It's about time I review the movie I waited three years to see. I'm going to touch on as many aspects as I can think of, so here's my official breakdown. My critique wouldn't be complete without some references to certain parts of the movie, so I have to issue a spoiler alert. I encourage everyone to read this, but do consider my fair warning if you haven't seen the movie yet.
To start off, I fell madly in love with their children. After only seeing them in trailers and clips, being right there with them, hearing their voices, and seeing their personalities play out was so very precious. I can't identify with their outgoing natures since I'm a very reserved person, but that didn't influence me one bit.
Tiago is the most amazing troublemaker I have ever had the pleasure of knowing, and his name couldn't be more attractive. He may give Blu and Jewel a hard time sometimes, but he's the master of devising some way to bring a dose of humor to any situation. His eagerness to play with deadly objects, hitch a ride on the delivery system of a vending machine, and even pilot heavy machinery is inspiring. He's fearless, rough-and-tumble, high-spirited, and the best son his parents could ever have been gifted with. His "hair" reminds me of the crown of leaves you'd find on a pineapple, and I must say that that is one cool physical trait. Borrowing one of his lines from the movie, Tiago is well and truly "awesome."
Bia is who I can connect with the closest, because we're both intelligent and have a passion for learning about the world we live in. She is also ridiculously cute, in no small part thanks to her hair, fitting brown eyes, and S-shaped figure. I'd love to give her a great big hug and stroke her while she perched on my arm. Her innocence, thirst for knowledge, smooth voice, and gentle heart is what captured my own heart. I would have wanted a sister just like her. She's my favorite out of all three, but Tiago and Carla are incredibly close to being her equal.
Carla is very special too and is very much the role model for her younger siblings. Without a doubt they look up to her as their leader, due to her take-charge, get-things-done attitude. I may not find Nico and Pedro as enjoyable as her and her family, but the three of them make quite the team. Her plumpness is a characteristic I admire greatly, since it helps her stand out even more and is an effective attention grabber. She's adorable and someone I'd also like to hug. Her talent for singing is wonderful, and it's not hard to guess who she inherited it from.
Blu is as handsome as ever, and though he hasn't been altered on the outside, the inside is a very different story. He wants nothing more than for his children to be happy, and it's clear they mean the world to him. He even defies Jewel's wish that they be spared the human practice of eating pancakes, which is sound proof of how he feels about them. However, he also strives to keep them safe and is a responsible father. He is still softhearted, but he does enforce his own set of rules.
On the flipside, I can see that parenthood has instigated a transformation in Jewel's character too. She is more straightforward and firm with her preferences when it comes to raising them, but she is nonetheless a very caring and supportive mother. In one instance, she conveys her honest love for her children through the lullaby she sings to them in the Amazon. Just as evident though, she also conveys her undying affection for Blu several times. She touches beaks with him, hugs him, kisses him, rests her head on him serenely and closes her eyes, dances with him, and rubs his feathers tenderly with her wing. Every beautiful display made my heart speed up and made me think, "Awww..."
The musical numbers are a huge plus for the film. I had had previous exposure to them since they were released on iTunes in March, but listening to them and observing how they synergized with the movie took things to the next level. The diversity of styles and rhythms they spanned boosted the quality of the film and made the enjoyment factor rise sky-high.
As for the plot, there's no question that Rio 2 has blown every other movie I've seen, animated or not, clear out of the water and into the clouds. Happy Feet/Happy Feet 2 and Legend of the Guardians are the only three that come close, but even they can't compare to the sheer perfection that is Rio 2. The intimate portrayal of the bonds between Blu, Jewel, and their children is but one defining plot point that sets this film apart from all the other ones out there. The chilling presence of the loggers and the enormous threat they posed made the smugglers in the prequel seem insignificant. Briefly speaking, the plethora of characters brought in expanded the scope of the story many times over compared to the very limited number in Rio, which I believe was a brilliant move. These factors, as well as many more, elevate Rio 2 to a category all its own.
The animation was expertly done and basically flawless. The skill required to breathe life into each and every character and design remarkably complex visuals such as the choreographed bird dances and the combined assault on the loggers at the climax is difficult to contemplate It took the efforts of many, many gifted people in the design and animation fields to accomplish such a feat, and they succeeded.
The struggles Blu faced and how he ultimately overcame them were a critical aspect of Rio 2 and contributed immensely to its quality, in my opinion. There were many hard-hitting, mature situations that you hardly ever see in a kid's film. The movie felt so much more realistic and riveting than Rio because of this. Blu went from a solitary individual to someone with a mate and a family in the blink of an eye almost, and undeniably he changed as a result. There were plenty of romantic moments between him and Jewel that warmed my heart, and there were also many scenes where I personally felt the pain he was feeling. The serious argument he had with Jewel was the most potent of all, and it had me gripping my seat. Life isn't sunny and pretty and sweet, it's hard, and it couldn't have been harder for Blu, a mate and a father. Roberto and Eduardo were nothing no more than thorns in his side, along with nearly everyone else outside of his immediate family. Not only that, but Jewel was reveling in jungle life so deeply that she was practically oblivious to his suffering. The same was true for their children to boot. In the end though, Blu was determined enough to not give up and leave, instead deciding to prove himself to Eduardo once and for all by helping them defeat the scourge of the loggers. Even more importantly, he chose to relinquish all of the creature comforts in Rio he was so attached to and make the jungle his permanent home. He did that not for himself, but for Jewel and their kids, and that is a testament to his selfless courage.
There was plenty of humor, romance, action, clever lines, realism, dread, anxiety, darkness, joy, hope, redemption, reconciliation, and a whole host of other elements to be had. Carlos and his team left no stone unturned and every base covered. They incorporated countless emotions and themes, and they let not a single hole remain unfilled.
To summarize everything I've said, Rio 2 exceeded my expectations. I knew it was going to be fantastic at least, but it turned out to be absolutely perfect. I rate it infinity out of ten. Rio can't be in the same league as its successor, but at least it holds the momentous honor of being the prelude to what I believe is the most spectacular movie ever conceived and executed. Rio was a sapphire, but Rio 2 was a diamond. It is my most sensual dream come true, and I firmly believe it can't be rivaled. I pray this movie outdoes its prequel in terms of revenue and acclaim so that Rio 3 is taken from possibility to reality. It would be the next logical step, but I can only imagine where the story would pick up again. As long as I get to reunite with the one feathered family I cherish the most, nothing else matters.
There you have it, everyone. My in-depth, comprehensive review of Rio 2. It deserved a lengthy analysis, so that's what I aimed for.