When ornithologists Linda and Tulio venture into the depths of the Amazon Jungle they report that they might have found evidence of Spix's macaws living in the wild. When News reaches Rio Jewel convinces Blu that the family should head to the jungle. As they depart they are spotted by Nigel, the vengeful cockatoo, who follows with Gabi, a bright pink tree frog, and an anteater. Also posing a treat are a group of loggers determined to flatten the jungle before any macaws are found. When Jewel and Blu reach the jungle they are soon met by others of their species. They are led by Eduardo, Jewel's father... who is less than impressed by Blu; who he considers a mere pet. Blu tries to fit in but it isn't easy; everything he tries to do seems wrong. Ultimately though he will be essential to saving the forest.
I enjoyed the first film more than I expected so decided to give this sequel a go; while I don't think it is as good as the original I still enjoyed it. The story was a bit cluttered; there was no need for the jungle talent show... apart from justifying the presence of Pedro and Nico; two 'comedy' characters who weren't that great in the first film and still aren't. Similarly the aerial football match seemed to be there for the animators to show what they could do rather than adding to the story in a major way. So much for the bad points; on the plus side Nigel continued to be a fine antagonist and his adoring associate Gabi was both cute and amusing; Kristin Chenoweth did a great job providing the voice, especially when she sang. The rest of the voice cast were solid; most notably Jesse Eisenberg and Anne Hathaway as Blu and Jewel. The central story was pretty good; leading to some child-friendly scary moments and an exciting confrontation with the loggers. There is of course a fairly obvious message about the need to protect the natural environment... it is just a shame that in reality, unlike this film, Spix's macaws are almost certainly extinct in the wild. Overall I wouldn't say this is a must see but it is fun and I'd recommend it to anybody who enjoyed the original film.
I enjoyed the first film more than I expected so decided to give this sequel a go; while I don't think it is as good as the original I still enjoyed it. The story was a bit cluttered; there was no need for the jungle talent show... apart from justifying the presence of Pedro and Nico; two 'comedy' characters who weren't that great in the first film and still aren't. Similarly the aerial football match seemed to be there for the animators to show what they could do rather than adding to the story in a major way. So much for the bad points; on the plus side Nigel continued to be a fine antagonist and his adoring associate Gabi was both cute and amusing; Kristin Chenoweth did a great job providing the voice, especially when she sang. The rest of the voice cast were solid; most notably Jesse Eisenberg and Anne Hathaway as Blu and Jewel. The central story was pretty good; leading to some child-friendly scary moments and an exciting confrontation with the loggers. There is of course a fairly obvious message about the need to protect the natural environment... it is just a shame that in reality, unlike this film, Spix's macaws are almost certainly extinct in the wild. Overall I wouldn't say this is a must see but it is fun and I'd recommend it to anybody who enjoyed the original film.