Rio 2 (2014)
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Critics Consensus: Like most sequels, Rio 2 takes its predecessor's basic template and tries to make it bigger -- which means it's even busier, more colorful, and ultimately more exhausting for viewers outside the youthful target demographic.
Critics Consensus: Like most sequels, Rio 2 takes its predecessor's basic template and tries to make it bigger -- which means it's even busier, more colorful, and ultimately more exhausting for viewers outside the youthful target demographic.
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It's a jungle out there for Blu, Jewel and their three kids in RIO 2, after they're hurtled from that magical city to the wilds of the Amazon. As Blu tries to fit in, he goes beak-to-beak with the vengeful Nigel, and meets the most fearsome adversary of all - his father-in-law. All our favorite RIO characters are back, and they're joined by Oscar (R) nominee Andy Garcia, Grammy (R) winner Bruno Mars, Tony (R) winner Kristin Chenoweth and Oscar/Emmy (R)/Tony winner Rita Moreno. RIO 2 also … More- Rating:
- G
- Genre:
- Animation , Kids & Family , Comedy
- Directed By:
- Carlos Saldanha
- In Theaters:
- Apr 11, 2014 Wide
- On DVD:
- Jul 15, 2014
- US Box Office:
- $131.5M
Cast
-
Anne Hathaway
as Jewel -
Jesse Eisenberg
as Blu -
will.i.am
as Pedro -
Jamie Foxx
as Nico -
George Lopez
as Raphael -
Tracy Morgan
as Luiz
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Critic Reviews for Rio 2
All Critics (105) | Top Critics (25) | Fresh (50) | Rotten (55)
The movie has one goal: to amuse the most children with the least amount of effort.
The musical moments, on the whole, stand out as the highlights of the film; Rio 2 becomes watchable when the flat characters shut up and sing.
Rio 2 has a childish, delicious-looking beauty. It's like watching a box of Froot Loops explode just beyond the tip of your nose. Bring milk.
Where the film excels ... in an even more pronounced way than the first film, is in the choreographed animation for the musical numbers.
It'll keep the kids content for a couple of hours, though it's likely to bore the grown-ups.
It's as good as the first one and sure to please both the kiddies and adults with its two-tiered humor.
The plot struggles to take wing at first, but Eisenberg is very funny as the fretful, accident-prone Blu.
I'm endlessly frustrated at not being able to have entertainment without a side of political and social preaching. Still, Rio 2 is a cute enough movie.
I enjoyed it while I was watching it.
Rio 2 is fine for what it is, but it's yet another film filling the market with the same kind of movie.
'Rio 2' explodes with personality and atmosphere, and if you're suffering any sort of World Cup letdown, this energetic Amazonian adventure is a good way to taper off.
The fun and entertainment of the original is nowhere to be found, replaced instead with a rushed and overstuffed plot which leads to a film that tries to reach out in so many directions that it ends up getting nowhere.
In general, Rio 2 feels less inspired and more forced than its predecessor.
There are moments, mainly from the menagerie of menacers, but, flying mostly on feather-light plots, this avian animation just isn't flockin' hilarious.
The film is at its most entertaining in the musical sequences.
Largely boring, repetitive sequel to the 2011 hit about exotically coloured birds of South America who sing and dance.
So much is going on here, yet nothing of consequence feels like it's *happening*.
The plot ... borrows very heavily from some of Ben Stiller's live-action hits, in particular a trio of comedies that, like this would-be 'series,' also worse and more crass as the follow-up films were churned out in assembly line fashion."
... a stylish but shallow follow-up lacking the freshness of an original that was mediocre in the first place.
All singing, all dancing, all color: Rio 2 is a modern, studio animation blockbuster spilling all over the place, rather than arching into the sky.
A marked decline in every way from an original that really couldn't afford it.
The derivative Rio 2 is a riot of color with groovy music, but not a single original moment to its name.
There'll be a Rio 3. Probably a Rio 4. They will be brightly colored and not bother anyone. You'll simultaneously remember them somewhat fondly and also not remember much about them at all. "That one bird," you'll think, "he was ok."
Rio was pretty generic to begin with, and the follow-up doesn't fly far from the nest...[it's the] vocally virtuosic amorous aria, 'Poisonous Love,' that is the picture's hands-down highlight.
A frantic, family-friendly, musical adventure that's filled with familiar feathered friends.
bucks the usual law of diminishing sequel returns with a great story, even better new dangers, and a voice performance by Kristen Chenowith as Gabi, a lovesick poison dart frog that is destined to become a classic.
Audience Reviews for Rio 2
I disliked the first one but compared to the sequel it is a masterpiece. Okay, so I'm not the target audience but your average ten year old would have seen this story-line at least a dozen times in their lifetimes already, it's beyond tiresome. I grew up on two dimensional cartoons that were silly and defied the rules of gravity, physics and reality in general. It's what makes cartoons so appealing in my opinion. This just doesn't work when the animation is so realistic and the message is so preachy. What can't kids cartoons just be fun, rather than brain-dead with added emotional soul searching. I have to give credit for the wonderful animation but I'll scream if I see another talent show story-line or the typical 'father-in-law' not-good-enough-for-my-daughter yarn again. Let kids have fun, they have all that nonsense to look forward to in adulthood. Can Blue Sky Studios please lighten up and stop trying to be every child's parent/teacher/preacher. Just for one film at least? And make a Scrat film while you're at it damn it!
http://cinephilecrocodile.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/rio-2-dir-carlos-saldanha-2014-i.html
Super Reviewer
He's villainous, she's venomous.
Fairly decent animated movie! While it wasn't the best movie or even the best animation I have seen this year, this movie is definitely entertaining. The story is decent. There are quite a few songs and plenty of comedic moments as well. In essence this movie serves the purpose of being entertaining. Rio 2 is a beautifully made animated movie with a satisfactory plot. There is nothing wrong with Rio 2, but there's not much great about it either. Kids will love this movie, and adults will not feel like they wasted their time.
It's a jungle out there for Blu, Jewel and their three kids after they're hurtled Rio de Janeiro to the wilds of the Amazon. As Blu tries to fit in, he goes beak-to-beak with the vengeful Nigel, and meets the most fearsome adversary of all: his father-in-law.
Super Reviewer
Another animated movie based on another species of animal, why? because they can and its another easy money maker. I'm waiting for an animated movie based on dung beetles and elephants...why? I dunno, they haven't milked them yet so game on, we're clearly gonna get an animated movie about every flippin creature on Earth eventually.
So the first film was set in Rio and I'm guessing this film will move into the rain forest? did you see that coming? So I'm guessing as the film is set deep within the Amazonian rain forest the plot will cover the destruction of the rain forest and 'Blu' and co becoming naturalised to jungle life...see that coming? Is any of this film even remotely original in any sense? does it even try?! the answer is no, this is merely the same formulaic albeit gorgeous looking CGI flick we've now seen about a thousand times.
So the film is a formulaic cookie cutter production and like other identical films there are a few positive things I can mention. Firstly the visuals are of course sumptuous, I mean really bright bold glossy colourful and extremely well animated. This is naturally no real surprise as these days CGI movies have reached a point where the skills and computer technology are in their prime, you expect them to look stunning, you know they will, its so routine that you could actually argue that people don't even notice the visuals anymore.
The other thing I like about these films is how they manage to highlight typical traits of the particular species in question, both behavioural and environmentally. This normally covers obvious things we all know about the specific species and their habitat, common knowledge, but also little winks or tit bits that maybe someone with that extra bit of animal knowledge might spot...which is cool. This normally also covers the various other creatures in the film too, for example the dart frog character being pointed out as not actually poisonous and spotting the various tropical birds hidden throughout the foliage.
In all honesty though apart from that most of this film is the same spiel all over again. You have all the same characters from the nerdy yet plucky hero who is utterly useless, the lively kids, the sidekicks voiced by various famous people, usually a rap star of some kind, to the stereotypically British voiced bad guy who sounds like Tim Curry and his own silly sidekick. Yeah sure there are some reasonable visual gags here and there but really the entire film hinges on the likable dastardly vocal performance of Jemaine Clement, everything else is dull. So cliche that 'Eduardo' the gruff father has a buzz cut style tuft on his head, is this Macaw from the 50's USA?
I must also be negative about the use of way too many song sequences, is it possible a new animated film can actually make it through its run time without one dreadful rap/hip-hop tune? no apparently not. It seems either Hollywood or kids these days love this stuff because every CGI animated flick seems to have some hip-hop or rap in it which instantly destroys any self respect or quality the film was aiming for in my opinion. Add to this the now statutory inclusion of rap/hip-hop/pop stars for voice work too, plenty of folk out there but yeah sure, lets use some bland untalented popstars just to lure in more kids.
I still don't get how this particular universe is suppose to even work, they are real birds and squawk or chirp when communicating with humans. They live like birds, eat like birds...do everything like real birds...yet Blu owns his own tiny GPS, electric toothbrush and various other tiny items that seem to have been made...for birds? Yeah I know I'm being extremely picky over a silly kids movie but I just couldn't help but think to myself...where would Blu possibly get this stuff from?? Quite liked how the word 'pet' is a dirty word for the birds though.
Business as usual then, wash rinse and repeat formula, safe but sorry, if it ain't broke?...or was it maybe broke from the start?? *raise eyebrow*. The finale is daft and kinda spoils what little the film had going for itself, its not like the film even mocks itself, it takes itself relatively seriously in terms of the adventure. Grandiose in the eye candy department, wetter than mackerels bumhole, friendlier than a very friendly fat handlebar moustached German in tight leather lederhosen, ecologically sound (and shoved down your throat) and with more cutesy critters than you can wave your gun at. Its the same as everything else but its about birds...and its a sequel.
Super Reviewer
I thought the first "Rio" was fresh with some fantastic animation. The sequel however is very bland, and falls into the generic sequel rut. Blu and Jewel(Jesse Eisenberg and Anne Hathaway) are back with three kids, and the go on an adventure to the Amazon in sure of fellow blue macaws. From there it's Blu trying to win over Jewel's family while dodging the bad guys. Very generic. The music is good, but the comedy and story are just meh. Even Grant got bored it with. It's okay for a one time watch, but other than that it's pretty forgettable.
MoreSuper Reviewer
Rio 2 Quotes
- Nigel:
- Thank you I've been Bob the bird.
- Tulio:
- There could be an entire flock out there!
- Raphael:
- Good wife, happy life!
- Mimi:
- I saw it in the droppings.
- Tiago:
- A bird-bath!
- Jewel:
- You're the only one for me, Blu.
- Blu:
- Good, because I am the only one for you.
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