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Title: Rio
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| CONSUMER ADVICE |
Parents, this movie is recommended for all ages. |
If there’s one thing a movie like “Rio” proves it’s that celebrities sometimes DO make a difference in animation! I’m not exactly one who wants to see a star get hired to voice a character simply because they’re a star who can sell it, I want that voice to add to the film. In “Rio” we get not one, not two, but no less than FOUR voice overs that are so crucial to the characters, that if they weren’t in it I suspect I’d have liked this film less! It’s not like it’s a great film by any means. The story about a rare Spix Macaw named Blu is not of real originality. The story goes that he is the last male bird of his species, and that scientists have found the one female. If the two can get together and mate they can...you know, save their species.
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There’s just two problems. The first problem is that the female bird Jewel is not taken into Blu’s nerdiness or domestication (she calls him “pet” before spitting). The second problem is that the two birds are captures by bounty hunters who plan the sell the birds to a collector of some sort. They chain the two together before they have the chance to escape and...ah, I see you all know where this is going. True love wins, lots of fun misunderstandings, and there’s even a cool musical number or two thrown in the mix. Well, to the films credit, it IS a children’s film! And a good looking one too. There are lots of bright colors, perfectly choreographed musical numbers, and a dog that slobbers a lot to great comedic effect.
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It’s also inoffensive (the studio edited it down from a PG to a G). It’s the kind of film you can bring your kids to without fear of having to explain too much. What helps for the adults is the aforementioned performances. Jesse Eisenberg, Anne Hathaway, George Lopez, and Tracey Morgan all have big and small roles in these films, and they play them so well you can’t imagine the characters any other way. It was either a stroke of luck or a stroke of genius, but the voice cast just plain works. Eisenberg gives main character Blu a fast talking nerdish voice, but also plays off his more confident aspects (and advantages he has to being domesticated for so long). Anne Hathaway voices Jewel and provides lots of spunk, but also a hint of vulnerability that works.
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George Lopez and Tracey Morgan are here largely for comedic effect, but their voices seem perfect for cartoon characters. Other actors like Jamie Foxx, Leslie Mann, and Jemaine Clement also provide good supporting performances, but they look like a bunch of chimps in comparison to the other actors. Watching this along with “Rango” this year proves once more that the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences should make some awards to honor vocal work. It’s getting too good to ignore. That aside, the movie is still a children’s film at heart, and expectations should be met accordingly. If out on a date I still think “Rango” is the better film of the two. But if that movie was a little too rough for the young ones, then “Rio” comes highly recommended as a great alternative.
Note: The film is being shown in 3D in most places. While a fan of the format, this movie doesn’t utilize 3D to much visual effect, and families on a budget might want to see the film in 2D and save on the surcharge money.
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