That Boy Emil


That Boy Emil is a Swedish animated film based on the Astrid Lindgren books of Emil i Lönneberga. It was released to cinemas in Sweden on 25 December 2013.

Plot

Emil and his sister Ida live on a farm in Lönneberga. Emil does many pranks, but actually he doesn't want to make pranks, they just happen as Emil can't foresee the consequences of his actions. Often they are made with good intent. For example, Emil gets mouse traps to help his parents to get rid of mice. Instead of the mice his father is the one who gets caught. After Emil has committed a prank, his father usually locks him inside a shed. There Emil carves a wooden figure. Ida, however, is a good girl - she wants to be locked into the shed herself in one episode, but cannot manage to anger her father.

Reception

Critical response

The Berliner Morgenpost describes the film as funny and colourful.
The Kinderfilmblog believes, That Boy Emil is also suitable for a young audience. However, conflicts are „limited to quite harmless skirmishes“, there are no „edges and flaws“. Everything is „nice, cheerful and doesn't really matter“, the nicest scenes are solely owned to „the qualities of Astrid Lindgrens books.“