Rio

Director Carlos Saldanha is a nap hand when it comes to directing animated features, so it’ll come as little surprise to find out that Rio hits virtually all of the marks it aims for. Telling the story of domesticated macaw Blu (voiced by Jesse Eisenberg) who is whisked away to Rio de Janeiro to mate with Jewel (Anne Hathaway) in order to save their species, before long they're caught up in an exotic bird smuggling ring and mayhem ensues. Though not a Disney film, this could easily masquerade as coming from that particular studio. Animals for hero’s? Check. Songs? Check? Memorable Villains? Check. It’s all here. You’ll also probably spot that the story line has a strong whiff of 101 Dalmatians about it. As they say though, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery and despite the similarities Saldanha’s film has enough of it’s own ideas to stand on it’s own two legs, or in this case, flap it’s own two wings. The geographical depiction of Rio de Janeiro is great (no doubt helped by the fact it’s Saldanha’s home city) and the actual overall look of the film is a visual delight, with the sun, beaches and carnivals of Rio shown in glorious colour, whilst the favela’s are dark, dank and claustrophobic. Plenty of research has also gone into the look of the many birds on show, all given their own, usually amusing, personalities. In fact, it’s actually the side characters that are more engaging than Blu and Jewel, as Eisenberg’s manic voice grates more than anything and Hathaway is stuck with the blandest character in the whole thing. There’s also the issue of the portrayal of Rio / Brazilians that some may find a bit stereotypical and the screenplay is pretty much by the numbers from the first few scenes onwards. Overall though, there is plenty to enjoy here and further proof that Pixar doesn’t have it all it’s own way anymore.

The OC Film Sting Final Verdict

Lots of fun, but unlikely to become a beloved favourite. Rating: 7/10.