With Rio, Blue Sky studios is efficiently racking up impressive animated winners (The studio made the Ice Age series and Horton Hears A Who). This film about the last male blue macaw feeling out of place in his city of origin is a keeper.

Blu (Jesse Eisenberg) is brought from Moose Lake, Minnesota to Rio De Janeiro to preserve the blue macaw species. Along with his owner Linda (Leslie Mann), the trip to Brazil wasn't exactly a walk in the park when the other blue macaw (Anne Hathaway) would rather go back into the jungle than stay in captivity. Things get a little too interesting for the two birds when they are captured and chained together by poachers, but then escape. Against the festive backdrop of the Rio Carnival, they meet funny characters in their journey to get separated and go back to their respective homes.

The film mixes music into the story and the result is great. It also gets extra brownie points for getting Brazilian legend Sergio Mendes to contribute music to the soundtrack! On the downside, the 3D effects in the movie are not that impressive compared to other animated films, but it's forgivable.

Rio is a feathered gem that the whole family will surely like for its music and authentic Brazilian theme.