Rio 2 (2014)

Sequels are tricky propositions - it's hard to find creative freedom and joy in an enterprise clearly geared towards bringing in ever more heaps of cash. For every glorious Toy Story sequel, there's Cars 2 or yet another lacklustre installment in the Ice Age franchise. Fortunately for Blue Sky Studios, Rio 2 is frequently excellent, a sunny, cheerful reprise of a hit movie that finds its own grace notes.

Blu (voiced by Jesse Eisenberg), everyone's favourite domesticated macaw, is happily married to Jewel (Anne Hathaway) after their adventures in the first film. Worried that their three beautiful children are becoming too city-bound, Jewel entreats Blu to take the family to the Amazon to connect with their roots. Once in the jungle, Jewel discovers that she and Blu aren't the only surviving adult blue macaws in the world after all: she reconnects with her family, including her dad Eduardo (Andy Garcia) and childhood friend Roberto (Bruno Mars). Suddenly, Blu is the odd one out, and must desperately try to fit into a wild, raucous world that seems to have no place for him and his civilised ways.

There's almost too much happening in Rio 2: apart from Blu's family troubles, the macaw tribe's haven in the jungle is under threat from a ruthless logging company. Fan favourite Nigel (Jemaine Clement) - the most puffed-up, actorly, diabolical cockatoo you'll ever meet - returns to take revenge upon his nemesis, Blu, with poisonous tree frog Gabi (Kristin Chenoweth) in tow. As per the first film, Rio 2 also packs its soundtrack with joyful, high-energy numbers - which is explained away by Nico (Jamie Foxx) and Pedro (will.i.am) auditioning jungle denizens for a spot in the upcoming Rio Carnival.

What's so impressive about this film is how it manages to make all the disparate elements of its overstuffed plot work. Powered by a loopy, irrepressible charm, Rio 2 dashes from scene to scene, but doesn't forget to pack in moments that range from affecting (Jewel's tender lullaby Don't Go Away) to absurd (Blu's GPS charting the route to Funky Town). The characters in any given sequel are usually the first to get lost in the shuffle, but they each get moments to shine here. Blu's connection with his human companion Linda (Leslie Mann) isn't the focus of this film, but nevertheless makes itself felt in the final act. The relationship between Blu and Jewel is also beautifully heartfelt, dealing with ideas of compromise and growth after the honeymoon is long over.

There's even room for a new breakout character. The shock of delight provided by Nigel in the first film - so gleefully subversive a villain - is largely eroded here, and he comes off more as a determined buffoon than anything else. But he's ably matched by the amorous Gabi, whose hopeless adoration of Nigel is channelled into two of the film's highlights: Poisonous Love, an overblown ballad with several hints of The Phantom Of The Opera; and a wacky, wonderfully rearranged rendition of Gloria Gaynor's I Will Survive.

Unwieldy though its plot may be, Rio 2 breezes through it all with cheeky energy and eye-wateringly glorious animation. But what makes Rio 2 as good as - if not better than - its predecessor is director Carlos Saldanha's understanding that losing sight of his characters will only damage the film. And so, amidst the tumult of mid-air football games and swooping aerial dance formations, Saldanha roots everything in the big, loving hearts of Blu and his extended

Fmovies: Review: I did prefer the original Rio because of the catchy tunes, but that's not to say that this is a bad movie. The storyline was quite good and the animation looked brilliant. The vibrant colours and the attention to detail was spot on but the jokes weren't as funny as the original. I liked some scenes like the auditions and some of the songs and the new characters were a great addition to the cast. The main problem that I found with the film was that it seemed like there was a lot going on at once. You've got the humans taking down the forest and the main character, Blue, trying to convince his wife that there old life was better than life in the Amazon. Then you've got a human couple who are trying to explore the Amazon and get caught up with thugs who don't want there operation interrupted. Anyway, when you put all of these elements together, it does make a good movie that must have taken a lot of work from the creators, but for some unknown reason, the simpler original was more enjoyable. 

Round-Up: This movie really does have some top names used as the voices of the characters. From Jesse Eissenberg, who seems to be in form at the moment, to Anne Hathaway and Andy Garcia who voices Eduardo, all the characters really do work together. Even Jamie Foxx, Bruno Mars, Tracy Morgan and Will.I.Am bring some urban flavour to the movie which really works as the comedy element. Anyway, on a whole, it's a great watch for the kids and there is some jokes for the adults which makes it fun for the whole family. Judging by the box office takings, I'm sure that were going to see a 3rd instalment of the birds on there adventures.

Budget: $103million Worldwide Gross: $496million (WOW!)

I recommend this movie to people who were fans of the first Rio and who are into there animation movies about birds saving the Amazon. 6/10

As a sequel to the 2011 original, Rio 2 continues in the tradition of its older sibling with screwball humor and madcap mischief. While maintaining a pedigree for celebrating song and dance through a kaleidoscopic burst of colors, Rio 2 is gorgeously rendered but offset by a clichéd script that is also laced with classroom lecture.

This sequel begins in Rio de Janeiro where our feathered friends Blu and Jewel (Jesse Eisenberg and Anne Hathaway) discover that they are not the last of their species after all. Along with their three kids, they leave Rio and fly to the Amazonian rain forest where an entire flock of blue macaws was reportedly spotted. As it turns out, the flock exists and is headed by Jewel's long lost father Eduardo (Andy Garcia) and guarded by her old flame Roberto (Bruno Mars). Now reduced to a stuttering parrot, Blu must man-up to his overzealous father-in-law (think Robert De Niro in Meet the Parents) while thwarting Roberto's attempts (think Owen Wilson in Meet the Parents) at charming Jewel. Meanwhile, Blu's nemesis Nigel (Jemaine Clement) has resurfaced and is all out for revenge.

Come school days and kids will have plenty of reason to mimic their favorite characters. From human characters voiced by Rodrigo Santoro and Leslie Mann, to Blu's crooning friends Nico (Jamie Foxx), Pedro (Will.i.am), everyone is back for a second round of slapstick shenanigans. And joining the old cast are some feisty new voice talents including Kristin Chenoweth as Gabi, a poisonous dart-frog so obsessed with Nigel, you could even think of her as his psycho girlfriend. Haunted by a disastrous turn of events in the first movie, Nigel himself is loonier than before with a thespian swagger that pokes fun at none other than the Bard of Avon. Speaking of which, lookout for a hilarious scene aimed at adults where Nigel and Gabi find themselves dramatizing one of Shakespeare's greatest plays. While many such segments are genuinely funny, the story strays at times with subplots from deforestation to male bonding, before stepping into a puddle of teary-eyed melodrama. Kids laughed and adults clapped, but there were periods of silence too, and I am not referring to those brief scenes where death was implied.

Emerging as a game changer in animated films, Blue Sky Studios, a subsidiary of 20th Century Fox, struck gold with its very first feature production – Ice Age (2002). It's been tunneling through a gold mine ever since. While Rio 2 might seem like a cash cow for some viewers, it is still a delightful animation with foot-tapping music to get your groove on. And like a Gloria Gaynor hit song performed by Clement's Nigel, there is every reason to believe this sequel will survive.

Rio 2 fmovies. Story: The story here suffers from too many subplots, and a lack of focus. It also doesn't help that all the subplots here are generic. This would would kill a film......if it was made by someone like Pixar or Studio Ghibli. But since this film's plot isn't the main focus, or why audiences watched the 1st Rio, then the bad story doesn't really hurt this film as much as it could've been. But it's still a bad story nonetheless. 4/10

Animation: It's beautiful, gorgeous, colorful, and worth watching on Blu-ray or Blu-ray 3D. 10/10

Characters And Comedy: All characters here follow standard archetypes we all know of, but Nigel and Gabi serve as the most original and most entertaining. Comedy is solid with some funny moments in the film. 6/10

Sound: Good score and amazing soundtrack. Love the songs here more than Frozen, but none really hit the heights of Hot Wings from the 1st. Although some of the songs do come close. 9/10

Acting And Casting: All actors/actresses do a good job voicing their roles, especially with Jesse E. as the voice of Blu. I'm also surprised Bruno Mars didn't suck. 7/10

Verdict: Don't watch this film for the story. Watch it like you would a Madagascar film and just sit back, relax, and enjoy an entertaining family film with some beautiful animation, good comedy, and amazing songs.

Extra: +1 for being a sequel I enjoyed.

Rating: 8/10

For a more in-depth review (stupid 1000 word limit), check out my Metacritic review: http://www.metacritic.com/user/DemonicSoul?myscore- filter=Movie

The central message of family over tech is good and all, but if you look at the way its brought together, it makes you question the movie's moral code.

Look at the events. first, the movie seems simple, a family trip to visit the mother's relatives, however as the movie goes on it becomes clear that the mother never really intended for this to just be a trip. She clearly wants to stay and raise her children inside her colony and though this isn't an outright bad idea, the sneaky way she goes about it makes be really question her character. As I watched I even started going back to the first movie and realized that given the sequence of events, she could be rethinking her entire marriage.

Not only that but throughout the movie Blue himself really is picked on for a lot of things that simply weren't his fault and is subsequently treated as if they were done deliberately. From the berries to the sports game and seeking approval from Jewel's father. Jewel should know what kind of husband she has and while I fully accept trying to help someone better themselves, It very much seems like she is literally trying to make him into something that is much more like her old boyfriend. Which affects Blue's self-esteem.

Then there are the poachers who could have been left out to tell the truth. Nigel was already here and the poachers seem very after though. I mean when Blue encounters the poachers and just up and decides that he doesn't need humans anymore than I really don't understand anything. Was his blatant love for his owner and society really so fickle that meeting this one group of bad people could change that. Made even more stupid by the fact that he almost immediately does an 180 and goes back to loving humans again, making the first freak out even more confusing.

There are a lot of horrible plot holes and clichés I can also complain about, but I'll just finish with simply stating that the original was great and didn't need a sequel, especially not thi one.

As someone who loved the first film, while the advertising was not the best it didn't put me off seeing Rio 2. And it was very enjoyable, not as good as the original but it is an example of animated sequels that do work. The story and the pacing are uneven here, with the film getting off to a slightly slow start and feeling rushed in other places, though you do have to admire the energy there is. There are plenty of fun parts with the second half far more compelling than the first and the film rarely has a dull moment, but structurally it is on the thin side and content-wise it feels overstuffed. However, if you want lots of colour, catchy music, fun and good characters and voice acting, Rio 2 very like its predecessor doesn't disappoint. The animation is amazing with lots of vibrant detail especially in the backgrounds and nothing looks hurried or static. The colours are even more brighter and colourful than the first film too. The music has that Brazilian flavour and the songs are incredibly catchy. Don't Go Away is a very touching song, but the highlights are the pizazz-personified Poisonous Love and the hilarious rap version of I Will Survive(thought I'd never say this, can't stand rap on the most part). While the film does feel overstuffed, the content is actually really good, dialogue-wise it's smartly written and has a fair amount of heart while the gags provide plenty of laughs with sharp timing, the best being the soccer match, the jungle auditions and any scene(the Romeo and Juliet part in particular) with Gabi and Nigel. The characters are still engaging, Blu and Jewel are likable lead characters though they had more to do in the first one and Nigel has that menacing streak but is a riot. There are some great new characters as well, with Gabi as good a character as and in some cases even better the original ones. The voice acting adds to that, Jemaine Clement and Kristen Chenoweth are both phenomenal helped by that they have the film's best moments, though Jesse Eisenberg, Anne Hathaway, Andy Garcia and everybody else acquit themselves more than fine too. To conclude, a good sequel to a great original, enjoyed it a lot and when it comes to animated sequels there is definitely much worse(ie. Secret of NIMH 2). 7/10 Bethany Cox