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Blame It On Rio Customer Reviews (1 - 3 of 25 Reviews)

"She's dead!"
What in the world was Stanley Donen doing directing this? Was it his fantasy? Did he lose a bet? Nonetheless, I am glad he made it. Michael Caine has never been funnier than in this comedy about two middle-age men who take their teenage daughters on vacation to Rio de Janeiro. Michelle Johnson, an unknown at the time, is perfect as the sweet, innocent teenager who happens to also exude sexuality from every pore. Bored with "boys," she throws herself at Caine in an ill-fated attempt to seduce an older man. I cannot tell you how many times this has happened to me... Anyway, terrific writing from Charlie Peters, Larry Gelbart (of M*A*S*H fame) and Claude Berri ("Jean de la florette," "Germinal") contributes to the success of this film. There are several funny moments in the film, and we feel Caine's embarrassment as well as his exuberance. I think males will likely appreciate this more than females.

This is Donen?
Hard to believe that Stanley Donen directed this movie. The plot is a male fantasy of the worst kind - older man seduced by a teenage girl without any negative consequences ("he never really had a chance", she says, suggesting he doesn't have to feel guilty); because she is his friend's daughter and his daughter's friend there are clear undertones of incest (the daughter confesses she had a crush on her father which might be perfectly innocent in other circumstances but takes on an ominous meaning when her friend takes her own "crush" to a very physical level); there is generally poor acting (Michael Caine projects very clearly how awkward he felt about this role, Joseph Bologna is - well, Joseph Bologna, and it's almost incomprehensible why anyone gave another role to Demi Moore after this movie), the soundtrack is awful and the cinematography tired and clich�-ridden. The only redeeming feature is Michelle Johnson who is just a joy to watch, with and without her clothes on.

The movie makes you realize how times have changed. I doubt any major Hollywood director would do a film with this much nudity today, which is a pity. 20 years later the US is even more uptight about these things than in Ronald Reagan's time (while hardcore porno movies are sold in the next aisle at your local DVD outlet) - I guess that's progress of a sort ...

No one with taste for quality film would waste time on this crap.
Great movie? One of the best from the 80s? If those statements aren't proof of just how bad the drug problems were in that decade, nothing is. There is only one reason to watch this movie, Michelle Johnson. She is scrumptious and perfect for the role she's set to play- a sexy, young morsel to entice her immoral uncle. That said, her acting stinks- which would explain all her quality subsequent film offers (not!). But that can largely be credited to a lousy script and a story line that would have to be actual porn to be cornier or more contrived. Michael Caine subjected himself to a string of bad movies in this time span, but this one best epitomized that fact. Joseph Bologna is even worse. And we get a peak at a young DeMI (how pretentious) Moore, who by what little dialogue she's given actually comes off better by comparison to the other actors. The script reaks of a "Three's Company" episode, but has the backdrop or Rio to rescue it, as it were. Even that isn't enough to save this movie from the ridicule it got when originally released, much less the scorn it gets from it's re-release on DVD. Johnson is actually better in her role in Steven Segal's "Under Seige", which makes no bones about her being mere eye candy in the film- a Segal trademark- with little acting substance. Until I saw that movie I actually wondered what happened to her since "Rio," and still wouldn't have put 2 and 2 together had a friend not pointed out exactly who she was. Face it folks, unless you long for Rio itself so much that you'd sit through this movie just to remind yourself of those lavish trips there, you are, or were some forty-something male with fantasies of making it with a young hottie like Johnson. There's no other reason to watch this piece of drek.

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