Rio 2
20th Century Fox
In Theaters: 04.11
Two years ago, we were lead to believe that Blu (voiced by Jesse Eisenberg) and Jewel (voiced by Anne Hathaway) were the last two blue macaws on the planet in “Rio.” With time moving forward, the two have grown their family in the Marvelous City with three children, but when a rumor reveals additional blue macaws may exist in the Amazon, the family abandon their privileged lifestyles and travel to the treacherous rainforest. Upon their arrival, Jewel reconnects with her father, Eduardo (voiced by Andy Garcia), who is not impressed with Blu’s dainty mannerisms and would prefer his daughter reconnect with her childhood crush, Roberto (voiced by Bruno Mars). If you haven’t put the pieces of this unoriginal puzzle together yet, the filmmakers have essentially ripped off the Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro comedy franchise, but let’s call this lifted atrocity “Meet the Flockers.” The jokes are set in such a familiar tempo; the time has come for everyone to lawyer up. Sure, the animation is as vibrant and smooth as the original, but the exuberant amount of flatulent jokes and the unnecessary inclusion of former characters that join the adventure for no particular reason make this sequel an utter failure. Once again, the shining star comes from Jemaine Clement’s evil cockatoo, Nigel, but his presence is shortchanged, leaving more time for lower quality performances. The “Flight of the Conchords” genius receives the most laughs with a recreation of Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive,” but leaves audience members of all ages silent with an operatic duet with co-star Kristin Chenoweth. This is a prime example of a redundant continuation to a story that was so-so at its peak. Save your money, folks!