Blu-ray Review: RIO Carnival Party Edition Is A Hoot!
Feel the rhythm…hear the beat…and let your spirit soar!
The Carnival Party Blu-ray Edition of hit animated feature Rio is exactly the kind of release that distribution companies should be aiming for. Rammed with special features and compiling stunning images and sumptuous audio, this release is exactly why many viewers will have bought into the Blu-ray movement. Available today in both Triple Play Blu-ray and standard DVD, our review is below Feel the rhythmhear the beatand let your spirit soar! Blu (voiced by Jesse Eisenberg) is an exotic pet bird who believes hes the last of his kind. But when his owner learns about Jewel, Blus female counterpart in Rio de Janeiro, they set out on the adventure of a lifetime. Even though hes never learned to fly, Blu befriends a group of wise-cracking city birds who help him find the courage to spread his wings and follow his destiny! Back at the beginning of the year WhatCulture! compiled a list of releases we couldnt wait to see Rio was one of my picks! Even from before its release it was obvious that the fundamental story behind the film wasnt going to be something new to cinemagoers, but the tried and tested fish (or should that be bird in this case?) out of water narrative had proved extremely popular with audiences on a number of occasions. Therefore, who could blame 20th Century Fox for shifting their next animated feature and follow up to the incredibly popular Ice Age series in this sure-fired hit direction? 
Instead of rehashing the same old plot lines as other similar films have done, Rio is actually a stellar production that promotes positive messages and embodies a universally accessible theme. Viewers are given strong messages on the evil of capturing and selling exotic birds and how important it is to preserve the environment (particularly endangered species), but this never becomes overly preachy and instead sits on the back burner whilst other themes, such as those of belonging, unshakeable friendship and self-confidence come to the forefront. Whilst these underlying notions may be similar to a lot of recent favourite family features (Finding Nemo and A Turtles Tale spring immediately to mind), the exotic Rio de Janeiro setting helps open up a whole new world of animated beauty to viewers. Exoticism and striking imagery help make Rio an exciting and vibrant film despite the fact that narratively it isnt breaking many waves. Music is also heavily relied upon to transport viewers to the remarkably striking setting of Rios fabulous carnival and this Bluray release is certainly more of a spectacle than a simple film! The Brazilian beats blend with the lush animation and a narrative that is entertaining and humorous for both kids and adults alike, making this the most perfect family film to hit Blu-ray in the past few months QUALITY
The visual quality of Rio is stunning! Its not quite as flawless as Disneys recent Blu-ray releases of Tangled and Toy Story 3, but its still a beautiful transfer that Fox Home Entertainment offers audiences here. The odd moments of noticeable grain and subtle image distortion prevent this from being an entirely perfect print, but for the most part the images are clean, crisp and bursting with energy. The spectacular array of lush, tropical colours makes the screen literally burst into life with an intense vibrancy that can only be fully achieved in CGI animation. The colour palette lingers around luscious cerulean and aqua tones, effervescent pinks and reds, blazing yellows and lustrous greens, transporting viewers directly into the heart of the South American tropics and Brazils most infamous street party. Definition is immense, meaning that the tiniest of details are patently visible and its clear from this just how much work the films artists put in to create such a dense and multi-layered world within the realms of the film. Huge attention to detail has been paid to the creation of the bird characters (some may consider this at the creative expense of the human characters, who are less impressive for the most part), with feathers appearing almost as realistic as those on real life birds. The soundtrack is one of Rios most important elements and the audio on this Blu-ray release is essentially pitch perfect! Executive Music Producer Sergio Mendez has created an authentically Brazilian sounding film, again helping to transport viewers directly into the heart of the films setting. The original songs are catchy and enjoyable, whilst the original score is luscious, rich and deep. As would be expected, the dialogue is perfectly clean and clear throughout the narrative and never gets lost in the density of the music or ambient sounds. The mix between different audio planes is extremely proficient here, with the noisy and expressive carnival scenes being the most impressive through their filling of the full range of television speakers via a dense mixture of different sounds. Viewers will not be disappointed with the cacophony of audio pleasure Rio is sure to give! EXTRAS
Making the most of the space available on a Blu-ray release and actually including some of these special features on the accompanying DVD version as well (so many Triple Play releases dont bother), Rio sets the standard for exactly what can be achieved on a Blu-ray package. On both the Blu-ray and DVD, a plethora of special supplementary materials are introduced by Blu himself and theres definitely something to please everyone! Audiences will find the following housed on the Triple Play edition: Blu-ray: Rio de JAM-eiro Jukebox: Turn on this jukebox and watch only the musical numbers in the film. Perfect for getting to your favourite song faster! Carnival Dance-o-Rama Follow the steps on screen to dance along with a variety of characters as they do a little Samba NOT as easy as it looks! Explore the World of Rio Navigate through this interactive map and get to know the locations in Riobeaches, city, jungle and soccer stadium. Good fun, but I wouldnt recommend booking your next holiday on the basis of it Boom-Boom Tish Tish: The Sounds of Rio Led by musician Sergio Mendez, experience the sounds of Rio and the wonderful world of Brazilian music. Viewers will undoubtedly find it hard not to tap their feet to the rhythm of this interesting featurette. The Real Rio Explore the city of Rio de Janeiro with director Carlos Saldanha and members of his filmmaking team during early production on the film. This informative documentary allows viewers to make the connections between the crews initial research and the city they created in the final film. Saving the Species: One Voice at a Time From voice casting to animation, heres an insiders look at bringing the entertaining characters of Rio to life. Audiences will find this interesting featurette both entertaining and informative. The Making of Hot Wings Go behind the scenes of the making of this song with will.i.am and Jamie Foxx. An absorbing look at the creation of one of the films catchiest musical numbers! Deleted Scene: Fruit Stand Obviously, with the distinct lack of deleted scenes, everything created for Rio was good enough to make the final cut! In fact, this humorous deleted portion is strong enough to have made it as well! Music Videos Viewers can check out the animated casts video for Welcome to Rio and Taio Cruzs Telling the World. Create your own Postcards from Rio This BD Interactive exclusive allows viewers to use film clips and their favourite characters to build and save their very own electronic postcard from Rio. Definitely one for the kids, this will undoubtedly keep them entertained for hours! Angry Birds Videos Audiences will find the Nigel Mash Up, an Instructional video and trailer on the disc. The following bonus material is replicated on the Triple Play DVD disc: Deleted Scene: Fruit Stand Taio Cruz Telling the World music video Angry Birds Videos The digital download version of the film can also be accessed through this disc and allows viewers to transfer the film to iPods, iPads or other compatible devices for on the go! Both the Bluray Triple Play and DVD releases feature a unique code that allows purchasers to download up to a further 15 levels on their Angry Birds RIO apps. (These are compatible with PC, MAC, tablet and mobile phones ). Film: 4 out of 5 Combining enough humour aimed at adults, as well as entertainment for younger viewers, Rio is the perfect exotic family film. With solid messages about the environment, endangered species and the notion of family, the film is well meaning without preaching to audiences. Visuals: 4.5 out of 5 Rios most impressive visual aspect is the opulent colour spectrum used. The film captures the vibrancy of the Rio de Janeiro carnival spectacularly and colours are bold and rich on this Bluray release. 20th Century Foxs transfer looses half a point, however, as there are some mildly noticeable moments of grain. Audio: 5 out of 5 Music is extremely important to the narrative and the audio is certainly solid here. Dialogue is always crisp and clear, but the musical soundtrack makes the film come alive Filling the full range of speakers with a deep and rich sound, viewers will feel immersed in carnival! Extras: 4.5 out of 5 20th Century Fox have outdone themselves with this spectacular release. Rio is literally rammed with special features that will have viewers tied up for hours after watching the film! Theres a wide variety of supplementary material that means both adults and children will find something to take a gander at Presentation: 5 out of 5 The front cover of the cardboard sleeve indubitably captures the essence of the film. Bright, colourful and including a number of chief characters its an attractive design that will catch viewers eyes. The menus are well designed and easy to navigate. Plus, audiences who pop the Bluray disc into their players will find themselves treated to a comical short featuring Scrat (the long suffering squirrel from Ice Age, who never can get that acorn!) and an intro to the array of special features housed on the release. Overall: 5 out of 5 20th Century Foxs release of Rio is certainly one of the most comprehensive and well-designed Blu-ray packages to have hit shop shelves. A stellar film has been given a release that means it would be criminal not to add this to your Blu-ray collection! Rio is available now on Blu-ray.