Rio 2 (2014)

 
Dave’s 3-Word Review:
Boring Boring Boring.

In my review of the first Rio film, I made sure to mention the difference between a kids movie and a family film. I also said that it was always a toss up and gamble as to what you’d run into with animated film. Believe it or not, that still applies to sequels of amazing animated films…so even though I was okay with the first movie, I still had my apprehensions about Rio 2, especially since the first wasn’t exactly what I’d consider phenomenal by any means. To break it to you gently, Rio 2 is a kids movie through and through. I sort of understand what it was trying to accomplish by still maintaining the same chemistry between the characters – but as you’ll find out – the story is weak, cliché, and predictable.

If you remember from Rio, Blu is a rare breed of  parrot that is going extinct, and the basic plot of the first movie…at its heart…was to have a male and female bird mate and multiply so they don’t die out. Sure, it was an adventure film with plenty of good messages throughout as well, but that’s what they needed to happen for sure…and so it did. In Rio 2, the birds basically find out that there may be distant relatives living in the Amazon, maybe even more rare blue birds. A flock, if you will, and they have to find out what else is out there, blah blah blah. All the meanwhile, Linda and her now husband, Fernando are fighting off environment killers…or something like that.

Why is the story weak? Well, for starters, it takes the whole point of the first movie and takes a massive dump on it. A rare breed of birds? That’s so cool, and it teaches kids a lot about preservation and animal cruelty…but ya know what…there’s probably thousands of more birds just like them in the amazon…and somehow they missed that the last time they checked. Suddenly these birds are misidentified as a rare species going extinct. No worries guys, you’ll find more if you keep looking. Heck, I’m sure there are some T-Rex’s still wandering around Australia or something, right? Just look under the rocks.

It’s not only that. Basically, if you took everything that was good about the first movie…they more or less destroyed it or ignored it in the sequel. They were so focused on bringing back all of the main characters, that they did the same with Nigel, and you know what? I wouldn’t have minded a new bad bird. Why did it have to be the same one? So kids could be happy? That decision alone is cheap. Also, the ones that they did bring back only seem to be there because kids would complain if they weren’t. They don’t further the story one bit. Then there is the songs…which are…blah. Not as memorable, not as toe-tapping…just…okay.

Also, Linda was Blu’s owner in the first movie and played a vital role. In this movie, she did play a semi-important role, but when you really think about it…the movie would have been so much better without her and she ultimately just dragged it down further. Why? It was save the environment crap that we’ve seen a thousand times before, and plus…she had no real interaction with the frickin’ birds. I’m not kidding, the entire thing was choppy and mixed up.

I’m not saying the movie was horrible. Adults will probably think so, but it does keep kids busy for a couple hours, and sometimes that’s useful. I do think it’s awfully close to being “burn it” status, though. Seriously, just stay away, you’ll feel like you just wasted your life.

The Good:

Not much, but it is a kids movie. The animation is great, the colors are wonderful, the characters are colorful…but that’s honestly about it.

The Bad:

This sequel falls victim to horrible kids movie sequels. It’s just got a horrible, predictable, cliché, weak plot with drab songs and jumbled story.

The Random:

While watching this movie, I was making the “gun” gesture with my hand, pointing to my head, and making sound effects while reenacting an imaginary recoil.