Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.0

Blame It on Rio Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf December 31, 2017

There’s always a certain degree of difficulty when translating French farce to American moviemaking. The graduation requires special handling to balance out European sensibilities, helping to rework certain sexual freedoms for audiences who may not be used to such forwardness. 1984’s “Blame It on Rio” is a remake of 1977’s “In a Wild Moment,” with director Stanley Donen feeling the urge to translate an iffy premise for a comedy, helping the cause by relocating the action to South America, with its gorgeous locations and general celebration of the human body. The screenplay, by Larry Gelbart and Charlie Peters, attempts to preserve the French rhythms of the original work, but it’s not an easy task, asking viewers to sit through a story that’s not loaded with appealing characters, demanding a high level of silly business that isn’t there. “Blame It on Rio” attempts its own take on a free-flowing examination of temptation and relationship woes, and while the cast is ready for action, there’s not much here that works beyond a few one-liners and the visual appeal of the titular location.

Preparing for a vacation with his daughter, Nikki (Demi Moore), and wife, Karen (Valerie Harper), Matthew (Michael Caine) is aching to fly down to Rio, hoping to reenergize his limping marriage and spend time with his best friend, Victor (Joseph Bologna). Suffering through a divorce, Victor is eager to reconnect with his daughter, Jennifer (Michelle Johnson), on the trip, but finds his attention pulled toward the local women, leaving his 17-year-old kid to experience the wilds of Rio on her own. Matthew, struggling with the surprise than Karen has decided to take a break from their union and vacation elsewhere, attempts to make sense out of his domestic disruption, but soon finds himself sleeping with Jennifer, who’s interested in the older man as a lover. While giving himself over to lust, Matthew soon realizes the gravity of his actions, now dealing with a love- struck Jennifer and a baffled Victor, who learns that his child is having a secret affair, enlisting Matthew to help discover the mystery predator’s identity.

“Blame It on Rio” employs confessional narration from the cast to ease viewers into the situation, as though the characters were being interviewed for a documentary on their Brazilian mix-ups, providing clarity for actions that don’t come through in the picture. It’s a strange way to begin the movie, but Donen’s already walking on thin ice here, trying to establish a light tone for the misadventure, giving such heavy topics as infidelity and divorce a candy coating, easing digestion of the misdeeds to come. Of course, “Blame It on Rio” isn’t a subtle film in the least, with the screenplay cranking up the innocence angle on Jennifer, giving her a retainer to orally fumble with and a Winnie the Pooh bear to cozy up with at night, perhaps intentionally fetishizing her schoolgirl appearance to best flick the taboo aspects of the story. It’s a broad endeavor, and one that struggles to be sensual and playful, with Donen easily overwhelmed by the mix of silliness and severity, putting in as many topless women as possible to help distract from the dramatic shortcomings of the writing.

It’s not like “Blame It on Rio” is meant to be a significant offering of cinema. It’s a trifle, or at least strives to be for most of the run time. Snappy dialogue exchanges dominate the feature, with the writers attempting to simulating the breathless timing of a classic comedy, spotlighting Matthew and Victor’s effortless interplay as the men try to understand women in the midst of paradise, which is dotted with nude beaches. The actors share welcome chemistry, sustaining the friendship between Matthew and Victor as it goes through several turbulent periods during the trip, including Victor’s contentious divorce, which urges him to seek out multiple lovers, and Matthew’s own marital divide, unable to get through to his wife, who’s effectively left him for a month to gain a better perspective on her life. “Blame It on Rio” is lively during its first half, setting up the collision of passions to come, but also permitting Caine and Bologna to work the frame like the pros they are, milking misunderstandings and barely concealed secrets for everything they’re worth. While there’s no actual depth to help stand the picture upright, it offers some appealing frivolity at times, especially when exploring the oddities and offerings the country has to offer, though a dip into voodoo magic, with Jennifer trying to secure Matthew through goofball mysticism, is a narrative dead end.

Perhaps most disconcerting about “Blame It on Rio” is the marginalization of Nikki, who’s initially presented as a main character with defined disappointment in her parental relationships, but is soon dismissed for long periods of screen time. Nikki is aware of Matthew’s indiscretion, keeping mum due to her friendship with Jennifer, and she appears to be a key player in the cat’s cradle of dysfunction presented here, only to make little difference in the outcome of the story. It’s strange to watch the edit slowly remove Moore from the action. Nikki’s participation in this madness is greatly missed.

Blame It on Rio Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.85:1) presentation doesn't provide a fresh remaster for the Blu-ray debut of "Blame It on Rio." Instead, the disc features an older scan, which favors softness, but isn't lacking in detail. Textures are best with locations, surveying tropical and beach adventures, and facial particulars are acceptable. Vacation distances are also preserved. Color is a tad fatigued, lacking special snap with local splendor, but primaries are adequate, and Rio staples such as a golden beaches and blue waters remain intact. Ample skintones are natural, but a bit bloodless at times. Delineation is adequate. Source is in fine condition.

Blame It on Rio Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix doesn't contain any surprises, but keeps the South American beat going with reasonably compelling scoring, handling instrumentation and mild percussion acceptably. Dialogue exchanges are clear, making the picture's speedy comedic interplay easy to follow, and accents aren't clouded. Atmospherics are simple, but beach environments retain group bustle, along with scenes of celebration.

Blame It on Rio Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary features film historians Howard S. Berger and Nathaniel Thompson.

• And a Theatrical Trailer (2:11, HD) is included.

Blame It on Rio Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Blame It on Rio" is far too long for a proper farce, in need of some tightening during the midsection of the film to help erase a sagging pace. There's also a question of extremity for the climax, with one character sent to the hospital for a medical issue, inspiring panic and heated hallway pacing by the rest of the players. It's a sobering bit of reality to drop at the end of a fantasy, and Donen doesn't sell it with any necessary slide, preferring viewers to walk away from the movie slightly unnerved, adding a near-death experience to a tale that already includes break-ups, various betrayals of trust, possible statutory rape, and Caine's outrageously oversized eyewear. "Blame It on Rio" (which became a cable TV staple in the mid-1980s for many) has a plan to be wild and carefree, but Donen doesn't always have the energy to bring it to life, struggling to secure tone and define funny business.