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Rio: The Movie


Nepenthe

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Director: Carlos Saldanha

Writer: Don Rhymer, Joshua Sternin,

Studio: Blue Sky Studios

Cast: Jessie Eisenberg, Anne Hathaway, George Lopez, Jermaine Clement, Tracey Morgan, will.i.am, Jamie Foxx

Release Dates: April 8 (BRZL), April 15 (NA)

Blu is a domesticated Macaw who never learned to fly' date= living a comfortable life with his owner and best friend Linda in the small town of Moose Lake, Minnesota. Blu and Linda think he's the last of his kind, but when they learn about another Macaw who lives in Rio de Janeiro, they head to the faraway and exotic land to find Jewel, Blu's female counterpart. Not long after they arrive, Blu and Jewel are kidnapped by a group of bungling animal smugglers. With the help of street smart Jewel, and a group of wise-cracking and smooth-talking city birds, Blu escapes. Now, with his new friends by his side, Blu will have to find the courage to learn to fly, thwart the kidnappers who are hot on their trail, and return to Linda, the best friend a bird ever had.

Video:

Soundtrack

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- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JK_Lg8P7PU - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DZy8ZLZDrk&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRYmodT42Rs&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iukUv8ZRGAQ&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfc6dCjqGC0&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=129HusoA8Qk&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1HXuQJVt84&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL - Bonus- Forro da Fruta

Images

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So yeah, it comes out this Friday for us Americans. Am I the only one remotely interested in seeing it? It's not aiming for Pixar-level storytelling, sure, but it's been getting good critical reviews since last week, has drop-dead gorgeous animation, and the soundtrack is kick-ass. It promises to be a fun matinée, eons better than what I had to sit through last week with Hop.

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I am planning to see this. Been top of my movies to see list for a while.

Though to be fair, Angry Birds is how I found out about it.

I plan to watch it before the end of this week at least.

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I've seen just about every commercial and promotion for this and I have yet to see one thing that makes me want to see it. Doesn't really look funny at all.

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Looks like more CGI talking animals singing and dancing and making unfunny jokes.

Sorry, it's just not appealing to me.

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If it's any consolation to people torn about seeing it, the critics have been very kind to it; positive reviews have been steadily pouring in since last week, and in an era where distributors hold off on pre-screenings until the 11th hour to stall bad word of mouth, this is a great sign. The confidence in the product is fantastic and the production values are through the roof. It's not going to be Up, sure, but I think it'll definitely be fun, something easily worthy of a matinée price.

Besides, the only other thing competing with it is Scream 4 of all things. =/

Edited by Nepenthe
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This just seems like your standard CGI talking animal movie to me, and so far none of the films promotion's are changing my view on it.

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Not interested, I don't think I'll be able to watch any other CGI film considering how great Rango was(In my opinion it was.)

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I'm interested, if only because this is the first bona-fide foreign CGI film I've heard of that isn't Japanese. Also, to be honest, Ice Age and Robots were actually pretty good.

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This is actually a must watch for me. :P

I've seen some previews for it but luckily for me I don't watch TV much. :P It looks interesting.

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It makes me think of Happy Feet....

That was my thought, too, that it was Happy Feet meets Surfs Up. I liked both movies, but I don't need to see either done over again.

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This just seems like your standard CGI talking animal movie to me, and so far none of the films promotion's are changing my view on it.

Agreed. It looks to be as boring, dry, and unfunny as any other CGI movie with talking animals out there. At least, that's how they are in my opinion. They've never really caught my attention too much, but if anyone here is into those kind of movies, more power to you

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Not sure. I liked the bare-bones ugly grittiness of Rango, but Rio could just be another CGI film about "talking animals that do wacky things." I like substance with my movies.

I am sure glad I did not see Hop or go with my father to see Mars Needs Moms. *shudders*

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Well, yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum to you naysayers. If I were to dismiss every film that came out of Hollywood nowadays as being nothing more than part of its subgenre and that everything I watched needed to make me cry and re-evaluate my life or else it wasn't worth the time, even if the film had good reviews, well, I'd miss a lot of good entertainment, now would I? And so would you; I'm pretty sure you lot's movie list for the year isn't filled with nothing but lovingly-crafted autueristic pieces from independents who constantly break traditional boundaries and speak about the human condition. No indeed; You're going to go watch Thor, Pirates 4, and Kung Fu Panda 2, and you're gonna fucking like them all. tongue.gif

But I do not despair! I shall watch Rio opening day in the high hopes that it delivers in spades on at least purely aesthetic level and that mayhaps I leave with a newfound appreciation of the so-called "boring talking animal" cast. We shall see! *shakes fist*

Also, be very glad you didn't see Hop. Starts out a bit promising but nosedives like a Launchpad McQuack red-eye flight.

Edited by Nepenthe
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The title immediately makes me think of Madagascar. That, and the fact that George Lopez is in it (they think that's selling point?) are serious turnoffs.

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I am sure glad I did not see Hop or go with my father to see Mars Needs Moms. *shudders*

That movie looked a flop from the beginning and completely deserves the poor reputation it got.

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The only thing Rio is guilty of is being poorly advertised, and I hope that Word of Mouth can convince some of the naysayers to give it a try.

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be very glad you didn't see Hop. Starts out a bit promising but nosedives like a Launchpad McQuack red-eye flight.

Yeah the trailer with the CG bunny craping jelly beans told me all that I needed to know.

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Meh, looks like a fusion of Bolt (domesticated animal breaks out of sheltered lifestyle to the outside world to find his/her owner) and Alpha and Omega (two animals of the same species traveling together and eventfully become a romantic couple.)

I'll politely pass.

Edited by DragonSoul
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Even I as a bird enthusiast, as they are my favorite animal, didn't seem to take a liking to it at all. I'm not sure what it is but it didn't look very appealing to me when I first heard about it. Of the CGI animal movies I have seen, "Madagascar," "Ice Age," and "Happy Feet," I only didn't like the latter.

The reviews it's been getting is making me reconsider my initial opinion and take a chance at it, as the prospect of it actually being good is getting me interested in wanting check it out. The short clip that I saw, the one with the hand glider in the beach, just looked "alright," but I can see some potential in the concept of the film. Have to see more of it to have a better judgment on it though.

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As promised, I did indeed see the film today, happily to a mostly-empty theater and reduced ticket prices; swag. <3

The short of it: Excellent animation, a wonderfully-realized and surprisingly accurate location, good characterization and music, predictable yet emotional storyline.

The long of it:

-- The two macaw leads, Blu and Jewel, are an excellent pair. While Blu is the fish-out-of-water, he's not completely reliant on street-wise Jewel; While she hammers into him the dangers of human contact and keeps him on his toes, he debates the positives of domestication while teaching her to properly run, climb, and open cages, all whilst sharing generic trivia. They're well-realized characters considering, although Blu's nerdiness and attempts to woo Jewel make him the easy favorite.

-- The rest of the cast is ultimately solid. Rafael the toucan is a great addition, a family man who moves the plot and proves a great mediator without being obnoxious; Lopez is at his best. Nico and Pedro are generic side kicks who aid in the various problems as best they can, though will.i.am proves to be surprisingly funny as Pedro. Luiz the bulldog is an even-more minor sidekick whose appeal will depend on whether or not you like Tracy Morgan. But the worst of the lot is ornithologist Tulio whose love of birds manifests into an annoying obsession; you will hate him.

-- Rio itself is perfectly realized. The environments are spectacular; aerial shots and atmospheric lighting abound. Citizens and even main characters either speak proper Portuguese, are accented, or are bilingual, and the former partake in normal Brazilian activities such as watching soccer with the family or going to market. The poverty of the city is also subtly hinted at both in specific locations and with a minor protagonist in the form of an orphaned boy. Overall, great care was taken into presenting Rio in its best, most convincing light.

-- The film is partly musical to be in line with its South American/Carnival themes. These sequences are few and far in-between, serving as emotional or narrative aids, and are great technical showcases in choreography and lighting. The actual music itself is well-done and catchy, able to compete with Disney. Overall, these sequences are probably the greatest highlights of the whole film, specifically the "Hot Wings" scene featuring Foxx, will.i.am, and Hathaway.

-- The story starts out a bit slow but picks up pace as minor conflicts are quickly introduced and resolved. Overall, it doesn't aim for original or thought-provoking narrative; general results can be predicted which may prove tiring to adults. Alternatively, the film succeeds best as a playful spectacle, relying on its characters, their conflicts, and the atmosphere to carry you throughout the entire running time.

So yeah, that's my review. It's a great cartoon-- peppy, bright, brisk, and fun-- just not Pixar. If you want to spend money on a film, this would undoubtedly be your best bet for the next few weeks.

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I enjoyed it. It plays off a lot of tropes from most family CGI movies, but it does them solidly enough to feel fresh. The environments and scenery are beautiful, the characters are well developed and the music is catchy. If your on the fence, I say go see it, but if you're tired of the Dreamworks-ish animal adventure movies, it's probably not going to change your mind.

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