Riki the Rhino

The animation in Riki the Rhino is basic and stiff, but the exciting story more than makes up for it. It's a familiar tale about deforestation and hunting from an animal's perspective, but the magical twist makes it feel new. Viewers have to be willing to embrace the cheesiness of the quirky duck tagging along with his best friend, a grumpy rhino who was actually in a bad mood even before he lost his horn. Of course, he had a good reason, given that he lost his mother to hunters when he was young. Still, kids are likely to be entertained, and parents will like the positive messages.

The message about humans' impact on the environment is prevalent but not overbearing, even showing images of the characters matched with photographs of their real animal counterparts and their endangered status. It's easy to root for the jungle creatures against a horde of greedy poachers, but along the way it can feel a little uncomfortably close to home as the audience gets to see more familiar hazards for animals, such as fishing nets and plastic water bottles. The movie could inspire families to discuss things they can do to help save animals.