Rio 2

Rio 2
A group of blue birds sitting on the head of a crocodile, that is submerged in a river Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Carlos Saldanha
Produced by	Bruce Anderson John C. Donkin
Screenplay by	Don Rhymer Carlos Kotkin Jenny Bicks Yoni Brenner
Story by	Carlos Saldanha
Based on	Characters by Carlos Saldanha Earl Richey Jones Todd Jones
Starring	Anne Hathaway Jesse Eisenberg Leslie Mann Rodrigo Santoro Andy García Bruno Mars Jemaine Clement Kristin Chenoweth George Lopez Tracy Morgan will.i.am Jamie Foxx
Music by	John Powell
Cinematography	Renato Falcão
Edited by	Harry Hitner
Production company	Blue Sky Studios 20th Century Fox Animation
Distributed by	20th Century Fox
Release dates	March 20, 2014 (2014-03-20) (International) April 11, 2014 (2014-04-11) (United States)
Running time	101 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English Portuguese
Budget	$103 million
Box office	$500.1 million

Rio 2 is a 2014 American 3D computer-animated musical adventure-comedy film produced by Blue Sky Studios and directed by Carlos Saldanha. It is the sequel to the 2011 computer-animated film Rio and the studio's first film to have a sequel outside of their existing Ice Age franchise. The title refers to the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro, where the first film was set and Rio 2 begins, though most of its plot occurs in the Amazon rainforest. Featuring the returning voices of Jesse Eisenberg, Anne Hathaway, will.i.am, Jamie Foxx, George Lopez, Tracy Morgan, Jemaine Clement, Leslie Mann, Rodrigo Santoro, and Jake T. Austin, the film was released internationally on March 20, 2014, and on April 11, 2014, in American theaters. The film received mixed reviews from critics, but was a commercial success.

Plot

Blue macaws Blu and Jewel, and their three children: Bia, Carla, and Tiago, are living happily in the city until Jewel realizes that her children are becoming more like humans. Meanwhile, Blu's former owner, Linda Gunderson and her ornithologist husband, Tulio are on an expedition in the Amazon and, after a fall down a waterfall, discover a quick-flying Spix's macaw that loses one of its feathers. When word gets out about this through television, Jewel believes that they should go to the Amazon to help find the blue macaws. While the kids are ecstatic, Blu is uncertain, but he is pressured into going along. Rafael, Nico and Pedro decide to come along. Luiz attempts to follow but fails. Blu brings a fanny pack full of supplies, one of which he uses mostly is a GPS, much to Jewel's displeasure.

Meanwhile, the leader of a group in a line of illegal logging named Big Boss, discovers Linda and Tulio's expedition to find the macaws and orders his henchmen to hunt them down to avoid disruptions to their work. Also, Blu and Jewel's old nemesis, Nigel the cockatoo, has survived the plane crash from the first film, but he is now unable to fly and is working as a fortune teller/con artist. When he sees Blu and his family flying overhead, he immediately decides to seek revenge on them. He enlists two minions to help him in his plans; a silent anteater named Charlie and a poison dart frog named Gabi, who is in love with Nigel. Blu and his family use a boat to get to the jungle (with Nigel's first plan of revenge being inadvertently foiled by Charlie); and, when they arrive, they find nothing. However, they are eventually taken to a flock of blue macaws that are hiding in a secret paradise land. There, they meet Jewel's stern long-lost father, Eduardo, his older sister Mimi, and Jewel's childhood friend, Roberto. Eduardo seems unimpressed with Blu's domesticated human behavior.

While searching for the macaws, Linda and Tulio are eventually trapped by the loggers. Meanwhile, Blu does his best to fit in with the flock, as his family and friends are doing, although the flock (especially Eduardo) are against humans and all things human. Meanwhile, a disguised Nigel plans to kill Blu at the new Carnival show after landing in an audition hosted by Rafael, Nico, Pedro, and Carla. When Blu tries to pick a Brazilian nut for Jewel, he accidentally tries to get it in the territory of the Spix macaw's enemies, the scarlet macaws, led by the hostile Felipe. Blu inadvertently causes war between the two tribes for food when he accidentally hits Felipe with a twig. The war turns out to be just like football (soccer), and Blu accidentally costs the flock the food when he sends the fruit ball into his own team's goal.

Blu visits Tulio and Linda's site, where he discovers that it has been majorly disturbed. After discovering the loggers are destroying the jungle, Blu sends Roberto (who followed Blu) to warn the flock as he saves Linda and Tulio. Blu persuades the macaws to defend their homes, and they easily outmatch the loggers with help from the scarlet macaws and the other animals. Big Boss tries to blow up the trees as a back-up plan, but Blu steals the lit dynamite. Nigel goes after Blu, and reveals himself as they are falling down when he tugs on the dynamite. After the dynamite goes off, Blu and Nigel engage in a battle while tangled in vines. Gabi and Charlie try to help Nigel by shooting Blu with a dart that has Gabi's poison on it, but it accidentally hits Nigel, who gives a Shakespearean death speech before seemingly dying. Gabi tries to commit suicide by drinking her own poison and the pair are seemingly dead. However, Bia reveals that Gabi isn't poisonous at all (she was lied to by her parents that she was). Nigel tries to attack Blu one last time, but Gabi showers Nigel with affection against his will. Meanwhile, Big Boss is eaten alive by a boa constrictor.

With the flock now under Linda and Tulio's protection, Blu and Jewel decide to live in the Amazon with their kids and friends, though still agreeing to visit Rio in the summer. Meanwhile, Nigel and Gabi are captured by Tulio, and are both sent back to Rio. Luiz finally arrives in the Amazon after hitching a ride with Kipo, and Charlie joins the birds' party.

Cast

Anne Hathaway at the film's screening at Nickelodeon studios in Burbank, California.

• Jesse Eisenberg as Blu, a male Spix's macaw from Moose Lake and Jewel's mate
• Anne Hathaway as Jewel, a female Spix's macaw from Rio de Janeiro and Blu's mate
• Leslie Mann as Linda Gunderson Monteiro, an American woman who adopted Blu for 15 years and Tulio's wife.
• Rodrigo Santoro as Dr. Tulio Monteiro, a Brazilian ornithologist and Linda's husband
• Andy García as Eduardo, Jewel's father
• Rachel Crow as Carla, Blu and Jewel's music-loving, older daughter
• Amandla Stenberg as Bia, Blu and Jewel's intelligent, younger daughter
• Pierce Gagnon as Tiago, Blu and Jewel's youngest, mischievous, and only son
• Jemaine Clement as Nigel, a sadistic sulphur-crested cockatoo who seeks revenge on Blu for crippling his ability to fly
• George Lopez as Rafael, a romantic toco toucan fond of the Rio Carnival, Eva's mate
• will.i.am as Pedro, a rapping red-crested cardinal
• Jamie Foxx as Nico, a smooth and charismatic yellow canary that wears a bottle-cap hat, close friend to Pedro
• Bruno Mars as Roberto, Jewel's suave childhood friend
• Rita Moreno as Mimi, Eduardo's older sister and Jewel's aunt
• Kristin Chenoweth as Gabi, a poison dart frog and Nigel's sidekick
• Jake T. Austin as Fernando, Linda and Tulio's adopted son
• Tracy Morgan as Luiz, a bulldog and a chainsaw expert with a drooling condition
• Bebel Gilberto as Eva, a keel-billed toucan and Rafael's mate
• Natalie Morales as a news anchor
• Janelle Monáe as Dr. Monae, a veterinarian
• Philip Lawrence as Felipe, a male scarlet macaw and the hostile leader of a tribe who has a rivalry and territorial dispute with the Spix's macaws

Production

On January 25, 2012, while speaking to the Associated Press, Sérgio Mendes who co-wrote a song for the first film spoke about the sequel, saying: "I think the plan is for the movie to come three or four months before the World Cup. Fox has been talking about (it) and it looks like it's going to happen. We're going to have a meeting I think next week and Carlos is coming to town to tell us the story, and it looks like it's a go." In April 2012, Deadline.com reported that Jesse Eisenberg had signed up to reprise his role as Blu, and Anne Hathaway had also signed on to reprise her role as Jewel. In October 2012, Variety stated that Carlos Saldanha had officially signed a five-year deal with 20th Century Fox that allows him to helm live-action and/or animated films, with the sequel being part of that contractual agreement.

Don Rhymer, screenplay writer of the first film, died on November 28, 2012 during the writing phase of the sequel, from head and neck cancer. In January 2013, Rodrigo Santoro confirmed his return to voice ornithologist Tulio Monteiro, as well as hinting that the sequel's setting will involve the Amazon. 20th Century Fox and Blue Sky unveiled the first teaser trailer at the annual Las Vegas, Nevada CinemaCon on April 18, 2013. On May 14, 2013, that same trailer was released online worldwide, and attached with Epic. Entertainer Bruno Mars joined the cast as Roberto after director Carlos Saldanha caught his performance on Saturday Night Live. During production, Mars offered his own personal touches that better shaped his character's physical appearance, personality, and voice.

Release

File:Rodrigo Santoro, Sergio Mendes, Rio 2 press junket.jpg

Rodrigo Santoro, who voices Tulio, and the soundtrack's producer Sérgio Mendes at the film's press event.

The film was released to international theaters on March 20, 2014. The film's premiere was held in Miami, Florida on March 20, 2014. The film was released in the United States on April 11, 2014.

Marketing

Under the supervision of 20th Century Fox—with director Carlos Saldanha and music composer John Powell—the film's natural hometown of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil used the film as a tie-in promotion for the 2014 New Year's Eve celebration at Copacabana Beach.

Three of four Angry Birds Rio episodes — all visually tied to Rio 2 — have been released. The first, "Rocket Rumble", was released in December 2013, the second, "High Dive", in February 2014, and the third, "Blossom River", in April 2014. In April 2014, Kohl's began selling Blu, Gabi, and Luiz plush toys as a part of their Kohl’s Cares merchandise program.

Home media

Rio 2 was released on Blu-ray (2D and 3D) and DVD on July 15, 2014. The Target exclusive comes with a Blu plush toy. A limited sing-along edition of the film was released on Blu-ray and DVD on November 4, 2014.

Reception

Critical response

Review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a score of 48% based on reviews from 105 critics, with an average rating of 5.4/10. The site's consensus reads: "Like most sequels, Rio 2 takes its predecessor's basic template and tries to make it bigger—which means it's even busier, more colorful, and ultimately more exhausting for viewers outside the youthful target demographic." Another review aggregation website, Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 top reviews from mainstream critics, calculated a score of 49 out of 100 based on 34 reviews, which indicates mixed or average reviews.

Mark Adams of Screen Daily said, "As a delightfully bright and breezy bit of 3D animated entertainment Rio 2 hits the sweet spot, and will no doubt be a box office hit with its blend of good-natured jungle adventure, songs and gags. The only frustrating thing is that it feels very much like a by-the-numbers sequel, lacking the verve, ebullience and left-field humour that made 2011’s Rio such a surprise hit." Justin Lowe of The Hollywood Reporter said, "This rumble in the jungle adds a colorful cast of rain-forest creatures to the franchise's infectious sense of frivolity." Justin Chang of Variety said, "Domestic and ecological dramas abound in this bright, noisy, overstuffed sequel to Fox's 2011 surprise hit." Tom Huddleston of Time Out gave the film three out of five stars, saying "There are problems here ... but the characterisation is feisty and memorable, the song-and-dance sequences intricate and colourful, and it'll charm the socks off little people." Kyle Smith of the New York Post gave the film two and a half stars out of four, saying "Rio 2 is not what I would call Amazon prime, but it's got enough silly songs and daffy critters to keep the little ones happy." Claudia Puig of USA Today gave the film two out of four stars, saying "Rio 2 teems with colorful animated splendor and elaborate musical numbers, but its rambling, hectic, if good-hearted, story is for the birds." Richard Corliss of Time gave the film a positive review, saying "Even when it's coarse and calculating, this is an eager entertainment machine that will keep the kids satisfied. Just don't tell them that the Rio movies are musical comedies about an avian genocide."

Elizabeth Weitzman of the New York Daily News gave the film three out of five stars, saying "We're grading on a sliding scale here. But if Rio 2 is hardly Pixar quality, it's certainly better than the average animated sequel." Peter Hartlaub of the San Francisco Chronicle gave the film two out of four stars, saying "It's like the last Hobbit movie - so much time passes between side plots that you have to jog the memory when a minor character appears again. Who's that toucan again? Is he a bad guy?" Bill Goodykoontz of The Arizona Republic gave the film three out of four stars, saying "An agreeable song-and-dance movie, a laugh here, a laugh there, pleasant but overly busy, for seemingly no real reason other than to throw a few more set pieces at the wall to see what sticks." Jessica Herndon of the Associated Press gave the film three out of four stars, saying "With so much going on, it's a wonder this kids' movie is only five minutes longer than the original. But for the music and brilliantly picturesque look, it's worth the 3-D ticket." Stephanie Merry of The Washington Post gave the film two out of four stars, saying "All in all, though, the movie feels at once too busy and too derivative. That's no easy feat, but it's also one sequel-makers probably shouldn't aspire to." Bruce Demara of the Toronto Star gave the film two and a half stars out of four, saying "Those who enjoyed the adventures of Blu and Jewel and company in the first Rio are going to find the sequel an equally pleasing diversion."

Tom Russo of The Boston Globe gave the film two out of four stars, saying "The story flows, but not always freely, thanks to its manufactured feel." Jeannette Catsoulis of The New York Times gave the film a negative review, saying "The cinematic equivalent of attack by kaleidoscope, Rio 2 sucks you in and whirls you around before spitting you out, exhausted." Betsy Sharkey of the Los Angeles Times gave the film a negative review, saying "Wonderfully animated and well-voiced, Rio 2 is nevertheless too much. Too much plot, too many issues, too many characters." Bill Zwecker of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film three out of four stars, saying "It's as good as the first one and sure to please both the kiddies and adults with its two-tiered humor." Tirdad Derakhshani of The Philadelphia Inquirer gave the film two out of four stars, saying "It'll keep the kids content for a couple of hours, though it's likely to bore the grown-ups." Liam Lacey of The Globe and Mail gave the film three out of four stars, saying "Rio 2 (like Fox’s Ice Age series) relies on derivative plotting and slapstick visual gags, in contrast to Pixar’s more cerebral originality. Where the film excels though, in an even more pronounced way than the first film, is in the choreographed animation for the musical numbers." Alonso Duralde of The Wrap gave the film a negative review, saying "The musical moments, on the whole, stand out as the highlights of the film; Rio 2 becomes watchable when the flat characters shut up and sing."

Rafer Guzman of Newsday gave the film one and a half stars out of four, saying "The movie has one goal: to amuse the most children with the least amount of effort." Steve Persall of the Tampa Bay Times gave the film a B+, saying "Like its peppy predecessor, Rio 2 doesn't look or sound like other animated licenses to print money. That alone is reason enough to appreciate it." Kevin McFarland of The A.V. Club gave the film a C, saying "Like the first film, Rio 2 is almost oppressively bright, bombarding the screen with flashes of saturated rainforest colors and even a bird version of soccer (timed a bit too perfectly to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil)." Mike McCahill of The Guardian gave the film two out of five stars, saying "It's hard to ascribe much art or wit to a franchise that retains the services of will.i.am as comic relief – and a thoroughly inorganic talent-show subplot feels like another attempt to groom youngsters for life in the Cowell jungle." Robbie Collin of The Daily Telegraph gave the film two out of five stars, saying "This jumbled sequel, which was also directed by Carlos Saldanha, loses most of what made the first film such an infectious entertainment." Eric Henderson of Slant Magazine gave the film one out of five stars, saying "Though there isn't a fruit-flavored hue that isn't jammed into every single corner of screen space in Rio 2, the movie has less actual nutritional value than 10 bowls of crushed Froot Loops dust. 20th Century Fox's sequel to the already dubious 2011 film would seem far too endlessly hyperventilating and self-stimulating a way to keep kids from barreling toward a spaz attack on a Saturday afternoon."

Box office

Rio 2 grossed $131,538,435 in North America, and $368,188,435 in other territories, for a worldwide total of $500,188,435, surpassing its predecessor. In North America, the film earned $12 million on its opening day, and opened to number two in its first weekend, with $39,327,869, behind Captain America: The Winter Soldier. In its second weekend, the film dropped to number three, grossing an additional $22,159,742. In its third weekend, the film dropped to number three, grossing $13,881,457. In its fourth weekend, the film dropped to number five, grossing $7,711,952. Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment donated $100,000 to WWF to support conservation efforts in the Amazon.

Accolades

Awards
Award	Category	Recipients and nominees	Result
British Academy Children's Awards	BAFTA Kid's Vote - Film in 2014		Nominated
Annie Awards	Outstanding Achievement, Character Design in an Animated Feature Production	Sang Jun Lee, Jason Sadler, José Manuel Fernandez Oli	Nominated
	Outstanding Achievement, Storyboarding in an Animated Feature Production	John Hurst	Nominated
	Outstanding Achievement, Storyboarding in an Animated Feature Production	Rodrigo Perez-Castro	Nominated
	Outstanding Achievement, Voice Acting in an Animated Feature Production	Andy Garcia as the voice of Eduardo	Nominated
Kids' Choice Awards	Favorite Animated Movie		Nominated
People's Choice Awards	Favorite Family Movie		Nominated
Visual Effects Society Awards	Outstanding Animation in an Animated Feature Motion Picture	Carlos Saldanha, Bruce Anderson, John C. Donkin, Kirk Garfield	Nominated
	Outstanding Animated Character in an Animated Feature Motion Picture	Gabi—Jason Sadler, Ignacio Barrios, Drew Winey, Diana Diriwaechter	Nominated
Satellite Awards	Best Original Song	"What is Love"—Janelle Monáe	Nominated
Hollywood Film Awards	Hollywood Song Award	"What is Love"—Janelle Monáe	Won

Music

Soundtrack

Rio 2: Music from the Motion Picture
Soundtrack album by Various Artists
Released	March 25, 2014 (2014-03-25)
Genre	Pop, Latin, alternative hip hop
Length	39:07
Label	Atlantic Records
Producer	Sérgio Mendes, John Powell
Blue Sky Studios film soundtrack chronology
Epic (2013)Epic2013 Rio 2 (2014) The Peanuts Movie (2015)The Peanuts Movie2015
Singles from Rio 2: Music from the Motion Picture
"What Is Love" Released: March 4, 2014

A soundtrack for the film was released on March 25, 2014, by Atlantic Records. It was promoted by the single "What Is Love", performed by Janelle Monáe.

Track listing

No.	Title	Performers	Length
1.	"What Is Love"	Janelle Monáe	3:31
2.	"Rio Rio" (featuring B.o.B)	Ester Dean	2:41
3.	"Beautiful Creatures"	Barbatuques, Andy García, and Rita Moreno	2:07
4.	"Welcome Back"	Bruno Mars	1:08
5.	"Ô Vida"	Carlinhos Brown and Nina De Freitas	1:47
6.	"It's a Jungle Out Here" (featuring Uakti; Brazilian Version)	Philip Lawrence	3:59
7.	"Don't Go Away" (featuring Uakti)	Anne Hathaway and Flavia Maia	2:38
8.	"Batucada Familia"	Carlinhos Brown, Siedah Garrett, Jamie Foxx, Rachel Crow, Amy Heidemann, Andy García, and Rita Moreno	2:42
9.	"Poisonous Love"	Kristin Chenoweth and Jemaine Clement	3:30
10.	"I Will Survive"	Jemaine Clement and Kristin Chenoweth	1:51
11.	"Bola Viva"	Carlinhos Brown	3:22
12.	"Favo De Mel"	Milton Nascimento	3:08
13.	"It's a Jungle Out Here"	Philip Lawrence	4:00
14.	"What Is Love"	Janelle Monáe, Anne Hathaway, Jesse Eisenberg, Jamie Foxx, and Carlinhos Brown	2:43
Total length:			39:07

Charts

Chart (2014)	Peak position
US Billboard 200	124
US Soundtracks	4

Score

Rio 2
Film score by John Powell
Released	April 8, 2014
Recorded	2014
Genre	Score
Label	Sony Classical
John Powell film scores chronology
Ice Age: Continental Drift (2012)Ice Age: Continental Drift2012 Rio 2 (2014) How to Train Your Dragon 2 (2014)How to Train Your Dragon 22014

An additional album featuring John Powell's original score was released on April 8, 2014 by Sony Classical.

Track listing

All music composed by John Powell, except as noted.

No.	Title	Length
1.	"20th Century Fox Fanfare (Samba Version)" (composed by Alfred Newman)	0:24
2.	"Batucada People"	1:35
3.	"Over the Falls" (featuring Milton Nascimento)	3:39
4.	"Breakfast in Rio"	3:08
5.	"Fireworks on the Roof" (featuring Uakti)	1:27
6.	"Traveling Family"	1:59
7.	"Sideshow Freaks" (featuring Uakti)	3:08
8.	"Stalking the Ferry"	2:06
9.	"River Boat on the Loggers" (featuring Carlinhos Brown and Uakti)	2:59
10.	"Escorted to the Clan" (featuring Uakti and Barbatuques)	5:40
11.	"Up Carla's Monkey" (featuring Uakti)	2:15
12.	"Spider Invite" (featuring Uakti and Barbatuques)	2:46
13.	"Humans Are Longer Than They Told Me" (featuring Uakti)	2:23
14.	"Tongue-apult to Blu's Nightmare"	2:08
15.	"Red Bullies" (featuring Uakti)	3:19
16.	"Tantrums Lead to Explosions" (featuring Uakti)	3:42
17.	"Lollipops Are Bad for Your Teeth" (featuring Milton Nascimento, Uakti and Barbatuques)	3:55
18.	"Battle for the Heart of the Forest"	4:45
19.	"Romeo and Juliet's Unfortunate Demise" (featuring Uakti and Barbatuques)	3:52
Total length:		55:10

Possible sequel

Director Carlos Saldanha has kept the possibility for a Rio 3 open. He has stated, "Of course, I have a lot of stories to tell, so we're [starting to] prepare for it."

External links

• Official website
• Rio 2 at IMDb
• Rio 2 at Box Office Mojo
• Rio 2 at Rotten Tomatoes
• Rio 2 at Metacritic