By Amanda Rodarte
Director Carlos Saldanha’s “Rio 2” fills the theater with warmth and half smiles, but fails to measure up to the first film. The movie entails the new lives, Jewel, who is voiced by Anne Hathaway, and Blu, who is played by Jesse Eisenberg, have as parents and the lifestyle they have.
After having spent so much time in suburban Brazil, Jewel has the sudden epiphany. She decides that the family should try and reacquaint themselves with their natural roots.Their three kids are ecstatic to hear the news. Even close friends, optimistic toucan Rafael (George Lopez), tiny but with a big attitude Tino (Jamie Fox), and the rapping bird, Pedro (will.i.am) join the family for the ride.
The only one, who is uneasy about the trip, is Blu. The thought of leaving his technological life frightens him. Nonetheless, he goes along with the plan. In which they encounter an old foe and others like them. The plot was poorly written. Director Saldanha plastered too many situations into one movie.
The movie starts off with Jewel’s desire to reach out to their natural ways, and suddenly shifts to the major heartwarming moment in where the birds discover there are other blue birds, but most importantly, Jewel reunites with her father.
The many shifts of tone made the movie awkward and difficult to keep up with. The scenes were not consistent and often times confusing. If there had been maybe one focus to the movie, it may have had a better flow to it, rather than being overwhelming.
The movie had an outstanding cast, from Anne Hathaway to Andy Garcia, who plays Jewel’s father. The voices were portrayed well, all except for one.
Singer Bruno Mars stars in the movie as the “popular” bird of the flock with an amazing voice. The issue was that the acting was not done well, and with Mars’s distinctive and well-known voice, it made it impossible to not image him instead of a blue macaw.
Aside from the plot, the music did not measure up to the last one. The other songs sounded recycled from the first film and offered nothing new. Although the plot or music may of not been very good, the animation was beyond gorgeous. The colors were vivid and the birds travel to some Brazilian landmarks.
Also, there was a scene in which two species of macaws get into a brawl, except their idea of a brawl is a soccer, or “futbol,” game. Perfect for the upcoming soccer event occurring this summer in Brazil, The World Cup.
While the movie may not appeal to many adults, it will be sure to amuse the child audience with its “kiddie humor.” Rio 2 was released on April 11 and is running in all movie theaters. The movie is rated G and runs for an hour and 35 minutes.