At first glance The Rhino Brothers appears to have some similarities to one of the best hockey films around - Mystery, Alaska - with it’s examination of hockey within a small community. However, that’s where the similarities end. Where Mystery was an upbeat feel-good movie, The Rhino Brothers is a more gritty affair and probably more realistic for it. The main storyline is one of the prodigal son who has been cut from his NHL team but hides this initially from his family behind the ruse of being injured and having to recover from that injury. For small communities across Canada this must be a familiar story, the local ‘star’ heads off to make it big and inevitably some will return having not quite made the grade. What follows is an examination of the relationships between the three brothers and their mother and their involvement in the local beer league team. The hockey sequences are not on a par with some of the higher budget films but they do reflect the grittiness of that type of league well. The film is a fascinating insight into what happens in small town communities and the effects that hockey can have on the people in those communities. Be warned though, this is definitely not one to watch with the kids if you don’t want them hearing bad language. Overall, a fairly enjoyable hour and a half but not a patch on the superior Mystery, Alaska and Slapshot PD - 16/01/05 The Rhino Brothers is available on Region 1 DVD |
