Rio (2011 film) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rio |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Carlos Saldanha |
| Produced by |
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| Screenplay by |
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| Story by |
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| Starring | |
| Music by | John Powell |
| Cinematography | Renato Falcão |
| Editing by | Harry Hitner |
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| Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
| Release date(s) | March 22, 2011 (Lagoa, Rio de Janeiro) April 15, 2011 (United States) |
| Running time | 96 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $90 million |
| Money made | $484.6 million |
Rio is a fun animated movie from 2011. It's a musical adventure comedy made by Blue Sky Studios and 20th Century Fox Animation. The film was directed by Carlos Saldanha.
The story of Rio is set in the lively city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It's about a special bird named Blu. He is a male Spix's macaw, a very rare type of blue parrot. Blu grew up as a pet and can't fly! He travels to Rio to meet Jewel, a wild female Spix's macaw. They need to help save their species.
The movie features the voices of famous actors like Jesse Eisenberg (as Blu) and Anne Hathaway (as Jewel). Other stars include Leslie Mann, Jemaine Clement, George Lopez, and Jamie Foxx. Blu and Jewel get into a big adventure. They fall in love and have to escape from smugglers who want to sell them.
Rio was a big hit when it came out. It earned a lot of money and got good reviews. People loved the amazing animation, the voice acting, the characters, and the music. The movie was even nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song for "Real in Rio." A sequel, Rio 2, was released a few years later.
Contents
Story of Blu and Jewel
Blu's Early Life
The movie begins in the beautiful jungles of Brazil. A baby blue macaw is taken from his home. He ends up in Moose Lake, Minnesota, far away from Brazil. A kind girl named Linda Gunderson finds him. She names him Blu and raises him as her pet.
Fifteen years later, Blu is a very happy but unusual bird. He lives in Linda's bookstore and loves being a pet. The only problem is, he never learned to fly! He's also a bit clumsy and gets teased by the local geese.
A Trip to Rio
One day, a bird expert named Túlio Monteiro visits Linda. He tells her that Blu is the last known male of his kind. Túlio asks Linda to bring Blu to Rio de Janeiro. There, Blu can meet Jewel, the last known female Spix's macaw. The hope is that they will mate and help save their species.
Linda and Blu travel to Rio. At Túlio's bird sanctuary, Blu meets Jewel. She is beautiful and wild, and she loves to fly freely. Blu, who can't fly and loves his comfy cage, is very different from Jewel. They don't get along at first.
Captured by Smugglers
One night, while Linda and Túlio are out, Blu and Jewel are captured. A young boy named Fernando and a mean sulphur-crested cockatoo named Nigel steal them. They work for a group of animal smugglers led by Marcel. The smugglers want to sell the rare birds illegally.
Nigel, the cockatoo, is especially nasty. He hates "pretty birds" because he used to be a TV star but was replaced by a parakeet. He enjoys making Blu and Jewel miserable. Luckily, Blu knows how to open cages. He and Jewel escape, but their legs are chained together. This means they have to travel on foot!
New Friends and Adventures
Fernando soon feels bad about what he did. He decides to help Linda and Túlio find Blu and Jewel. Meanwhile, Blu and Jewel meet some new friends. They meet Rafael, a friendly toco toucan, and his bulldog friend, Luiz. Luiz is supposed to help them get rid of the chain.
Rafael tries to teach Blu how to fly, but it's hard. They also meet Pedro, a red-crested cardinal, and Nico, a yellow canary. These two birds are very musical and love to party. Nigel, the mean cockatoo, sends a group of thieving marmosets to catch Blu and Jewel.
Falling in Love
To help Blu and Jewel get along, Pedro and Nico take them to a big samba dance party. Blu and Jewel start to have fun and even begin to like each other. But the marmosets show up, and the birds have to escape on a tram.
Linda and Túlio find out that the smugglers plan to use the Rio Carnival parade to sneak the birds out of the country. Blu and his friends finally meet Luiz, who uses his drool to help them slip out of their chain. Jewel is so happy to be free that she flies off into the sky. Blu feels sad because he thinks he will hold Jewel back. They have a small argument and go their separate ways.
The Big Rescue
Nigel captures Jewel. Blu, Rafael, Nico, and Pedro rush to the parade to save her. But they also get caught by Nigel and the smugglers. Linda and Túlio dress up in macaw costumes to try and stop the smugglers. They try their best but can't stop the plane from taking off.
Inside the plane, Blu uses a fire extinguisher to break out of his cage. He quickly frees the other birds. Blu still can't fly, but he jumps after Jewel when she falls out of the plane. He tells her he won't leave her. Jewel kisses Blu, and in that moment, Blu finally learns to fly! He carries Jewel to safety, where Linda and Túlio are waiting.
Happy Ending
At the end of the movie, Linda and Túlio adopt Fernando. They all live in a jungle sanctuary in Brazil. Blu and Jewel become a couple and have three cute chicks. They celebrate with all their friends. The smugglers are arrested and sent to jail. Nigel, the mean cockatoo, survives the crash but loses his feathers, and the marmosets make fun of him. Everyone lives happily ever after in Rio!
Voice Actors in Rio
Many talented actors lent their voices to the characters in Rio:
- Jesse Eisenberg is the voice of Blu, the male Spix's macaw who can't fly.
- Anne Hathaway voices Jewel, the wild and free female Spix's macaw.
- will.i.am plays Pedro, a cool red-crested cardinal.
- Jamie Foxx is Nico, a yellow canary who loves samba.
- George Lopez voices Rafael, the wise and fun-loving toucan.
- Tracy Morgan is Luiz, the drooling bulldog who helps the birds.
- Jemaine Clement plays Nigel, the grumpy sulphur-crested cockatoo.
- Leslie Mann is Linda Gunderson, the kind girl who adopted Blu.
- Rodrigo Santoro voices Dr. Túlio Monteiro, the bird expert.
- Jake T. Austin is Fernando, the boy who helps the smugglers at first.
- Carlos Ponce plays Marcel, the leader of the bird smugglers.
- Jane Lynch and Wanda Sykes voice Alice and Chloe, two Canada geese.
How Rio Was Made
Creating the World of Rio
The director, Carlos Saldanha, first thought of the idea for Rio in 2005. He is from Rio de Janeiro, so he wanted to show the beauty of his home city. He and his team visited Rio to see all the famous places. They also studied macaws at the Bronx Zoo to make sure the birds' movements looked real.
Choosing the Voices
The main voice actors were chosen in 2009. Jesse Eisenberg was picked to voice Blu. He recorded his lines while also filming another movie. He said it was a fun change from his serious role. Anne Hathaway, who voiced Jewel, had actually worked with Jesse Eisenberg before when they were teenagers!
The Music of Rio
Music is a huge part of Rio. The filmmakers brought in a famous Brazilian musician named Sérgio Mendes to help. He worked with the film's composer, John Powell, and other artists like will.i.am. The movie's soundtrack was released in April 2011. It featured songs from the movie and other Brazilian and American musicians.
Release and Success
Rio first premiered in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on March 22, 2011. It was then released in the United States on April 15, 2011. The movie was a big success! It earned over $484 million worldwide.
Fun Promotions
To promote the movie, there were some cool partnerships. Oreo cookies made special blue cream cookies. There was also a popular mobile game called Angry Birds Rio. In this game, the Angry Birds characters went on an adventure in Rio. McDonald's also had Rio toys in their Happy Meals.
Home Entertainment
Rio was released on DVD and Blu-ray in July 2011 in Brazil and August 2011 in North America. Many families bought the movie to watch at home. It was also available on streaming services like Disney+.
Video Games Based on Rio
There were two video games released based on the film:
- A game called Rio was released by THQ on April 12, 2011. It was available for the Wii, Nintendo DS, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360.
- The popular mobile game Angry Birds Rio was released in March 2011.
The Rio Movie Family
The Sequel: Rio 2
A sequel to the movie, called Rio 2, came out on April 11, 2014. Carlos Saldanha returned as director. Most of the original voice actors also came back. In Rio 2, Blu, Jewel, and their three kids go on an adventure to the Amazon rainforest. They discover a hidden tribe of other Spix's macaws, including Jewel's long-lost father! But their old enemy, Nigel the cockatoo, is back for revenge.
Future Rio Movies?
The director, Carlos Saldanha, has said that he has more stories to tell about the Rio characters. There have been talks about a third Rio movie being developed. There was also an idea for a spin-off movie about Nico and Pedro, the musical bird friends.
Rio: The 4-D Experience
There's even a special 12-minute movie called Rio: The 4-D Experience. It's shown at different 4-D theaters around the world. It makes you feel like you're part of the movie with special effects!
See also
In Spanish: Río (película) para niños
