Hey Arnold!: The Movie
| Hey Arnold!: The Movie | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Tuck Tucker |
| Written by | Craig Bartlett |
| Produced by | Craig Bartlett |
| Starring | Spencer Klein Francesca Smith Will Smith Jamil Walker Smith Chris Tucker Dan Castellaneta Tress MacNeille Paul Sorvino Jennifer Jason Leigh Christopher Lloyd |
| Edited by | Christopher Hink |
| Music by | Jim Lang Jill Scott |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
Release date | June 28, 2002 |
Running time | 75 minutes |
| Country | USA |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $3 million |
| Box office | $15,249,308 (worldwide) |
Hey Arnold!: The Movie is a 2002 animated film based on the 1996-2004 Nickelodeon animated television series Hey Arnold!. The film was released in theaters on June 28, 2002. The musical scores in the film and the Nickelodeon animated series are written and composed by Jim Lang and R&B singer Jill Scott, along with other neo-soul singers, including Erykah Badu, D'Angelo and Musiq Soulchild. The movie was the first movie produced by Nickelodeon that was rated PG.
Plot
The film begins with Arnold and Gerald walking back to the boarding house with a popped basketball after being beaten by 5th graders at a game. Before Arnold walks into the boarding house, he sees several of his neighbors making a fuss about something. Mr. Green, a neighbor of Arnold’s, explains the commotion.
He states that Mr. Scheck, the CEO of a real estate company called Future Tech Industries or FTi, wants to buy all of Arnold's neighborhood so that he can convert it into a futuristic mall. According to the news, the mayor is already approving plans for the mall. This means that Arnold’s neighborhood will be destroyed and everyone who lives there has to move away (which would also mean Helga would not see Arnold again or express her feelings to him). The neighbors state that they should do something about this.
During the night, Helga discovers that her dad, Big Bob Pataki, is working with a Future Tech Industries executive Nick Vermicelli (who had worked with Big Bob in an earlier episode). Pataki is revealed to be planning to build a store in Scheck's mall called Big Bob's Super Beeper Emporium. Helga points out to her dad that people are going to suffer if he builds his store. However, Big Bob counters by saying that if they leave the neighborhood alone, his store won't exist. He also insists that change is good (as does Scheck at various times in the film) and states that when his store is built Helga will be rich and will be able to buy anything. The next morning, Future Tech Industries workers put up a huge electronic billboard above Arnold’s house that shows the number of days until construction begins as well as several Future Tech Industries ads featuring Scheck stating "Out with the old, in with the new", "Change is good", and "I've seen the future, and the future is Future Tech Industries".
Arnold then hosts a protest against FTi. However, their permit was stolen by Scheck’s employees and the protest was declared illegal; Arnold's grandmother was jailed for being hostile to the police suppressing it. She tries breaking out but keeps getting caught. Meanwhile, as demolition day closes in, Gerald tells Arnold to stop looking on the bright side of things and that he can’t always win.
Later on, as the boarders begin packing, Grandpa tells Arnold the history of the boarding house, stating that his ancestors first built it in the 1700s and that the neighborhood was the site of the "Tomato Incident" (a parody of the Boston Tea Party) during the Revolutionary War. The residents at that time were angry over the increase in British taxes for tomatoes. The locals fought the British soldiers by hitting them with the tomatoes, sending them running. Arnold then realizes that if he can find a document containing proof that the event happened, then the neighborhood would qualify as a National Historic Landmark and can not be demolished. With Gerald reluctantly tagging along, Arnold manages to find out the document (and other historical memorabilia) was auctioned to a collector who turns out to be none other than Scheck himself, though he denies ownership of the document.
Just as Arnold and Gerald are about to give up hope, a street telephone rings, with someone mysterious named “Deep Voice” tells them that Scheck is lying and that the document is hidden in his vault, which Vermicelli has the key to. He directs them to a woman named Bridget who can provide them with the proper gadgets to do the job and sneak the key away from Vermicelli. After Arnold and Gerald managed to snag the key, Big Bob, having read the fine print of his contract, finds that Scheck had taken control of 51% percent of his company in exchange for the right to build his beeper emporium, and takes his anger out on Vermicelli. They engage in a small fight before Bob is dosed in pickle juice (reminiscent of the Hulk) and knocked out. Vermicelli then realizes that the key is gone and alerts Scheck.
Meanwhile, Grandpa Phil and the men at the boarding house are trying to develop a backup plan just in case Arnold fails to get the document. They have several ideas, but fight on their weaknesses. However, Phil gets an idea that works. Phil and the gang plan to wire the sewer tunnels beneath their street with dynamite. They would then ignite it and blow a huge hole in the ground so the Future Tech Industries workers would fall in. Arnold and Gerald infiltrate FTi and locate the vault, only to find the document missing. Scheck comes up from behind them, with the document in his hand. He reveals that his ancestor, who was the leader of the British forces, was humiliated by the Tomato Incident. For generations, Scheck's family has been planning on regaining control of the city and getting revenge against the boarders. Scheck then burns the document.
His bodyguards then arrive to arrest Arnold and Gerald, who manage to escape and split up. Arnold then remembers that Scheck has cameras everywhere and manages to get a video of Scheck burning the document. However, security forces arrive, forcing Arnold to hide on the roof. He is then contacted by Deep Voice. Deep Voice is then revealed to be Helga, who confesses her romantic feelings for Arnold. They escape the building and meet Gerald on a city bus. The driver, Murray, is unwilling to speed up until he realizes that his girlfriend lives near Arnold and that she is going to be evicted by FTi. Back in the neighborhood, Phil and the gang are waiting with their explosives for FTi to begin taking the neighborhood down. Big Bob is in the area and discovers their plan. Although Big Bob states the gang could do some serious jail time, he decides to help because Nick Vermicelli double-crossed him.
Meanwhile, Vermicelli’s workers blow up a freeway to prevent Arnold, Gerald, Helga, and Murray (who is unconscious at the time) from getting to the neighborhood. However, a truck on the freeway that had a ramp on the back was stopped near the edge. The quartet ride the bus over the truck's ramp to jump the hole and make it to 33rd street. Back at the neighborhood again, Grandma (who has escaped from jail) hijacks one of the bulldozers and destroys the rest. Soon, the hijacked bulldozer and the city bus that Arnold, Gerald, and Helga are on collide. Grandma escapes before they hit and the kids and Murray show up okay a few moments later. Mayor Dixie arrives and Bridget gives Arnold a VCR to show the tape of Scheck burning the document. Bridget hooks it up to the big FTi screen and Arnold shows Mayor Dixie the tape. Scheck then arrives but is dismayed by the incriminating evidence. He gets into his car and tries to run over Arnold and Gerald only to find that Grandma stripped his car of its wheels. He is then arrested and Big Bob gets in another fight with Vermicelli. Arnold’s neighbor Harold is exhausted because the exploding freeway woke him up. He sits down on the button that ignites Phil’s explosives. The explosives beneath the streets ignite, destroying the FTi billboard. Phil and the boarders run away from the police as Helga talks to Arnold. She then denies having loved him and runs cheerfully as Eugene sings a song about the neighborhood being saved. Mayor Dixie declares the neighborhood a National Historic Landmark and restoration work begins.
Video Game
THQ released the Hey Arnold!: The Movie video game for only the Game Boy Advance. The game consists of 5 worlds, with 4 levels each (each including a boss on the fourth level) and the player can play as Arnold, Gerald, Grandpa, and Grandma. Helga is playable only with a cheat code found on various websites.
Home media release
Hey Arnold!: The Movie was released on VHS and DVD on December 31, 2002. The VHS version included two music videos made for this film and its soundtrack, including Mary Mary's "Shackles (Praise You)" and Will Smith's "Black Suits Comin' (Nod Ya Head)" while the DVD version included three music videos, the theatrical teaser trailer, a Hey Arnold!: The Movie soundtrack sampler, 3 special bonus Hey Arnold! episodes, "Gerald's Secret", "Eating Contest" and "Love and Cheese", which were fully restored in 1.78:1 widescreen with 5.1 cinema-quality Dolby Digital sound, with widescreen and full-screen versions of the movie and 5.1 Dolby Digital surround sound.
References to popular culture
- Poster for Hey Arnold! The Movie based on Nicktoons' previous theatrical release Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius.
- In the context of a fight with Nick Vermecilli, Big Bob is splattered with green pickle juice, his eyes become red, and fights even harder, a reference to The Incredible Hulk.
- Several film references are made, including Men in Black, and Speed.
- When Grandma Gertie breaks out of prison, her escape is identical to that of Andy Dufresne in The Shawshank Redemption.
- At the end of the credits, the first song that is playing Lil' Romeo's 2-Way and is also the first single for his album Game Time. There also was a music video for the original soundtrack of the movie.
- Deep Voice, the shady characted that gave Arnold the advice, is an obvious reference to the Watergate Scandal, with Deep Voice being a reference to Deep Throat.
Critical reception
Hey Arnold!: The Movie received negative to mixed reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes the film got a score 30%.
Sequel
Nickelodeon Movies and Paramount Pictures felt it was obvious to plan a second Hey Arnold movie. Craig Bartlett wrote a script sequel titled Hey Arnold! 2: The Jungle Movie, set in South America. The film begins when Arnold (Now ten years old) and his classmates are now in the fifth grade. He and the other goes to San Lorenzo in South America after Arnold wins an essay contest. Arnold has a map to locate his parents disappearances which he found in the one hour episode title "The Journal". However, Craig Bartlett was then working on the show Party Wagon for Nick's rival Cartoon Network, and one of the conditions for producing the film was to work exclusively for Nickelodeon. After Craig refused and due to other complications, Nickelodeon decided to cancel the project.
References
In total, there are 14 references to other Hey Arnold episodes.
- In the opening credits, the tree house named Mighty Pete can be seen, Helga's echoing voice saying "Arnold!", just like in every opening of an episode, and the store named "Holly's" can also be seen.
- An ad in a magazine selling Nancy Spumoni snow boots can be seen while Helga is looking at it.
- While discussing what to name the block party, Rhonda replies and says that Arnold throws the best parties.
- Mr. Kokoshka's saxophone and Mr.Potts's accordion were featured in the Blockapolooza concert.
- The Arcade is featured in one scene.
- When Grandpa is telling Arnold of the Tomato Incident, he briefly mentions the Pig War.
- At Helga's shrine for Arnold in her attic, she framed the pair of underwear she took from Arnold's room.
- Mr. Bailey makes a cameo appearance.
- Murray the bus driver makes an appearance.
- When they are searching for Bridget, Gerald briefly mentions Fuzzy Slippers.
- A poster of Dino Spumoni is seen on the wall of Grandma's jail cell.
- The theme for the Nancy Spumoni snow boots can be heard on Nick Vermicelli's television.
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