they meet a number of colorful and interesting personalities along the way while evading the smugglers, who try in vain to get them back.   

rio de janeiro features brilliantly in vivid animation and many of the main landmarks are used - the film's theme song, 'telling the world', was sung by r&b artist taio cruz.       

an american production by the blue sky studios, it was written and directed by a carioca native carlos saldanha, who had been working on the film in one-way or another since 1995.

carlos saldanha was born in rio de janeiro in 1965, and he got his big break in 2002, as co-director of the hit animation ice age.