rio 2

Movie review: Rio 2 dazzling but overloaded

A vivid and delightful animated spectacle, “Rio 2” is chock-full of colorful 3-D wonder and jubilant musical numbers set against a tale of family dynamics and environmental dilemmas. The sequel opens with a vibrant New Year’s Eve bash, as partying in the music-filled streets of Rio de Janeiro is punctuated by fireworks bursting above the Christ the Redeemer statue. Supervised by composer John Powell, more emphasis has been placed on the music of this film, which benefits from numbers by artists like Bruno Mars (who also voices the smooth bird Roberto in the film), Janelle Monae and celebrated Brazilian musician Carlinhos Brown. After mating in Brazil in 2011’s “Rio,” rare macaws Blu (Jesse Eisenberg) and Jewel (Anne Hathaway) now have three lively kids w...