It's no surprise that Rio comes with a 'from the creators of Ice Age' tag. After all, Ice Age is Brazilian-born director Carlos Saldanha's crowning glory, and like its older sibling, Rio has the makings of a monster franchise: smart dialogue, a sweet love story, likeable leads, an adorable supporting cast and bad guys who are no good at being bad.
The premise is this: there are only two blue macaws are left in the world. Blu (voiced by Jesse Eisenberg), is a domesticated male from Minnesota who can't fly, and Jewel (Anne Hathaway), is a female living in a bird complex in Rio de Janeiro. In order for the two to 'save the species', Blu and his best friend and owner Linda (Leslie Mann) head to Rio.
After a less than amicable first encounter, the two macaws are kidnapped by a group of thugs, led by the cockatoo Nigel (Jemaine Clement), who hope to cash in by selling them. But with the help of new-found bird buds Rafael (George Lopez), Nico (Jamie Foxx), Pedro (will.i.am) and bulldog Luiz (Tracy Morgan), Blu hopes to reunite with Linda and win Jewel over.
Rio provides a steady stream of laughs; at times it's cackle-out-loud funny. The running Lionel Richie motif is an absolute classic, as is the bird rave that's crashed by a gang of blinged-out marmosets.
Even when the end credits roll you'll remain glued to your seat, hoping for one last gag before you grudgingly say goodbye. Like the city of Rio during carnaval, the film's spirit will take control of you.
