Review of The Adventures of Milo and Otis (1986) by Eric H — 22 Jun 2009

Okay, I know what you're thinking, but I want to say one thing above all else. This is not just a cute movie. This is the definition of cute. It's not much beyond that, but, man, give credit where it's due. If there was an award for Cutest Movie of All Time, this movie would undoubtedly be the leading contender. There has never been a movie or story or character or hell even a YouTube video more deserving of the moniker "cute" than this movie. And in that, I do believe that it has shaped our perceptions of the word "cute.".

If you don't know what this movie is you should be ashamed of yourself, but for your benefit, I'll say that Milo and Otis is essentially a collection of real footage of kittens and puppies and baby animals cobbled together to present a rough story which is narrated by Dudley Moore.

This is the movie that people think about when they use phrases like "that puppy dog look" or "cute as a kitten." And if they're not thinking about this movie it's probably just because they haven't seen it yet. These are THE archetypal images of "cute puppy" and "cute kitten." So much so that by the end of the film most viewers are a bit overwhelmed and suffer from some cuteness overload. And if the term "cuteness overload" seems a bit ridiculous to you, you clearly haven't seen this film. After watching the film, you're placed into a daze where really the only word you can even think of is "cute." And I don't think I'm just speaking for myself on this one. I'm pretty sure that's how everyone is affected by this film.

But to be totally honest, here, the last third of the movie does start to drag a bit. And watching it this time around, I think I discovered why. The last third of the movie is where the story comes around to Milo and Otis finding their female mates and falling in love and making families. And yet, for as much as this part of the movie is explicitly about love, there is oddly enough a lot less of the warm, cuddly feeling in the last part of the film. All throughout the first portion of the film, we see the animals cuddling up to each other in ways that are so cute and affectionate that you can't help but feel warm and fuzzy.

But when Milo and Otis actually "fall in love," there's not really that much cuddling or physical affection involved as much as it is kinda the Bambi model of an animal relationship where they just look awkwardly at each other and then disappear behind closed doors. And that would be fine except for that by now we've seen so many cute scenes of the animals snuggling and nuzzling each other, it seems kinda odd for the animals to stop snuggling and nuzzling when they fall in love.

But having said that, the positives of this movie really outweigh the awkwardness in the last act. If you haven't seen it and you want to know what true cuteness is, don't hesitate to pick up a copy.