Rio grates, sags

As befits an animated film set in Rio De Janeiro during Carnavale, Rio is a throbbing combination of rhythm and colour. The samba beats and tie-dyed palette comes in the service of a story about a nerdy blue macaw (Jesse Eisenberg) who’s yanked from domesticated life in Minnesota and brought to Brazil to mate with the only other member of his species (Anne Hathaway). Sexy time is interrupted by a band of bird smugglers and their fearsome feathered partner Nigel (Jemaine Clement). The movie sags in the middle, Eisenberg’s geek-with-a-beak vocals are grating and the music is of the mindless, repetitive variety that made the Black Eyed Peas famous (fittingly, Will.I.Am has a supporting role). Kids will like the rich, pretty colours. Adults will be checking their watches frequently.