Nigel, also known as the “bad bird” from Rio, is a sulphur-crested cockatoo and the main antagonist of the movie. He is voiced by Jemaine Clement. Nigel was once a popular television star, but his fame was stolen by a pretty parakeet, leading him to become villainous and malicious.

He is known for his evil nature, which he explains through the song “Pretty Bird” in the movie. Nigel is characterized by his sadistic pleasure in terrorizing other birds and his desire for revenge. Despite his villainous traits, Nigel is also portrayed as a character with a sense of humor and a flair for dramatics.

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Nigel the Cockatoo, voiced by Jemaine Clement, is the main antagonist of Rio and the secondary antagonist of Rio 2, alongside Big Boss.

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Who is the Evil Cockatoo in Rio? – A Look at Nigel the Villain Bird

The lively musical adventure films Rio and Rio 2 feature a colorful cast of tropical birds. But flying in to ruffle feathers is Nigel, a mean-spirited cockatoo with nefarious plans. Nigel serves as the primary villain of the first movie, and continues causing trouble in the sequel.

With his spiky mohawk, deadly talons, and penchant for evil schemes, this bad bird provides the macaws plenty of conflict! But who exactly is Nigel in the Rio universe? Let's take a deep dive into the origins and dastardly personality of this memorable animated baddie.

Table of Contents

• Introducing Nigel the Cockatoo
• Nigel's Extensive Criminal Past
• Nigel's Insane Personality and Quirks
• Nigel's Elaborate Evil Schemes
• Nigel vs. Blu and Jewel
• Nigel's Show-Stopping Musical Numbers
• The Talented Voice Behind Nigel
• Why Fans Love Animated Avian Villains Like Nigel

Introducing Nigel the Cockatoo

In both Rio films, Nigel is the main nemesis to rare blue macaws Blu and Jewel. He's a sulphur-crested cockatoo, a type of parrot native to Australia.

Nigel has grayish-white plumage, a long crest of feathers on his head, and piercing yellow eyes. But his most distinctive feature is his spiked, jet black mohawk. This punk rock-style gives him an edgy, dangerous look.

Visually, Nigel was designed to appear menacing and unstable. His lanky, unhinged movements and tendency to suddenly shout emphasize his insanity. This sets him apart from the brighter, happier tropical birds that fill the Rio universe.

Nigel's Extensive Criminal Past

Prior to pursuing Blu and Jewel, Nigel had a long history as an illegal exotic animal smuggler. He was known internationally as the best in the business at capturing and transporting rare birds to wealthy collectors.

Some of the rare and endangered species Nigel smuggled over the years included:

• Hyacinth macaws
• Palm cockatoos
• Birds of paradise
• Quetzal birds
• Cassowaries

Nigel was a master at trapping these birds unharmed using decoys and mimicking bird calls to lure them. He trained under the criminal ringleader Marcel, becoming his star pupil.

For years, Nigel smuggled birds by boat, plane, and other means to clients willing to pay top dollar, no questions asked. But his luck eventually ran out.

Nigel's Insane Personality and Quirks

Due to his former life of crime, Nigel has an intimidating, sociopathic personality. Here are some of his traits and quirks:

• Prone to sudden, unhinged shouting. His calm demeanor snaps in an instant!
• Spends much time muttering and talking to himself.
• Witty one-liners and comebacks, with deadpan humor.
• Highly cunning and intelligent – an expert on bird behavior.
• Nurses grudges; extremely vengeful nature.
• Theatrical and loves being in the spotlight.
• Sings randomly – a performer at heart.
• Eerie way of calling Blu and Jewel his “precious” and “my pretties.”
• Constantly overestimates his own abilities now that he's flightless.

Nigel's mix of madness, wit, and evil genius makes him both chilling and hilarious. He steals every scene!

Nigel's Elaborate Evil Schemes

Throughout the two films, Nigel hatches several elaborate schemes to get his revenge against the rare macaws:

Rio 1 Plan

• Pretends to be a bird from the non-existent “Toco Toucan” clinic to get access to Blu and Jewel in Tulio's aviary.
• As their fake doctor, he sadistically “treats” their injury knowing it will actually prevent them from flying.
• Sics his bulldog sidekick on them to cause chaos so he can capture the macaws.
• Chases the macaws relentlessly through the city after they escape.
• Teams up with the sinister monkey thieves during Carnival to re-capture Blu and Jewel.
• Plans to smuggle the macaws using the Carnival parade float and return to his former life of crime.

Rio 2 Plan

• Joins the illegal logging faction led by Big Boss.
• Utilizes his skills to track down Blu and Jewel's flock in the Amazon rainforest.
• Captures Jewel and the kids, using them as bait to lure Blu into his clutches.
• Nearly cooks Blu alive before taking the family prisoner.
• Straps dynamite to the macaws to blow up the jungle sanctuary so the loggers can take over.
• Even chained up at the end, vows he will have his revenge on the macaws someday!

Nigel proves himself a schemer on par with classic villains, passing the films' heroes through creative traps and death-defying set pieces.

Nigel vs. Blu and Jewel

As the villain, Nigel serves as the perfect counterpoint to the personalities of brave heroes Blu and Jewel:

Nigel's ruthless opposition forces Blu and Jewel to find courage and ingenuity to protect each other and their fellow birds – it brings out their best qualities.

Nigel's Show-Stopping Musical Numbers

A major highlight of Rio is Nigel's propensity to burst into song and dance, Disney villain-style. Some of his stand-out numbers include:

“Pretty Bird”

• Performed during Carnival while chasing the macaws.
• Nigel fantasizes about becoming a star smuggler again.
• Showcases his insane, theatrical personality through lyrics like: “Who's a pretty bird? Pretty bird, I'm a pretty bird, oh what a pretty bird.”

“Ain't No Thing”

• Nigel sings this short verse to intimidate the macaws he's captured.
• It highlights how trapping rare birds is easy as pie for an expert like Nigel.
• The lyrics mock Blu and Jewel's attempts to escape him.

“Fly Love”

• Performed in the second movie as part of Nigel's Amazon rainforest act.
• Disguises his true evil motives through symbolic lyrics about flying and love.
• Allows him to get information from the macaws under false pretenses.

Nigel may be a villain, but he's also a born entertainer!

The Talented Voice Behind Nigel

A major part of Nigel's sinister appeal comes from his voice actor, Jemaine Clement. Clement is a New Zealand actor/musician who performs in the musical comedy duo Flight of the Conchords.

Clement's experience in offbeat comedy served him well when voicing Nigel and delivering his witty, unhinged lines. The actor ad-libbed many of Nigel's deranged outbursts, bringing the character vividly to life through voice alone.

In interviews, Clement described his process for finding Nigel's unique vocal style:

“I tried to do like a David Bowie kind of vibe there…I thought of two kind of classic English rock stars for him. David Bowie and Peter O’Toole.”

By mixing sinister theatricality with screwball humor, Clement created a truly iconic voice performance as Rio's feathery villain.

Why Fans Love Animated Avian Villains Like Nigel

So what makes Nigel such an entertaining and memorable bad guy? Much comes down to classic villain tropes given an avian twist:

Flamboyant Theatricality

Like Disney villains, Nigel has a dramatic flair, reveling in chaos and musical numbers. This flair pairs with his dangerous cunning.

Animal Magnetism

Birds like Nigel channel viewers' fascination with the natural world. Exploring a villainous parrot allows escapist fantasy.

Pirate Archetype

As a smuggler and swashbuckler, Nigel takes inspiration from pirate lore, bringing romanticized danger.

Anthropomorphism

By giving an animal human speech and mannerisms, humor arises from playing with expectations.

Stunning Visuals

The artists ensure Nigel's fiery plumage and punk style capture attention. He pops off the colorful backgrounds.

Great Writing and Acting

The witty dialogue combined with Clement's committed voice performance bring Nigel fully to life.

By blending primal magnificence, pirate themes, and anthropomorphic absurdity, villain birds like Nigel hit that perfect sweet spot for animated fun!

Conclusion

With his spiky mohawk, fiendish plots, sinister songs, and insane personality, Nigel the cockatoo makes the perfect avian archenemy to face off against Blu and Jewel in the colorful world of Rio. His demented villainy generates laughs while creating high stakes for the heroes.

Next time you rewatch the Rio adventures, keep an eye out for Nigel's scene-stealing moments of mayhem. The evil cockatoo truly earns his place as one of the most memorable animated bird baddies!

Reference:

[1] https://villains.fandom.com/wiki/Nigel_(Rio)
[2] https://rio.fandom.com/wiki/Nigel
[3] https://www.smule.com/song/jemaine-clement-rio-pretty-bird-nigels-song-karaoke-lyrics/10563075_10563075/arrangement
[4] https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Characters/Rio