Parents' Guide to

Otto the Rhino

By Brian Costello, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 8+

Sweet computer-animated feature has some iffy humor.

Movie PG 2014 77 minutes
Otto the Rhino Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

See all
age 5+

Based on 1 parent review

Lebron12James3
Lebron12James3 Parent
February 6, 2022
age 5+

Oddbods

See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

Topper is a kind boy with an active imagination and a father who he believes has been on adventures in Africa for the past year. He is starting to develop feelings for Silla, who seems to like him back. Topper's whole life turns upside down when he discovers a magical pencil, a pencil that brings to life anything he draws with it. One day, after drawing a rhinoceros on his bedroom wall, the rhino comes to life. Topper names the rhino Otto, and he must figure out how to take care of Otto while they live in the third floor of an apartment building. He also must keep Otto away from cranky adults and a chief of police who are determined to take him away.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1 ):
Kids say (4 ):

On the whole, OTTO THE RHINO is a sweet movie about an imaginative boy who is starting to come of age. It's slow-paced at times, and almost all of the adults are presented as buffoons, but in spite of this, the story of Topper and his relationship with his faraway father and his first love with Silla is charming.

Perhaps the biggest problem with the movie lies with the titular animal. Otto doesn't really have much personality. He's just big and oafish and eats books but doesn't really do anything to endear himself to the audience. Not that he should smile a lot and sing a song composed by Pharrell or Randy Newman, but a little more personality -- or any personality for that matter -- would have improved the movie. Still, this is an imaginative story that tweens should enjoy.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about foreign movies. How is this Danish film different from animated features made in other countries?

  • How are adults portrayed in this movie?

  • If this movie was made in North America, how do you think it would be different? How would it be the same?

Movie Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate