Colorful and energetic, but ultimately lacking in heart

Rating: 5/10 (16 April 2011)

Director Carlos Saldanha and the other creative minds behind the "Ice Age" franchise, have come up with a vibrant new animal centric CGI effort featuring the colorful birds of Brazil. And even the annoying vocalizations of Tracy Morgan and Will i. am do not detract from the fun - too much.
"Rio," written by Saldanha and Don Rhymer, tells the tale of a dispossessed blue Mackaw, Blu (voiced by Jesse Eisenberg, "Zombieland," "The Social Network") captured in Rio de Janeiro transported to the states and found by a little girl, Linda, in Minnesota. She grows up and Blu, used to the domesticated life, is perfectly content until Brazilian ornithologist Tulio (Rodrigo Santoro) arrives to inform her that Blu is the last male of his species.
Guilt-ridden, Linda agrees to accompany Tulio back to Rio to mate her pet to the last female, Jewel (Anne Hathaway, "Love and Other Drugs"). Of course, complications arise when an unscrupulous exotic bird smuggler and his evil cockatoo henchman, Nigel (Jermaine Clement), capture the feathered pair. Like any number of films like this, the mismatched human duo must now unite to save their animal counterparts.
Meanwhile, other supporting characters line up on both sides. Giving aid and comfort to Blu and Jewel include a toucan, Rafael (George Lopez), a canary, Nico (Jamie Foxx), a fat pigeon rapper (Will i.am) and a misplaced bulldog (Tracy Morgan). Joining up with the smuggler is a gaggle of fierce but inept monkeys.
Despite the assistance, the two heroes are ultimately left to save themselves. Flightless and pampered, Blu must also prove himself a worthy companion to the bold and confident Jewel, something that does not come easily.
The artists behind this movie certainly create a wild and brilliant eye-pleasing adventure. The rhythms and hues of this South American escapade are wonderful to behold and the tunes are fairly enjoyable, from Lionel Ritchie to Jamie Foxx to an irritating rap by Will i.am.
The problem is the story. We've seen this domesticated animal returns to their primitive roots premise before in "Madagascar," "The Wild" and, most recently, "Rango." Blu also plays the same old spoiled nerd fish-out-of-water character who somehow learns a lifetime of instinct and savvy in a few minutes in an attempt to capture the unattainable female of the species.
The pacing is frenetic and the human characters take a backseat the the the feathery and furry stars of the picture. That' fine, though, because Linda and Tulio are fairly non-descript, anyhow.
Smaller children will most likely get a big kick from the vast and sparkling colors - especially the Carnival finale. Older kids and adults may chuckle at a few situations, but overall may find the going a bit tedious, particularly when the obligatory bird-brained moral life lessons hit like a splat on the windshield of a freshly washed automobile.