Film File - Rio

'Rio' is an animation feature from the 'Ice Age' films team - but this time switching polar icecaps for steamy jungles. The comedy-adventure centres on Blu (Jesse Eisenberg), a rare macaw who thinks he is the last of his kind and who lives a domesticated, comfortable life with his owner and best friend, Linda (Leslie Mann), in the small town of Moose Lake, Minnesota. Years earlier, Linda had adopted Blu, who had been transported by the smugglers to this wintry world. In the sheltered comfort and familiarity of Linda's home and bookstore, Blu thrives - becoming so domesticated, he's more human than bird. He can cook breakfast, brush his teeth, make the morning coffee, and serve as Linda's alarm clock. What he can't do is what most birds do best - fly. Blu is very smart, though, and thinks he can use his formidable brainpower to take flight, only to crash on each attempt. He has a checklist, a pile of books about the science of aeronautics, and a mountain of advanced maths equations in which he's figured out the angles - but nothing seems to work. Despite his frustrations at being unable to fly, Blu is content. One day, however, their lives are turned upside-down with the arrival of Tulio (Rodrigo Santoro), an eccentric scientist who has travelled halfway around the world from Rio with news that Blu is the last male of his kind, and wants Blu to come to Rio to meet the last female macaw, Jewel (Anne Hathaway). After much deliberation, Linda and Blu travel to Rio for a first date that's far from romantic. While Blu is domesticated and happy to spend time in a cage, Jewel is fiercely independent and hates the idea of being stuck in confined spaces - she's a bird who likes to have things her way. Jewel looks at Blu's inability to fly as a sell-out, and judges him harshly. Clearly a bird with relationship issues. But things change suddenly when the dazzling pair are kidnapped by animal smugglers, only to escape helped by a group of wisecracking city birds. With his new friends by his side, Blu somehow has to find the courage to learn to fly, thwart the kidnappers who are hot on their trail, and try to return to his best buddy, Linda. 'Rio' is helmed by filmmaker Carlos Saldanha, who also directed the animated hits 'Ice Age', 'Ice Age: The Meltdown' and 'Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs'. In a complete change of climate, Saldanha here composes a love letter to his hometown of Rio and brings together an all-star voice cast, led Hathaway, Mann and Eisenberg, along with Jamie Foxx, will.i.am, Jemaine Clement, and talk show host George Lopez. The filmmakers further envelop the action with a combination of Brazilian sounds from Carlinhos Brown and music legend Sergio Mendes. With the same dazzling jungle colouring that made last year's 'Up' such a success, 'Rio' begins in a riot of stunning hues and never drops the impact right through the film. With a solid storyline packed with subtle morals that are contoured to keep both kids and adults entertained, 'Rio' is rich in characterisation - to such an extent that even the most minor players get many a good line. The leads, Hathaway and Eisenberg, work well together, helped in no small part by the sharp ensemble acting of the rest of the cast. Jermaine Clement as the oily Nigel is worth the admission alone, and steals every scene he inhabits. Stunning use of lenses help hugely to make this Rio de Janerio come alive on screen - as does the work of screenwriter Don Rhymer to keep the audience engaged and open to the plot. This 'Rio' is definitely hot.