When Blu (Eisenberg), Jewel (Hathaway) and the kids decide to make their way to the forest in order to meet up with their owners and try to find their tribe they don’t bank on running into an old nemesis and also having to take on a new one. Unlucky for them Blu’s nemesis Nigel (Clement) recognises them and follows them into the rain forest determined to get revenge on Blu for a previous falling out. When they arrive to the forest and discover their tribe and also a company of illegal loggers they must fight to save their habitat and themselves.
Animated movies nowadays tend to aim to please both adults and children, but Rio2 shamelessly doesn’t bother. It is a straight shooting, plot unimportant, children’s movie with musical numbers. In most cases by the second verse most children could be humming along quite easily and they are used at around fifteen minute intervals to ensure that the little ones don’t get too bored with the lack actual story. The fact that Blu never realises that he is under the watchful eye of Nigel and his attempts at murder being the perfect example of how unimportant it actually is in the greater scheme of things.
Visually it ticks all the boxes using strong primary colours consistently throughout and for the most part frames the characters and nothing else on screen so the children can easily follow. In one scene departing from the norm the birds are viewed from above as they dance to a musical number and they look much like synchronised swimmers making for a hypnotic sequence. It’s simple and effective. There are laughs in the mix too, normally featuring someone flying into a tree or smashing themselves off something and just as it is visually, it does exactly what it says on the tin.
Not breaking new ground, but definitely entertaining for the kids.