Movies for Kids: Otto the Rhino 

Otto the Rhino

Otto The Rhino is a Danish Movie adapted from the book Otto is a Rhino by Ole Lund Kirkegaard. I like this movie – it’s really sweet and doesn’t have any seriously dark scenes.


 Otto the Rhino  

Plot

 

Topper is a little boy with a healthy imagination who lives in a small sea side village with his mom. Topper believe that his father, a sailor is away on various adventures and writes letters to him which he gives to his mom to post.

 

With summer holiday looming he is working out what adventures he and his closest friend Viggo will have while school is out.

 

Aside from his love of adventure his other main interest is Silla, a little girl who we meet on her birthday. Silla invites Topper to her birthday party on the condition that he brings her a great gift.

 

Topper finds a magic pencil just after school is let out for the holiday. He runs back to his apartment and shows Viggo how magical it is by drawing a picture of a Rhino on the wall. The Rhino comes to life and cue Otto the Rhino.

 

Topper and Viggo are desperate to keep the Rhino and hide it from the neighbours and the local policeman. Topper later decides that he wants to give Silla the Rhino as a birthday present. Before Topper can get Otto the party Otto is discovered.

 

Otto The Rhino

Scary and Sad Scenes

 

Topper is criticized by his classmates for his long stories and lying, he is also called “nuts” by Silla repeatedly.

 

It also seems though the community doesn’t believe that Tupper has a father (thankfully this turns out to be wrong).

 

Topper gets locked in a cupboard by the local policeman.  While locked in a cupboard he finds all the letters he’s been writing to his dad. When Topper asks his mom about why she never sent the letters to his dad she explains that he has a dad but she doesn’t know where he is.

 

Topper misses Silla’s birthday party leaving her sad.

 

 

Positives

Otto the Rhino is a good length and maintained my son’s attention throughout. The movie doesn’t have unnecessary plot twists or sub-plots so it is easy to follow.

 

 

The movie has a happy ending:

  • Topper’s dad arrives home.
  • Otto goes to an Island where he can be looked after properly.
  • Topper and Silla become friends

 

Age suitability

 

My 2 year old was not interested in the movie at all but it could have just been a bad time of day to get her to watch it.

 

My 4 year old was interested from the get go and I think he would have been as interested if I had shown it to him when he was 3.

 

Another site I read suggested it is suitable for ages 8+ but I don’t think you’ll find an 8 year old interested in this level of animation and the storyline when they are more interested in updated animations.

 

Other Criticisms 

 

I have seen some negative reviews of the movie based on the name calling by the policeman (he calls someone a drunk wacko) and the animals behaviour (a bird poos on someones face and the rhino burps) but I don’t see these as serious criticisms. Especially in light of the other movie options available on the market.

 

 

For other kids movies we recommend click on the following links for the full review:

 

Mary Poppins 

Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang 

The Peanuts Movie