Rio -2011-

Flashback to Rio 2011: The Year the City Shook to Rock and Realigned for the Future

While the keyword "Rio -2011-" often evokes partying and sports, the year began in tragedy. In January 2011, the mountainous Serrana region just north of Rio de Janeiro—specifically the cities of Nova Friburgo, Teresópolis, and Petrópolis—suffered the worst climate disaster in Brazilian history. Rio -2011-

Released in April 2011, the 3D animated comedy-adventure Rio became a massive hit for Blue Sky Studios and Disney. Directed by Rio de Janeiro-born Carlos Saldanha, the film was designed as a "love letter" to his home city, blending marketing, aesthetics, and geopolitics to reinvent Rio as an aspiring global city on the world stage. Flashback to Rio 2011: The Year the City

The film, produced by Blue Sky Studios, generally received positive reviews from critics and audiences, earning a 72% approval rating Rotten Tomatoes Metacritic Directed by Rio de Janeiro-born Carlos Saldanha, the

Perhaps the most delightful performance came from Jemaine Clement as Nigel, the villainous cockatoo. Clement, known for his work in Flight of the Conchords , imbued Nigel with a theatrical, almost Shakespearean malevolence. His musical number, "Pretty Bird," remains one of the highlights of the film—a creepy, funny, and visually inventive sequence that rivals the best villain songs of the Disney renaissance.