Perry's Previews Movie Review: – RIO is knockout animation and a 4-Starfish Treat!
Perry’s Previews Movie Review: RIO is a Knock-out Animation!
(4 out of 5 starfish)
What a relief after four months of mediocre animations to finally have a great animated film! “Rio” is a superb film with rich characters, dazzling visuals, lively music, great humor, and an interesting story with many twists and turns in the plot. The film is created by the same team that made The Ice Age, and opens nationwide on April 15, 2011, rated G.
Blu, a domesticated, mild-tempered male blue macaw, is one of the last two birds of his species left in the world. “Rio” tells the story of how Blu and his owner Linda (a young woman who works at a Minnesota bookstore) go to Rio so that Blue can meet the last female blue macaw named Jewel, and preserve the species from extinction. Along the way, a vicious bird named Nigel and his cruel poacher owner are out to get them.
I noticed that Rio’s opening is very similar to “Up,” because it shows the characters when they are young, and the lovely sequences of images without dialogue, indicating the passing of time in both films. The opening scene is one of my favorites. It dazzles you with multi-colored birds in the Brazilian forest, dancing in lively, energetic samba music.
I love the rich characters, especially Blu and Jewel. Jewel is assertive, bossy, always making it clear to Blu who’s the boss. Blu, the submissive male, goes along with it because all his life, he relied on a female to provide and care for him. I like how the film shows Blu, my favorite character, gradually gaining courage and becoming a protector and hero at the end.
I give Rio 4 starfish, it’s “Perrific!” There are some minor flaws. When baby Blu was found by Linda as young girl, she fed him milk in a bottle. That is not very realistic because parrots cannot metabolize lactose. The same thing goes for the hot chocolate that he drank later in the film. Just like how chocolate can kill dogs and cats, it is dangerous to parrots, too.
I would recommend this film to ages 10 and up because of mild references to bird reproduction, as the film is about reuniting the last male and female of the blue macaw species.
Rio is about greed, corruption in the illegal animal trade; but also about rivalry, love, and trust.
Love can give you wings to fly.
My shorter review together with other movie panelists’ reviews published on San Diego Union Tribune:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/apr/15/movie-panel-loves-aposrioapos/
Copyright 2011, by Perry S. Chen
About Perry Chen – Gifted with a keen eye from a young age, Perry began writing movie reviews for his website “Perry’s Previews” at age 8. Characterized by his starfish rating system, his “Perrific™” favorite movies, and his family-friendly movie choices, Perry is often regarded as one of the great up-and-coming movie critics. The youngest honoree at the recent San Diego Press Club Excellence in Journalism Awards, Perry also serves as
-resident movie critic for the Amazing Kids! Magazine (http://mag.amazing-kids.org),
http://mag.amazing-kids.org/category/ak_columns/amazing-movie-reviews/
-film critic and blogger on Animation World Network, a leading professional animation industry publication:
http://www.awn.com/blogs/perrys-previews
- movie panelist for the San Diego Union Tribune with over a million weekly readers:
http://t.co/mlztlUk
- San Diego Entertainer Magazine’s youngest columnist and entertainment critic, reviewing films, restaurants, and entertainment events:
http://www.sdentertainer.com/?s=perry+chen
Perry has been featured in numerous publications and television interviews, including a recent article in Variety, which spotlighted the top 3 up-and-coming young movie reviewers:
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118026037.html?categoryid=4137&cs=1
(Variety: Kid Crix Grade Pix through Different Eyes, Oct 22, 2010)
and The Young Icons, a nationally-syndicated TV show. In May 2009, Perry made his national television debut on CBS Evening News with Katie Couric, and in March 2010, he appeared in his first national radio interview on National Public Radio (NPR) with host Liane Hansen. Perry’s hobbies outside of film reviews include drawing, reading, folding origami, exploring nature, and gardening. Perry is represented by Rebel Entertainment Partners, a talent agency in Hollywood; and Shamon Freitas Agency in San Diego.
Perry’s talents extend to filmmaking and animation. He recently finished two animation shorts in collaboration with twice-Oscar nominee Bill Plympton: “Ingrid Pitt: Beyond the Forest” about a young Holocaust survivor” which will be screened at the Burbank International Film Festival, and “Guard Dog Global Jam,” which premiered at the SXSW Film Festival in March 2011 to rave reviews.
For Perry Chen’s movie reviews, film project updates, visit:
http://www.perryspreviews.com
Become a fan on Facebook:
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For press and business inquires, contact Zhu Shen:
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