DVD Corner

Rio Blu-ray Review

“Rio” is an average animated feature film.

The plot: After being smuggled out of Rio de Janeiro, a blue macaw bird named Blu winds up in Minnesota with a young girl named Linda. The story jumps ahead in time where we see Linda as an adult woman/bookstore owner with her pet Blu (who has essentially become a house pet that can’t fly). Shortly thereafter, an Ornithologist (Tulio) shows up on Linda’s doorstep claiming that Blu needs to return to Rio. The reason? So Blu can mate with a female macaw (Jewel) and prevent the species of bird from becoming endangered. Linda and Blu eventually tag along with Tulio to Rio where their journey begins. Unfortunately, the trip doesn’t go quite as planned as Blu and Jewel find themselves in trouble with thieves, smugglers, and a villainous bird that works with them.

While children will no doubt find much to admire about “Rio,” I can’t say it’s much of a treat for adult audiences. The script is your typical fish out of water story, the humor is generally pretty lame, and the irritating filler songs may very well drive you mad. Really, the only highlight here is the stand-out animation. Granted, the character models are nothing special here, but the cityscapes, locations, and colors are gorgeous (especially in hi-def). There’s no question the movie is at its best during the Rio de Janeiro travelogue moments.

As for the characters, only Luiz the comedic relief bulldog makes much of an impression here. All of the other characters are cookie cutter creations that you will forget afterwards.

Summary: “Rio” is a mediocre animated flick that offers little in the ways of originality.

Video/Audio:

The 2.40:1 1080p picture quality is top notch. Everything from the vibrant colors to the dazzling carnivale sequence is dazzling here.

The 5.1 DTS-HD audio track is also worthy of praise. The music, dialogue, and action are loud and clear.  

Extras:
* DVD and digital copy.
* Angry Birds Rio.
* BD-Live with behind-the-scenes footage and Live Lookup (IMDB feature).
* Coloring With Blu App.
* “Welcome To Rio” and Taio Cruz music videos.
* Fox trailers including an “Ice Age 4” short/clip titled “Continental Drift” and a “Rio” trailer.
* 1 deleted scene called “Fruit Stand.”

* “Saving The Species: One Voice At A Time”- A featurette on the voice acting in the film.
* “The Making Of Hot Wings”- A featurette on some of the music (namely by will.i.am).
* “Boom-Boom Tish-Tish: The Sounds Of Rio”- A featurette on the soundtrack.
* “Carnival Dance-O-Rama”- An interactive feature in which you can learn dance moves from various characters
* “Rio De Jam-Eiro Jukebox”- A collection of the musical sequences.

* “Postcards From Rio”- A create your own Rio postcard feature.
* “The Real Rio”- A featurette in which the cast/crew chat about the real Rio de Janeiro.
* “Explore The World Of Rio”- An interactive feature that allows you to explore the city, jungle, stadium, and beach of Rio.

August 17, 2011 - Posted by nicklyons1 | Blu-Ray review | Anne Hathaway, George Lopez, Jesse Eisenberg, Rio Blu-ray Review, Tracy Morgan