The Movie
Rio made a fairly specific bit of home video history over the summer, ranking as the bestselling family title ever for an August release, when tabulating Blu-ray and DVD figures together, with more than 2.5 million units sold within just the first six days. It did not however shatter the Chiarella Family record of most-times-watched-in-a-24-hour period, a standard set by Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel, another Fox Home Entertainment title. We did come close though, with viewings that transitioned from home to car to portable device. (Gotta love those multi-disc combo packs.) Even my mother, something of a curmudgeon about her movie fare, admits to enjoying Rio, and she plans to watch it again.
Fox has since issued Rio in a four-disc package which now includes a Blu-ray 3D, enabling properly equipped home viewers to experience the hit movie as it played this past spring in properly equipped big-screen theaters.
This remains the tale of a neurotic blue macaw who also happens to be the last male of his species, and so he and his owner wing on down to sunny Rio de Janeiro so that he may do what needs to be done in order to make more blue macaws. Unsavory forces intervene however (I was struck upon repeat showings by just how many characters are depicted as criminals, which can't be good for tourism), and romance and adventure follow the fleeing lovebirds across colorful Brazil.
The Picture
This new bundle is essentially the same as the three-disc combo pack I reviewed last month, but for the addition of an all-important Blu-ray 3D. In my initial review I was impressed by the detail and precise focus of the 2.4:1 image, and now I'm thinking that the beauty of the 2D disc might have been merely a fringe benefit of the absolutely amazing 3D version that Blue Sky created for theatrical exhibition.
Practically every single shot in this movie is improved by 3D presentation, as the thoughtful design and layout and scene composition and virtual camera work is given a chance to wow us. Multiple characters frequently fill the frame, sometimes behind the bars of a cage, other times inside a car, or seen through a window, or moving between trees, and all of these layers flaunt the sense of depth that modern home theater 3D can achieve. Snow, rooftops, cityscapes and more come alive as never before, even the more elaborate plumage of some of our feathered friends can really pop.
I would further propose that any one of the several dynamic action sequences could serve as a current best-in-class demo scene for home 3D, as we can almost spread our wings and fly alongside the heroes (and one notable villain) as only three-dimensional technology can make possible.
The Blu-ray 3D Disc also has an option to watch the film in 2D (assumably by displaying just the left or right eye image). This isn't essential since you do get the standard Blu-ray version of the film as well, but it adds a little extra convenience in case you just need a break from 3D viewing.
The Sound
The aggression of the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix is most appreciable in the music, spirited tunes new and old which carry us away in the mood of Rio. The quality is wonderful overall, although the discrete channeling, particularly in the rears, could be more pronounced.
Still no Portuguese audio or subtitles, ironically.
The Extras
The bounty of family-friendly extras is carried over in its entirety from the previous edition, some of it quite extraordinary in its clever exploitation of what Blu-ray discs can do. And I can personally attest to the tremendous value added by the DVD and Digital Copy tucked in there as well.
The only new extras of any sort are a couple of trailers for other Fox titles in 3D and the Blue Sky Ice Age short "Scrat's Continental Crack-Up," which like Rio itself benefits greatly from its entry into the third dimension.
Final Thoughts
I've honestly lost count of how many times we've seen Rio these past few weeks, but I almost feel like I've now just seen it for the first time in this exemplary edition that reveals how transformative good home 3D can be. Highly recommended, especially if you held off on buying the 2D package.
Product Details
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