If Jesse Eisenberg’s acting persona normally perpetuates awkward, his bird-nerd in Rio takes the slightly anti-social appeal and twists it into something almost unwatchable. I say "almost" because Rio’s scenescapes are beautiful and its side characters make up for its unappealing leads. I still don't think it's worth a $39.99 disc price, but don’t wholly take my word for it; if you are an animation lover who is more into the art than the story, Rio, from the creators of Ice Age, might be one of the more interesting summer movie purchases you ever buy.
Fox Home Entertainment is allowing Rio to fly precariously onto DVD and Blu-Ray on August 2. The film, which follows a couple of rare birds as they escape the greedy clutches of human rogues, will unfortunately not be getting a 3D release. Which is a shame because the visuals were absolutely the most appealing part of the movie. What Rio will be getting is an extensive three-disc “Party Edition” featuring a Blu-Ray, DVD, and digital copy. Standard editions will also be available. Other extras are included, below.
Rio “Party Edition” Extras
• “Explore the World of Rio”
• “Blu Shows the Way”
• “Boom-Boom Tish Tish”
• “The Making of Hot Wings”
• “Saving the Species: One Voice at a Time”
• “The Real Rio”
• “Welcome to Rio” music video
• deleted scene
• “Postcards from Rio”
• a Carnival Dance O Rama
• Jukebox, aptly called “Rio de Jam-eiro”
• trailer for Angry Birds Rio
• Angry Bird’s “Nigel Mashup”
• Angry Bird’s Instructional video
There’s no mention in the press release, but I’m betting the damn saber-toothed squirrel from Ice Age shows up on the disc at least once.
