A wonderful and infectious animation that can lift anyone's spirits!

Rating: 9/10 (13 April 2011)

I have been looking forward to Rio ever since seeing the funny orange advert of it. My expectation for this animation were exceedingly high and I am pleased to say it more than delivered. The basic synopsis basically consists of a blue macaw called Blue (Jesse Eisenberg) who is domesticated is looked after by kind book shop owner Linda (Leslie Mann). One day their happy lives are altered by the arrival of a Brazil ornithologist who tells them that Blue is the last male macaw of his kind and is in danger of being extinct. He proposes that Blue come to Rio De Janiero to mate with beautiful female macaw called Jewel (Anne Hathaway). Linda is persuaded and her and Blue go, but when there Jewel takes a disliking to Blue (he can't fly) and soon he and her are captured by poachers who want to sell them for money. Eventually they escape to the jungle to try and get free from each other (as they are chained to one another) as Jewel wants to fly free on her own and Blue wants to get back to Linda. Meanwhile her and the ornithologist try and track them down with the help of young boy Fernando (Jake T Austin).
On Blue and Jewels journey they come up against evil cuckatoo Nigel (Jemaine Clement) and other colourful bird characters who help them like Nico (Jamie Fox), Pedro (voiced by Black Eyed Peas member, Will i Am), Rafael (George Lopez) and bulldog Luiz (Tracy Morgan). As they journey Blue and Jewel predictably warm to each other as the film reaches it's climax.
Some of the small gripes I really had with Rio, which stopped me giving this a ten is the fact you don't really emotionally connect to the characters as the film dosen't really have heart or any deep meaningful message like the Toy Story films or Up. However I certainly felt a fondness for the characters and yes the story narrative is predictable (as people have pointed out) of Blue and Jewel being together and triumphing over Nigel and the poachers. But most animations are anyway like Toy Story and Up, they all have happy endings, so I don't think that should really be a criticism for Rio.
But I loved everything else, the 3D (which was excellent) was used to magnificent effect and made the visual animation (at top quality I might add) an even more exhilarating experience with the different plants and birds, it was very colourful and vibrant with some breathtaking scenery of Rio itself. The voice-over acting was top-notch. Eisenberg superbly voices Blue, which kept me entertained, with some funny moments and even Anne Hathaway is great (after her disastrous performances in films of recent) at voicing Jewel as being a fierce and independent bird but eventually warming up to Blue. Leslie Mann lends to Linda an endearing quality, Jermaine Clement is terrific voicing Nigel and is very funny whenever he is on screen, whilst the other voice-over actors Tracy Morgan as dog Luiz and Will i Am, Jamie Fox and George Lopez provide great comic support and make the most of the time their characters have.
What I also like was the script, which was refreshingly witty with in particular Blue and Nigel getting some great one liners. This made the film hilarious in parts as it was generally funny all the way through. The songs as well were well sung and had an infectious joy to them, but the whole film had that and as a result even though there is no emotional depth or substance in terms of any messages for kids. (like Toy Story 3) It is still great fun and the bottom line is kids will absolutely love this, whilst adults will find plenty to enjoy. It's suitable for the whole family. It certainly beats Rango the other animation I saw a couple of weeks ago (it wasn't as funny and was not suitable for kids as it was too intelligent) with western references they wouldn't and even I could not comprehend as I don't watch a lot of them.
In the end Rio is a animation that I loved and can appeal to everyone. If anyone out there for whatever reason is in a sad or angry mood, seeing this for an hour and a half should certainly lift your spirits. Rio is the most wonderful animation to come out since Toy Story 3 last year. Long may the film's infectious joy and spirit last.