With lackluster puns and shallowly crude one-liners setting the standard for family friendly films, the G-rated movie is a dying breed in the film industry. Even last week’s top grossing film “Hop” was deemed too racy for the entire American populace and was given a PG rating for its “mild rude humor”.
Proudly brandishing its G-rating, Blue Sky Studios’ “Rio” proves that brilliant visuals and a fun-loving cast of characters can still make for a decent movie, even without the more adult trappings of a PG film. It does not try to turn the industry upside down, but what the film does, it does well.
Set in breath-taking Rio de Janeiro, the movie revolves around an endangered tropical bird named Blu (Jesse Eisenberg) who has spent his entire life in Minnesota. With a quirky hint of Eisenberg’s Mark Zuckerberg still in him, Blu is thrust back to his homeland where he is to mate with the last known living bird of his species.
Of course, the typical antics ensue, like mismatched love pairings and full-fledged musical numbers. But what really drives this film is its visual element. “Rio” has made the best use of 3D technology of any movie in recent memory. Painted with expansive blue skies and lush tropical greens, “Rio” is a visual treat.
As far as animated films in 2011, it does not have the originality or intellectual self-awareness of “Rango”. However, what Rio does provide is an acceptably predictable animation that can please the masses. Already a proven success in the overseas box office, the film has a certain universal appeal that is certainly worthy of one of your lazy Sunday afternoons.
