.am) and Nico (Jamie Foxx), and the lovably dimwitted Bulldog, Luiz (Tracy Morgan). With the upcoming celebration of Carnivale contributing to the hectic surrounding environment, Blu and Jewel’s attraction to each other only grows as they work together to evade their pursuers and find their way to safety.
The above plot description may sound a little overly convoluted, but this shortcoming is easily forgiven in light of the fantastic characters that populate the film and are brought to life by the voice-cast. Blu channels far more of the neurotic charm that made Eisenberg famous with Zombieland than the smug overconfidence he exuded in The Social Network, while Hathaway’s Jewel allows the actress to demonstrate a surprising capacity for humor and sarcasm; together, despite the apparent mismatch, the two make a surprisingly sweet and endearing couple. Like I expected, George Lopez and Tracy Morgan were funny, but the real surprises came from other members of the cast; not only did Jamie Foxx and Will.i.am end up delivering a surprising amount of clever jokes, but they also contributed a significant style to the soundtrack. As I write this review, I have the upbeat songs from Rio playing in the background; catchy music weaved into the storyline and sung by the actual characters is an element that has been conspicuously absent from recent animated films, and Rio brings it back in such way that rivals many of Disney’s musical classics. With this effective blend of romantic chemistry, humor, and music, Rio is a surprisingly strong entry in the animated genre that is sure to please audiences young and old alike.
Given how much I enjoyed Rio, there really aren’t that many criticisms that I have concerning the film. If anything, I would say that a few of the characters are largely unnecessary to the overall story; in addition to those mentioned in the above plot synopsis, there is also a young boy and a fellow researcher who aid Linda in her search for Blu, but they are almost instantaneously forgettable and easily overshadowed by the other dominant personalities present. And for as funny as Rio is, there were some jokes that definitely fell flat trying to pander a little too strongly to younger audience members; I’m sure some kids might actually resent the patronizing manner in which some of the humor comes off…luckily the most common culprit of this misstep is one of the forgettable characters. Now, I have gotten used to criticizing the wasted use of 3D technology in most films, but it actually works quite well with the expansive environments and chase scenes that populate Rio…it is well worth forking over a few extra bucks to watch Blu and Jewel fly towards you. So, other than a few forgivable shortcomings, this latest family comedy remains a largely enjoyable animated film that you can just sit back and enjoy.
By all accounts, given the box office performance of Rio, 20th Century Fox has a long and lucrative animated franchise to look forward to cultivating as a supplement for the Ice Age series (on a side note, a small and enjoyable teaser for the new Ice Age featuring that awesome prehistoric squirrel Scrat does accompany the opening previews). Rio took in almost $40 million it’s opening weekend, more than enough to claim the title of strongest opening for 2011, and in two weeks, international receipts have contributed to a total box office haul of over $300 million; that’s more than enough to cover the $90 million production budget. Critics have been raving about Rio, and I really don’t see momentum for the film slowing down; despite the numerous offerings of the upcoming Summer Movie Season, Rio won’t face any direct competition in the family segment until Kung Fu Panda 2 hits theaters on May 26th. If you have been disappointed with recent animated offerings, Rio is sure to pick up your spirits, and at the very least I guarantee that you will be humming the soundtrack for weeks; unfortunately the best song is only available as “Album Only”…damn you iTunes!!! While it may not tug at the heart strings as much as Toy Story 3 (indeed, few films do), Rio remains a smart and surprising animated adventure that is a definite must-see.
Overall Recommendation: Very High
