For a film that invokes the ghost of William Shakespeare, "Rio 2" is surprisingly lacking in dramatic conflict. It is essentially an animated version of "Meet the Parents" that has spun a wee bit out of focus.

In a continuation of the metaphorical chiding of modern, city-based human existence, "Rio 2" brings the Blue Macaw family to the Amazon jungle to test their wings. But in their search for the rest of their species, they are hunted by a vengeful cockatoo, their arch enemy from the prequel. There is also a mission of equal urgency to protect their natural habitat. And let's not forget that this film was made especially to herald in the 2014 FIFA World Cup, so there's got to be some references to the sweaty sport.

So as you can see, the fatal mistake involving "Rio 2" is the attempt to merge this multitude of storylines. Just imagine the grand, Shakespearean odyssey of the evil cockatoo and the slow buildup of his venomous scheme of retribution, and you will feel the same frustration as when you see his plan instantly and unfairly foiled in a human-bird skirmish wherein he hardly plays a part.

He does, however, play a role in a poisonous love affair, in which he becomes the subject of affection to a poisonous dart frog. Singer Kristin Chenoweth's operatic voice is one of the major highlights of this musical drama.

Another highlight is a family reunion where the birds of the same Blue Macaw feather flock together in a dazzling array of colors and rhythm, in a scene resembling a water ballet presented by birds in midair. I could tell that this scene would mark the visual climax of the film long before the film hit halfway. And it turns out I was right, the director managed to arrange a football match between two beautiful avian species; like the human-bird skirmish mentioned above, the focus is placed on intensive action though, so the visual effect is not as pleasing to the eyes as the reunion dance.

Elsewhere, the film retains the exotic South American flavor that was so characteristic of the previous episode, so it is actually a pretty nice film for promoting the country's image, managing to touch people's hearts, whilst making money at relatively low production cost in the process.

Rio 2 is a sequel that stands perfectly on its own and will therefore enable viewers who've missed the previous installment to catch up. Well, after a 90-minute catch-up I sincerely hope the good people at Blue Sky don't make any more sequels. The merits of both urban and natural ways of living forms the focal point of the Rio story, a topic which has now been truly exhausted in these two entries. Further installments would only lead to family relation cliches, and for that I might as well watch another Ice Age movie.