Rio starring Jesse Eisenberg and Anne Hathaway
20th Century Fox, 2011. Rated G
Synopsis: Blu is a blue macaw who as a young bird was taken from his home in the Brazillian rainforest and taken to coldMinnesota where he is adopted by a young girl named Linda. Many years later, an ornithologist finds Linda and explains that Blu is the last of his kind and asks her to bring Blu toRio so that he can be mated with a female blue macaw named Jewel. While inRio, Blu and Jewel are bird-napped and must rely on the help of some colorful locals to help him get back to Linda.
Why I liked it: At the surface, the movie is clearly for children. But the message of self-discovery and fulfilling your dreams is universal for any age group, particularly tweens and teens. The movie is very colorful and visually attractive, especially the birds and the Carnivál floats, and the musical numbers are catchy and fun. I found myself cheering for Blu for most of the film: in his endeavors to find Linda, trying to convince Jewel that he is a good bird, and trying to overcome a mental block that is preventing him from learning to fly. The situation is somewhat unbelievable (but then again, it’s a kid’s movie), but Blu’s journey mirrors one similar to one that people go through each day – finding a sense of self, figuring out who we are, making new friends, and realizing our dreams.
Other Movies like this one: Happy Feet, Finding Nemo, Kung Fu Panda, Shrek, Rango, Ice Age, Despicable Me