Rio (20th Century Fox/ Blue Sky)

Synopsis: From the makers of the hit ICE AGE series comes RIO, a comedy adventure about taking a walk on the wild side. Blu is a domesticated Macaw who never learned to fly, living a comfortable life with his owner and best friend Linda in the small town of...  Blu (voice of Jesse Eisenberg) is a domesticated Macaw who never learned to fly, living a comfortable life with his owner and best friend Linda (voice of Leslie Mann) in the small town of Moose Lake, Minnesota. Blu and Linda think he's the last of his kind, but when they learn about another Macaw, they head to the faraway and exotic land of Rio de Janeiro to find Jewel (voice of Anne Hathaway), Blu's female counterpart. Not long after they arrive, Blu and Jewel are kidnapped by a group of bungling animal smugglers. With the help of street smart Jewel, and a group of wise-cracking and smooth-talking city birds, Blu escapes. Now, with his new friends by his side, Blu will have to find the courage to learn to fly, thwart the kidnappers who are hot on their trail, and return to Linda, the best friend a bird ever had. From the makers of the Ice Age series, Rio, directed by Carlos Saldanha, also features the voice talents of George Lopez, Jamie Foxx, Tracy Morgan, Jemaine Clement and Will I Am.

My Take:  Did you like Ice Age and Robots? Then you'll most likely enjoy Rio. The story is pretty straightforward and predictable, but that's kind of what you expect from a cutesy family film. The story is nice and the characters are fun and engaging, but the real draw is the animation. With the vibrant colors and stunning scenery, this film really takes advantage of the big screen. Carnival looks amazing, and the 3D effect really highlights the depth and beauty of the fly-over scenes. This is truly Saldanha's homage to his homeland. 

The story is your basic fish-out-of-water and boy-meets-girl mix, with a bit of underlying social commentary about exotic animal trafficking. Even a homeless boy is a pivotal character. It moves along pretty well, slowing a bit in the middle, before ramping things up a bit at the end. Eisenberg (The Social Network, Zombieland) plays the neurotic Blu to a T, without overdoing it and becoming annoying, Hathaway (The Princess Diaries, Love and Other Drugs) does her usual bang-up job, and Clement (Flight of the Concords, Dinner for Schmucks) is excellent as the evil Nigel. The rest of the cast is your typical stereotype filler, but are enjoyable, none the less. 

The only real detraction is for the musical numbers. It's not that they"re intrusive, or inappropriate in any way, the issue is that they're boring and unforgettable.  "Under The Sea" and "A Whole New World" these are not. You won't be singing them at work on Monday.

Verdict: Rio cute, it's predictable and it looks great. Sounds like a kids movie to me! You'll like it and so will your kids. And, since there is a lack of DECENT family movies out right now, upgrade to 3D, if only for the breathtaking fly-over of Rio. (Childless adults can wait for the DVD... unless you're into watching kids movies alone... I won't judge.)


My Rating: See it


Genre:Animation, Family, Adventure, Comedy
Rated:G - for mild, off-color humor
Run time:  1hr 36min

Scream 4 (Dimension Films)

Synopsis: Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell), now the author of a self-help book, returns home to Woodsboro on the last stop of her book tour. There she reconnects with Sheriff Dewey (David Arquette) and Gale (Courteney Cox-Arquette), who are now married, as well as her cousin Jill (Emma Roberts) and her Aunt Kate (Mary McDonnell). Unfortunately Sidney's appearance also brings about the return of Ghostface, putting Sidney and the gang, along with the whole town of Woodsboro, in danger. Written by series creator Kevin Williamson and directed by Wes Craven, the film stars also include, Hayden Panettiere, Rory Culkin, Anthony Anderson, Adam Brody, Marley Shelton, Nico Tortorella, Kristen Bell, Anna Paquin and Lucy Hale.

My take: Been there.... Done that.... Oh, that was new.... Been there.... Done that... Get the hint? Well, that's the point of this film. Even the opening sequence rips on and deconstructs opening sequences, right before it falls into its own clichéd opening. Fans of the series will be happy to see original writer Kevin Williamson behind the pen again. This film is more reminiscent of the original Scream than the lackluster Scream 3. Throughout the story, the characters pick apart the clichés of the previous 3 films while giving away all the surprises of this one. 

The actors are plentiful in name, which helps hide the identity of the killer(s), since any one of them could be it. Each character is given enough time to give them a little depth, but not enough to be fully invested. Luckily, half the cast are return veterans, so they've been developed already. Unfortunately, the story isn't as well constructed as the cast, and the film seems to split in two, where one story follows the adults and the other follows the kids. The end results being a disjointed and muddled middle of what is, otherwise, an ok movie.

Verdict: This film feels like a warm, familiar hug...  from your uncle... that hangs on too long and begins to make you feel uncomfortable. I mean, they spend so much energy dissing the clichés they helped create, only to spend the rest of the film being mostly predictable. But, there is enough newness here to keep the fans happy.

Rating: Rent it

Genre:  Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Rating: R - for strong, bloody violence, language and some teen drinking
Run time: 103min.