Writer: Roy Lim Jian-Min

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Watch this if you liked: "Ice Age", "Madagascar", "Kung Fu Panda"

With well renowned artistes lending their voices for the characters in "Rio" such as Jesse Eisenberg, Anne Hathaway, George Lopez, Jamie Foxx, Will.i.Am, Tracy Morgan, Leslie Mann, Jane Lynch, Jake T. Austin and Rodrigo Santoro, it seems that director Carlos Saldanha has managed to reveal a group of talented comedians among the ranks of Hollywood's finest.

"Rio" is a tale of blue male macaw named Blu (Jesse Eisenberg), who hails from a small town in Minnesota. When Blu discovers there's another rare blue macaw just like him, he leaves the comforts of his cage and heads to Rio de Janeiro to find the female macaw by the name of Jewel.

The reviewer feels that Jesse Eisenberg's role from being the geeky founder of Facebook in "The Social Network" and then towards voicing a macaw in "Rio", really depicts Eisenberg's versatility to switch his roles albeit the same hint of tone and mannerism is noticed in both movies. The reviewer feels that Jemaine Clement who voiced the Sulphur-crested Cockatoo named Nigel, was perfect as the villain which made him successfully stick out amidst the colourful characters. George Lopez, Jamie Foxx, Will.i.Am and Anne Hathaway also managed to fulfil their voice role well and provided a pleasant contrast to one another.

The CGI effects of the movie are a pretty decent watch, and with director Carlos Saldanha who hails from Brazil, the culture and colour of the nation was not neglected. The movie offers audiences the very essence of Brazil throughout the story, as the whole setting is like a sightseeing tour with the full details of the city meticulously worked on, including the huge Christ the Redeemer statue on the hills overlooking Rio De Janerio.

"Rio" is a fun filled experience not only for kids alone, as the comedic nature is also catered to the general public as a must watch animated movie of the year.

Cinema Online, 11 April 2011