Between Disney’s instant modern classic Frozen and Warner Bros’ globally adored The Lego Movie, the bar for animated movies has never been higher. If Rio (2011) was a perfectly entertaining animation that never aspired to be anything much more, its new sequel Rio 2 is a brighter and more cheerful continuation of the franchise.

从迪斯尼现代经典新作《冰雪奇缘》到风靡全球的华纳兄弟影片《乐高大电影》，动画电影的门槛再创历史新高。如果说2011年上映的影片《里约大冒险》是一部规规矩矩、节奏欢快的水准之作，那么刚刚上映的《里约大冒险2》则是一部更加明朗欢快的续集。

A few years after where the first film left off, macaws Blu (Jesse Eisenberg), Jewel (Anne Hathaway) and their three kids are living an ordinary life in the center of Rio de Janeiro. Soon, news of a surviving group of endangered blue macaws makes the family return to their roots with a trip into the wild jungle. And the rest of the story pretty much explains the movie’s “It’s on in the Amazon” tagline.

紧接上一部电影，《里约大冒险2》将镜头拉到了数年之后，金刚鹦鹉布鲁（杰西•艾森伯格配音）、珠儿（安妮•海瑟薇配音）与他们的三个孩子在里约热内卢市中心过着安逸的生活。不久后，布鲁一家听说了有关幸存的蓝色金刚鹦鹉的消息，于是乎，他们踏上了返乡的丛林探险之旅。除此之外，电影几乎都在阐述“亚马逊狂欢进行时”这一口号。

Released during the Easter holiday in the US, Rio 2 is clearly made for family entertainment. While a common pitfall for family movies is aiming the jokes too directly at adults and forgetting to entertain their younger audiences, Rio 2 does the opposite. Children will certainly be attracted by the lovely characters and beautiful scenery — as if the film had been made in conjunction with Brazil’s Ministry of Tourism. But older audiences may struggle through the relatively predictable plotting, plus the obvious carnival and soccer references.

在美国复活节假期期间上映，《里约2》无疑是一部家庭娱乐影片。众所周知，家庭影片的一大通病是：过于迎合大人们的笑点，反而忽略了年轻观众的感受。然而，《里约2》则恰恰相反。孩子们肯定会被影片中萌鸟军团以及壮丽美景所吸引——仿佛该片是巴西旅游局宣传片一般。而稍显老套的情节设计、显著的狂欢节以及足球元素则或许会让成年观众倍感煎熬。

However, there is enough color, wit and inventiveness in the film to ensure a good time for both children and adults. The evil bird smugglers of the original movie are replaced by threats to the rainforest habitat, as a group of illegal loggers encroaches on the macaws’ home in the jungle. The eco-friendly message mixed in the busy story serves as an educational factor that’s relatable to everyone.

但是，影片中绚丽的色彩、令人欲罢不能的机智桥段以及别出心裁的创新能确保大人与小孩都可以在影院中度过一段快乐时光。在第二部中，鹦鹉们的劲敌不再是邪恶的鸟贩子，而是由一群破坏金刚鹦鹉家园——热带雨林的非法伐木工。热闹情节中所传达出的环保信息和每个人都息息相关。

Another highlight of Rio 2 is its music. Easily recognizable Brazilian music, such as bossa nova and samba, comprised the rhythmic heart of Rio. But in the sequel, filmmakers branch out with a range of music styles, featuring pop artists including Bruno Mars and Janelle Monae, who make its music sound more contemporary.

《里约2》的另一大亮点是片中配乐。波萨诺瓦、桑巴等令人耳熟能详的巴西音乐构成了上一部电影的主旋律。而在《里约2》中，制作团队则尝试了不同类型的音乐风格，“火星哥”布鲁诺•马尔斯和加奈尔•梦奈等流行歌手的加入，使得该片配乐更具现代感。

So, with a happy movie and a stylish soundtrack album as a bonus, Rio 2 makes quite an impression in today’s competitive market of animated movies.

总的来看，一部节奏欢快的影片加上现代流行音乐，《里约大冒险2》定能在当下竞争激烈的动画片市场中脱颖而出。