Roberto

Roberto Background information Feature films Rio 2 Shorts Novelization Video games Voice Bruno Mars Character information Species Spix's Macaw Gender Male Alias Beto (ref. by Jewel) Uncle Beto (ref. by Tiago and Bia) The Bird (ref. by Eduardo) Wingman (ref. by Eduardo) Polly Occupation Feather/Hair/ Skin color Blue body Gray beak Eyes Blue Friends Jewel Eduardo Mimi Blu Tiago Bia Carla Enemies Felipe (formerly) Big Boss Loggers Fate Living Likes The Wild, Freedom, Female Spix Macaws (Especially Jewel), Music. Dislikes Crackers, Loggers, Cages Quote "It's just something I put together with my own two wings of course, and my strength, and my brawn."

[Source]

Roberto is a male Spix's Macaw who appears in Rio 2. He is Jewel's childhood friend, who unknowingly stirs up Blu's jealousy. "Most of the sparks between the former couple are imagined through Blu's eyes," says Carlos Saldanha. "It's a little paranoia." Roberto is voiced by Bruno Mars.

Roberto is the Fabio of the blue Macaws – a confident, charismatic bird in every way, and the exact opposite of Blu. Roberto is also hiding a secret and when Blu finds out, there is a surprising shift in their dynamic.

Bio

Rio 2

Jewel's childhood friend and the son Eduardo never had, Roberto is pretty much the opposite of Blu – all charm and suaveness – and it seems as though there's nothing he can't do, and everything he does is heroic. With an impressive wing span, he sings, dances, and makes all the females swoon, making Blu feel incredibly inadequate.

The heartthrob of the Spix's macaw clan, Roberto is a perfect specimen of a wild bird who charms everyone around him and makes Blu self-conscious.

If Roberto’s looks, talent and friendship with Jewel weren't intimidating enough for Blu, the songbird hosts the family in his magnificent mansion, located in one of the Amazon’s most impressive trees. Interweaving roots create open pockets, perfect for rooms housing Blu and his family.

He’s a genuine dude and he really has love for Jewel – genuine love. They grew up together, so they have a bond that’s pretty special due to the history they had together as kids.

Roberto is a watchman for the tribe, even doing night patrols to make sure they're safe from humans. It appears he has been trained by Eduardo on this subject, and Eduardo puts a lot of trust in him. He also seems to be the captain of their tribe's soccer team, and most likely one of the best players. He plays against Felipe and the Red Macaw Tribe in the Pit of Doom. He is, in general, the one bird Eduardo goes to when he needs a hand.

He comes to welcome Jewel when she arrives at the tribe, putting on an elaborate "Welcome Back" song. They then begin calling each other by their childhood nicknames, to Blu's discomfort. During "Beautiful Creatures," Roberto asks Blu if he could "borrow" Jewel for a moment, barely waiting for Blu to respond. He places a flower on Jewel's head and they head off to dance with the tribe. Blu watches, displeased. Roberto then tells the couple that he's doing a night patrol, and that they can stay in his nest. Blu is uncomfortable staying with him, but Roberto, unaware of this, insists that they stay out of his generosity.

The kids love the place, but Blu keeps acting jealous. Roberto tells Blu that he would like to have kids some day, and that he would take care of his family if anything were to happen to him. He then heads off to do his patrol. The next day, he's seen playing around with Tiago: They lily-surf together, he teaches the boy flying tricks, and they both call each other nicknames (to Blu's further disapproval).

Eduardo shares with him his feelings about Blu not being trust worthy, and being a "pet." Roberto seems confused and surprised by this but does not seem to take a side.

Roberto plays a soccer match for his tribe to conquer the access to the Brazil nut grove (after Blu trespasses into the Red Macaws' territory). He and Felipe appear to have a history, acting aggressively toward one another. He plays very well, and scores multiple times, making acrobatic air moves, to Blu and Jewel's kids' wonder. He's also the only one not to show disappointment upon Blu's mistake of scoring for the wrong team, although before Blu goes towards the goal he tells him to wait.

When Blu visits Linda and Tulio's campsite, Roberto follows him and believes he's teaming up with the humans. He concludes Eduardo was right and calls Blu a "traitor." Blu asks him what he knows about humans, and he answers that he knows them well, and makes nervous gestures while talking. He says humans trap you and then feed you crackers, insinuating he has experienced this.

A huge logging harvester surprises them both. Blu gets out of the way, but Roberto, upon seeing a human, freezes in the machines' path. Blu saves him in time, but he starts panicking and screaming. Blu slaps him in the face and tells him to go back and warn the tribe about the loggers. Upon arrival, he is carried by two blue macaws as he is in a seizure-like state, panicking and saying that they are all doomed. He manages to tell them about the loggers, and after Blu encourages them, the tribe decides to fight. He is later seen panicking again and is then slapped by Mimi, which causes him to act aggressively toward the loggers. He then works together with Felipe to fight the loggers, now apparently in a better state of mind. The two share a chest bump as the loggers flee, hinting that their previous rivalry may have dissolved.

Roberto is last seen reacting in shock when Blu and Nigel are caught in the explosion of the dynamite, but it is likely that he joined in the celebrations afterwards.

Appearance

Roberto is a very handsome male Spix's macaw; tall, with an impressive wingspan, and large claws. He has a long tail, his plumage being lush and dark blue. The markings around his eyes and beak are a lighter blue that goes down to his chest, fading to his main color. His eyes are blue, and his beak and talons are gray. Roberto has long, sleek dark blue crest feathers on his head which fall on the back and either sides of his head. One shorter feather sticks up on his head. His crest feathers frequently block his eyes, making him shake his head around to push them back. When he is angry, frightened or shocked, the feathers will very suddenly spike out.

Personality

Rio 2 Welcome Back 20th Century Fox

Roberto singing "Welcome Back"

Roberto has been described as "wild, yet very suave." It seems as though there's nothing Roberto can't do. With confidence and an impressive wing span, he sings, dances and makes all the females swoon, making Blu feel incredibly inadequate. Roberto loves to sing and dance, and flirt with females; he can even make a female faint by simply shaking his crest feathers. Roberto is also very artistic and creative, shown by his nest which is decorated with flowers and plants.

Like most wild macaws, he is very "anti-human," both afraid of and hateful toward humans because of their destructive activities in the rainforest, both deforestation and smuggling. Similar to Jewel, he cherishes his freedom and would never fly into a cage. Also, it is suggested that he was once captured and kept as a pet. He claims humans make you lose your mind, while he himself makes stereotyped parrot movements that are related to his memories of captivity. He's now so terribly afraid of them, that the mere sight of a human is enough to trigger a panic attack.

He seems to be something of a show-off, boasting of constructing a hollow-based nest with his "brawn," and performing an elaborate "Welcome Back" song for Jewel, which Carlos Saldanha even suggested was more for Roberto to hear his own voice than anything else. He loves singing; when Blu complains to Rafael, Nico, and Pedro, he states that Roberto "is always singing something."

He does like to have fun with others, shown when he went water-skiing on lily pads with Tiago. Roberto is protective and proud of his forest home, and despite what Blu may think of him, Roberto has a good heart.

Relationships

Jewel

Jewel is Roberto's childhood friend, so they were very close when they were young. Roberto tries to impress her, even when Blu is around. He even sang a "Welcome Back" song for her. Roberto does still have genuine feelings for Jewel. They still get along very well and dance together. She's quick to accept his offer of lending the family his nest for the night, and attentively listens to him showing off about building it himself.

Eduardo

It's clear that Eduardo and Roberto are great friends. Eduardo and Roberto seem to be very close, Roberto being "the son Eduardo never had." Eduardo and Roberto like to joke with one another, which is surprising, considering Eduardo's personality. Eduardo trusts Roberto, sending him off on night patrols, and to the Pit of Doom to fight for the Brazil nuts. Roberto's also the one Eduardo opens up to when he gets frustrated about Blu and his connection to humans.

Blu

Blu is wary around Roberto, fearing that he may attempt to ignite flames between him and Jewel. Roberto, however, is nice to Blu; even letting him and his family stay in his own nest, treating him fairly well, promising to take care of his family in case something bad happened to him, and never looking down on him like Eduardo. Later, he ends up believing Blu has sided with humans, but quickly realizes he's just trying to help the tribe, and even tells Eduardo so, defending Blu from Eduardo's first assumption of him being a traitor. It is possible that Blu has overcome his jealousy and become friends with Roberto by the end of the film, though this is unclear. Roberto probably views him as a friend, calling him 'buddy' at one point.

Mimi

Roberto appreciates Mimi just as much as Mimi appreciates Roberto. They both dance alongside Jewel, Eduardo, and Blu and Jewel's kids; and when Roberto suffers a panic attack during the fight against the loggers, Mimi doesn't hesitate to slap him back to his senses.

Bia, Carla, and Tiago

Roberto is kind and friendly to Blu and Jewel's kids; he is even willing to help Tiago have some fun, showing him how to ski over the water on a lilypad and teaching him flying tricks. He also nicknames Tiago "T-bird." The kids eventually start calling him "Uncle Beto," and cheer for him excitedly when he's playing soccer.

Felipe

Roberto seems to have a rivalry with Felipe. During the soccer game, the two stare each other down, and lead their teams in intimidation routines. They constantly battle over the ball, each taking it from the other several times, and score the majority of the goals for their sides. After the red and blue macaws succeed in driving away the loggers, Roberto shares a triumphant chest bump with Felipe, suggesting that their rivalry has dissolved, or has at least become more friendly.

Skills

• Charismatic
  • Roberto can charm any female Spix Macaw as well as earn the liking of the entire Spix Macaw tribe.
• Singing
  • Roberto has been shown to be exceptionally gifted with his voice. He even sings "Welcome Back" to Jewel when she returns.
• Dancing
• Soccer
  • Roberto is seen playing soccer at the pit of doom.
• Water Skiing
• Building Nests
• Landscaping
  • Roberto was shown to be very decorative when it came to his nest, decorating it with flowers and pretty plants.
• Flying
• Speaking Spanish
• Flying Backwards
• Strong Beak/Trap Evading
  • Roberto was reportedly able to use his beak to break the vines of a trap (as part of a test) "on the first try," according to Eduardo.
• Physical Combat
  • Roberto was shown to be aggressively attacking a human.
• Opening Brazil Nuts

Trivia

• In the first movie, Jewel stated that humans took everything away from her. Roberto's disappearance (along with that of her father and aunt) may have a connection with the fact that Jewel never trusted humans from the start.
• Carlos Saldanha revealed that Roberto was originally going to be tough, with a deep, intimidating voice and brutish personality, but when Bruno Mars was casted, Saldanha decided to change Roberto's design and personality to better suit the voice.
• He and Jewel used to call each other cute nicknames (like Ju-Ju and Beto) when they were young.
• He would like to have children of his own (he tells Blu so, while Blu's kids are playing around in his nest).
• His nest has six bedrooms and a bird bath in it.
• He's into landscaping and has decorated his nest with a variety of flowers, plants and leaves.
• Although it was only hinted at in the movie, Roberto was definitely once kept by humans, as shown in Rio 2: The Junior Novel; He showed Blu a ring on his leg, which captive birds often have. This scene was actually going to be in the movie, as shown in a brief deleted scene, but it was removed. The deleted scene showed that the ring is engraved with the name "Polly", and that Roberto keeps it hidden under the feathers of his upper thigh.
• Roberto can fly backwards, but, in real life, the only birds known to do this are hummingbirds, as Blu pointed out to Eduardo.

Quotes

Quotes from Rio 2

• "Wow, you look great."
• "Ah, so you're the lucky bird who swept Ju-Ju off her feet."
• "Yeah, when we were kids, we always had the cutest nicknames for each other."
• "Eduardo taught me everything I know. He's the bird."
• "No, you're the bird."
• "How could you forget?
• "It's in our blood, baby. It's who we are!"
• "You don't mind if I borrow her for a minute, do you?"
• "Come on Ju-Ju, let's go!"
• "Wow, you still got the moves, Ju-Ju!"
• "What is this crazy talk?
• "No. You guys are staying in my nest."
• "I'm on patrol tonight."
• "Mi casa es su casa." (Spanish for, "My home is your home.")
• "Ah, this old nest? It's just something I put together last minute."
• "With my own two wings of course, and my strength, and my brawn."
• "Ah, I hoped to one day be blessed with a flock of little Robertos to call my own."
• "Blu, let me tell you something. If anything, and I mean anything, ever happens to you."
• "I will take care of your family."
• "Alright buddy, sleep well."
• "Good night, Ju-Ju!"
• "Come on! I'll race you! All right, Tiago!"
• "Yeah, you're a natural, T-bird!"
• "Cuck-kaw, cuck-kaw!"
• "A pet?!"
• "Got it."
• "Let's go, let's go, let's go! Pit of Doom, now!"
• "Felipe."
• "Tails."
• "Mind if I borrow this?"
• "Blu, wait!"
• "Eduardo was right! Traitor!"
• "What don't I understand? Siding with humans!"
• "I know everything."
• "They lure you in, they trap you, they destroy your mind!"
• "'Polly want a cracker? Polly want a cracker?' No! Enough crackers! I hate crackers!"
• "It's them, it's them! It's them!"
• "Not again! Not again! No more crackers!"
• "Yeah, I got it, okay."
• "Humans! Humans!"
• "Game over, its over."
• "The lights, the lights!"
• "It's over! It's over! We're doomed!"
• "The loggers are coming and Blu is with them!"
• "No! No, Blu is trying to help us."
• "Why, why?"
• "Woo hoo!"

Quotes from Rio 2: The Junior Novel

• "Welcome back Jewel."
• "What is this crazy talk?"
• "Human sympathizer!"
• "Everything you have and you do this."
• "All meaningless."
• "You have the real treasure, a family."
• "What I wouldn't give to be you."
• "Only I'm not a traitor!"
• "Throwing it all away for a Linda!"
• "You are not to be trusted!"
• "There are no good humans!"
• "They did this!"
• "Humans, loggers, the lights the lights!"
• "Why does everyone keep doing that?"
• "Doomed, over!"
• "Next thing you know, you're in a cage."
• "Walking up and down a tiny ladder."
• "It's them!"
• "They destroy your mind!"
• "Polly want a cracker?"
• "Enough crackers!"

Gallery

Main article: Roberto/Gallery