Recently, my family went to see an advanced screening of the 20th Century Fox 3D animated Rio – The Movie that opened domestically in theaters on Friday, April 15th. It doesn’t surprise me that the movie (from the creators of the popular Ice Age series) “flew” past its competitors to land the top weekend box office spot.
I won’t give away the entire plot since it is currently playing. Basically, Rio is a love story between two blue macaw birds. Kidnapped from his home when he was a baby bird, Blu is raised as a domestic bird in America by his loving owner Linda. Blu and Linda go to his birth home (Rio) in order to give Blu the opportunity to save his species by mating with the lone surviving female blue macaw, Jewel. There are many obstacles (including the female macaw’s initial disdain for the domesticated Blu, a kidnapping and more) that stand in the way. Will the two birds end up together? Well, you have to see the movie yourself in order to answer that question. (There are also sub-plots about a street boy in Rio and Linda finding love, but it will make more sense when you watch the movie.)
The bright cinematography is beautiful. In fact, the 3D animation is just a plus. If your kids don’t like wearing the glasses (like mine), I still think that they will equally enjoy the movie. I really loved the music in this movie too. It had us dancing in our seats…I want to learn samba! Take a glimpse for yourself:
Reggie and the kids really liked the movie also. They actually liked the sidekick birds (Pedro and Nico voiced by Will.i.Am and Jamie Foxx) and Luiz the drooling bulldog (Tracey Morgan) the most. They all did great voice work. ..especially with the singing.
Rio is one of those animated movies that everyone in the family will enjoy. That is why I highly recommend it!
(Post image courtesy of 20th Century Fox.)