Over the years, Blue Sky Studios has cranked out a steady stream of animated hits like 2002’s Ice Age and 2008’s Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who!– yet the company has struggled to earn the critical respect afforded to competitors Pixar and DreamWorks Animation. Rio hopefully marks a turning point for the studio, as the film, directed by Carlos Saldanha, is a fun and consistently entertaining piece of work that’s as enjoyable for adults as it is for kids.
Pros
- Strong voice performances
- Beautiful, colorful visuals
Cons
- Uneven midsection
- Overlong running time
Description
- Featuring the voices of Jesse Eisenberg, Leslie Mann, Rodrigo Santoro, Anne Hathaway, Tracy Morgan, Jamie Foxx, Jane Lynch, Wanda Sykes, and George Lopez
- Directed by Carlos Saldanha
- Rated PG for mild off color humor
- Blu-ray Release Date: August 2, 2011
Guide Review – ‘Rio’ Blu-ray Review
The Story
Blu (Jesse Eisenberg), a rare macaw, and Linda (Leslie Mann), a shy bookseller, have been living happily together in Minnesota for the past 15 years, after Linda rescued Blu from smugglers that ripped him from his family in the jungles of Rio de Janeiro. The pair’s idyllic existence is interrupted by a clumsy Brazilian named Tulio (Rodrigo Santoro), as the scientist wishes to return with Blu back to Rio – where Blu is to mate with a fellow macaw (Anne Hathaway’s Jewel) to save their species. Problems ensue after Blu and Jewel are kidnapped by evil smugglers, with the remainder of the film following the birds’ ongoing efforts at making their way to freedom.
The Bonus Features
It’s immediately clear that watching Rio on Blu-ray is a much more enjoyable and satisfying experience than watching it theatrically, as the film boasts an almost insanely bright visual sensibility that was diminished severely by the 3-D glasses in cinemas. In addition to the crystal-clear and jaw-dropping 1080p transfer, Rio boasts a number of tantalizing special features that more than justify a purchase.
Leading the charge of supplemental materials are a series of behind-the-scenes featurettes, starting with the 24-minute “Saving the Species: One Voice at a Time” – which explores the ins and outs of recording the various voices for the film’s dozens of roles. In the nine-minute “The Real Rio,” we’re treated to a look at the real-life locales that inspired many of the film’s scenes. There are also a pair of music-inspired featurettes, the 13-minute “Boom-Boom Tish-Tish: The Sounds of Rio” and the eight-minute “The Making of Hot Wings,” with the former offering up a broad overview of the movie’s music and the latter following will.i.am as he and Jamie Foxx work on one of the film’s musical numbers.
Next up are a pair of interactive features, “Explore the World of Rio” and “Carnival Dance-o-Rama,” with both offering up tidbits related to their respective subjects. Finally, the disc includes a deleted scene entitled “Fruit Stand,” a pair of music videos for “Welcome to Rio” and “Telling the World,” an option to immediately access all of the film’s musical numbers, a copy of the film’s theatrical trailer, and some bonus Angry Birds Rio content.