It’s fun time again

So, it’s fun time again with an infinite variety of winged creatures swarming all over us and lighting up the Amazon rain forest for thats where the macaw family is headed for, to be away from the urban drudgery of Rio de Janeiro, in ‘Rio 2 3D’ the sequel. Our family comprises male spix macaw Blu (voice of Jessie Eisenberg), female spix macaw Jewel or Jiju (Anne Hathaway), daughters Carla (Rachel Crowe) and Bea (Amanda Stenbeg) and free-spirited son Tiago (Pierce Gagnon). Eduard (Andy Garcia) is Jewels crusty old dad who just abhors human beings.

Linda (Leslie Mann) is the girl who adopted Blu for 15 years and is now married to Brazilian ornithologist Tulio Monteiro (Rodrigo Santora) and they own the rain forest. But the macaws have a plethora of friends both winged and human Theres Roberto (Bruno Mars), Jijus childhood friend, a yellow canary Nico (Jamie Foxx), Pedro (Will I am) and of course Nigel (Jermaine Clement), the evil and sadistic cockatoo. Not surprisingly these winged creatures are pitted against man and development that is fast destroying the greenery with giant saws et al. Hence the eco friendly is on (with crusty Eduard chipping in his two cents worth) without being unduly didactic and the viewer is lulled into the right rustic frame of mind.

Now to the nitty-gritty. Director Carlos Saldanha sets the mood with John Powells rappy music embellished by fetching choreography to set the rain forest aflame with colour. There are also some cute lines like good life, good wife and similar rhymes. The animated characters are expressive without being over-elaborate but the accent is on action with no one dominating centre stage. It is a breezy romp through the forest with the spix macaws slowly but surely growing on the viewer. And before one realizes it 101 minutes are up and there’s a tinge of sadness that seeps into the psyche of the viewer when the curtain comes down.