Get the feedNew on DVD: Rio and Soul Surfer
Monday, Aug 01st 2011
Two family films released on DVD this week. Enjoy.
Rio
Animated Kids' Flick
The Gist: A rare macaw and his owner leave the safety and quiet of Minnesota for Rio de Janeiro. Blu is a neurotic non-flyer happy with the comforts of captivity. Jewel grew up in the wild. With bird poachers on their tailfeathers, the two must work together to get back to safety. Oh, and they take breaks to sing and dance. Read our full review.
The Ups: With a rocking soundtrack, this movie is best when the action stops and everybody dances the samba. The animation is spectacular and the Carnival atmosphere really pops.
The Downs: The mismatched-pair-in-danger storyline feels tired. Try as it might, Rio just doesn’t have that extra bit of heart that makes a movie truly good. The film plays as a giant party in search of a story. Not that that's necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes my life plays like that too.
The Verdict: Watch it. It’s good for a family night.
Be Aware: Rated G. Aside from some ill-advised gold lame Carnival outfits, the movie has no objectionable content.
Soul Surfer
Inspirational Family Film
The Gist: A competitive surfer loses her arm in a shark attack. Her faith and her determination help her recover and return to the waves. It’s based on a true story. Read Tim's article on anti-Christian bias in film criticism prompted by this film.
The Ups: This movie is very friendly to faith and is inspiring.
The Downs: The film is good. It doesn’t rise to great, but is better than many secular movies out there. If you’re comfortable with cheese, you’ll like it. If you’re an ironic hipster, it will be too much sweetness for you.
The Verdict: If your family is of the Christian faith and you like inspirational movies, you will like this one.
Be Aware: Rated PG-13, mostly for the depiction of the shark attack.
Rebecca Cusey
Rebecca Cusey is the official movie reviewer for SixSeeds.tv. A member of the Washington DC Area Film Critics Association and the Television Critics Association, she does celebrity interviews, reviews, trend pieces, and event coverage. Her work has appeared in USA Today, The Huffington Post, The Washington Post, Comcast.net, World Magazine, National Review Online, Relevant Magazine, Beliefnet.com, and many other outlets.
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