Horrid Henry: The Movie
| Horrid Henry: The Movie | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Nick Moore |
| Produced by |
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| Written by | Lucinda Whiteley |
| Screenplay by | Lucinda Whiteley |
| Based on |
Horrid Henry by Francesca Simon |
| Starring | |
| Music by |
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| Cinematography | Sam McCurdy |
| Edited by | Simon Cozens |
Production company |
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| Distributed by |
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Release dates |
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Running time | 93 minutes[1] |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Budget | Unknown |
| Box office | $10.1 million[2] |
Horrid Henry: The Movie is a 2011 British 3D children's fantasy comedy adventure film directed by Nick Moore, produced by Allan Niblo, Rupert Preston and Mike Watts and co-produced and written by Lucinda Whiteley. The film's plot focuses on Henry and The Purple Hand Gang fighting to prevent the closure of their school by an evil private school Headmaster. It is based on the fictional character Horrid Henry from the children's book series by Francesca Simon. It stars Theo Stevenson, Richard E. Grant, Parminder Nagra, Kimberley Walsh, Mathew Horne, Siobhan Hayes, Dick and Dom, Noel Fielding, Jo Brand, and Anjelica Huston. It was the first British film for children to be shot in 3D. The film was officially released in cinemas on 29 July 2011 in the 2D, RealD 3D and 3D formats by Vertigo Films in the UK. Phase 4 Films and Entertainment One released the film in theatres in the United States and Canada on 22 December 2012.[3] The film has a 10% approval rating at Rotten Tomatoes and grossed $10.1 million worldwide. Horrid Henry: The Movie was released on DVD and Blu-ray on 9 November 2012.
Plot
Horrid Henry uses his magnetic yoyo to steal cookies from Moody Margaret's Secret Club. Before he can eat them, his mother tells him to do his homework. The next morning, Henry searches for his homework, only to find that after he left it on the dining room table, the other members of the household variously spilled milk on it, stepped on it, and squashed it into the couch, leaving it a mess. He leaves it behind and has his friend Brainy Brian forge a note from his mother saying his cat ate it. His teacher, Miss Battle-Axe, realizes the note is forged and that Henry did not do it himself, since Brian spelled "homework" correctly, something Henry is incapable of doing. With Henry in detention, his friends join him to practice for a talent contest. Miss Oddbod, the headteacher, and a pair of school inspectors walk in on their rehearsal.
Vic Van Wrinkle, headteacher of the exorbitantly expensive Brick House School, has been bribing the school inspectors to put pressure on Ashton Primary, the school Henry attends, in order to justify closing the school. Van Wrinkle stands to make a fortune from the resulting influx of pupils. Horrid Henry and Moody Margret's misbehavior prompts Miss Oddbody to fire Miss Battle-Axe and Miss Lovely for failing to enforce discipline, and the school inspectors encourage Henry's pranks.
With Ashton Primary on the brink of closing, Henry's Great Aunt Gretta volunteers to put up the money to transfer Henry to an all-girls school (since she thinks Henry is a girl) and his younger brother Peter to Brick House. Miss Lovely gets a job at Brick House, where she notices the school inspectors. Peter distracts the staff and pupils by performing numerous arrangements of "Frère Jacques" so that Miss Lovely can spy on Van Wrinkle and the inspectors. She is caught by Van Wrinkle, but covertly passes notes about his plan to Peter. Meanwhile, Henry's new schoolmates immediately realize he is a boy and begin hunting him. Margaret, who has also been transferred to the school, comes to Henry's aid, and the two escape. The traumatic experience motivates them to work together to save Ashton Primary. Henry decides to win the talent contest with his 'Zero Zombies' band, in the naive hope that this will make them famous enough that they won't shut the school down.
After the band wins the contest, Miss Oddbod informs Henry that fame is irrelevant in this case. Henry is later invited onto TV programme '2 Cool 4 School', where he can win a cash prize, which Margaret points out that they can use to bribe the school inspectors to leave Ashton Primary alone. In the final round of the competition he is confronted with Miss Battle-Axe, who challenges him to spell "homework". Recalling Miss Battle-Axe's early admonitions and using "Oh Henry, you horrid boy" as a mnemonic device, he correctly spells "homework" with two "o"s for the first time.
Peter and his friends try to rescue Miss Lovely, but are captured by Van Wrinkle. Miss Lovely tricks him into explaining his plan while Peter has her mobile phone call the school so that Miss Oddbod can hear. Miss Oddbod calls the police, who proceed to Van Wrinkle's office. Vic attempts to escape but trips and falls since Peter tied his shoelaces together. Henry returns and offers the cash prize to Miss Oddbod, who declines it. At Margaret's suggestion, the money is used for the party of a lifetime instead.
Cast
- Theo Stevenson as Horrid Henry
- Richard E. Grant as Vic Van Wrinkle
- Anjelica Huston as Miss Battle-Axe
- Scarlett Stitt as Moody Margaret
- Ross Marron as Perfect Peter
- Mathew Horne as Dad
- Siobhan Hayes as Mum
- Rebecca Front as Mrs Oddbod
- Parminder Nagra as Miss Lovely
- Lloyd Howells as Rude Ralph
- Jack Sanders as Aerobic Al
- Reuben Lee as Brainy Brian
- Billy Kennedy as Weeping William
- Connor O'Mara as Beefy Bert
- Helena Barlow as Sour Susan
- Nikita Mistry as Gorgeous Gurinder
- Nethra Tilakumara as Singing Soraya
- David Schneider as Soggy Sid
- Helen Lederer as Rich Aunt Ruby
- Noel Fielding as Ed Banger
- Kimberly Walsh as Prissy Polly
- Dick and Dom as hosts for the game show '2Cool4School'
- Prunella Scales as Great Aunt Greta
- Jo Brand as Greasy Greta/Demon Dinner Lady
- Frank Kauer as Spotless Sam
- Joshua-James Thomas as Goody Goody Gordon
- Gabriel Werb as Tidy Ted
- Tyger Drew-Honey as Stuck-up Steve
- Tamsin Heatley as Miss Impatience Tutu, Fang the Hamster (voice)
- Philip Pope as Moody Margaret's Dad
- Kia Pegg as Vicious Vicky
- Grant Logan as Wheely Walter
- Lily Demetriou Ottaway & Sasha Demetriou Ottaway as Vomiting Vera
- Nathaniel Pacanowski as Talent Contest Band
- Elizabeth Waterworth-Santo as Nitty Nora
Release
Horrid Henry: The Movie was theatrically released on 29 July 2011 in the United Kingdom by Vertigo Films.[4] Phase 4 Films and Entertainment One released the film in theatres in the United States and Canada on 22 December 2012.[5] It was released on DVD and Blu-ray on 9 November 2012.
Reception
The film opened at number 5 in the UK box office with £1.3M,[6] but was knocked down to #7 by Super 8 and Mr. Popper's Penguins.
The film was a critical bomb. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reports that 10% of 21 critics have given the film a positive review; the rating average is 3.6 out of 10.[7] Common criticisms included the unfunny, juvenile humor,[8][9][10] stuttering plot,[8][11][10] and unimaginative use of stereoscopy.[8][9][10] The bright color palette was widely praised, but generally said to be wasted given the overall low quality of the movie.[8][11][9] Leslie Felperin of Variety stated, "Thinly scripted, even for a kidpic, but luridly colored enough to keep even nap-needing tots (or parents) awake, this sophomore effort by Brit helmer Nick Moore (“Wild Child”) reps something of a waste of its impressive roster of supporting-thesp talent, while its use of 3D is likewise less than imaginative."[8] Derek Adams offered the film mild praise in Time Out: "‘Horrid Henry’ is indelibly flawed and disorderly in tone but not devoid of rambunctious charm."[11] What Culture named it the number 3 worst film of 2011.[9]
When interviewed on Desert Island Discs by Kirsty Young, Horrid Henry book author Francesca Simon stated that "I haven't seen it (the movie)...I had nothing to do with it."[12]
Soundtrack
| Horrid Henry: The Movie: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack | ||
|---|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by Various artists | ||
| Released | January 1, 2011 | |
| Recorded | 2011 | |
| Genre | Film Soundtrack | |
| Label | Universal Music TV | |
| Producer | Various artists | |
| Singles from Horrid Henry: The Movie: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack | ||
|
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The soundtrack was released on January 1, 2011 by Universal Music TV.[13]
| Track | Song | Artists |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Too Cool for School" (two versions) | Theo Stevenson and Dick and Dom |
| 2 | "Everybody Dance" | Kimberley Walsh |
| 3 | "Boys and Girls" | Pixie Lott |
| 4 | "Party Rock Anthem" | LMFAO featuring Lauren Bennett and GoonRock |
| 5 | "(Gonna Be a) Rockstar" | Theo Stevenson |
| 6 | "Beat of My Drum" | Nicola Roberts |
| 7 | "One Time" | Justin Bieber |
| 8 | "Shine a Light" (Radio Edit) | McFly ft. Taio Cruz |
| 9 | "When I'm King" | Emma Tate, Tamsin Heatley, Wayne Forester and Theo Stevenson |
| 10 | "Get Down" | Twenty Twenty |
| 11 | "Special Brew" | Bad Manners |
| 12 | "Horrid Homework Haze" | Killer Boy Rats |
| 13 | "I Gotta Feeling" (Edit) | The Black Eyed Peas |
| 14 | "Rock Down" | Free Amigos |
| 15 | "Ego" | The Saturdays |
| 16 | "Underdog" | You Me at Six |
| 17 | "Monster" | The Automatic |
| 18 | "Dynamite" | Taio Cruz |
| 19 | "All the Small Things" | Jedward |
| 20 | "I'm Horrid Henry" | Killer Boy Rats |
| 21 | "Frère Jacques" | Ross Marron and others |
See also
Notes
References
- ↑ "HORRID HENRY - THE MOVIE (U)". British Board of Film Classification. 2011-07-20. Retrieved 2013-05-24.
- ↑ "Horrid Henry: The Movie". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 15 July 2015.
- ↑ http://www.phase4films.com/news.aspx
- ↑ "Horrid Henry: The Movie 3D". Express & Star. 30 July 2011. Retrieved 21 October 2015.
- ↑ http://www.phase4films.com/news.aspx
- ↑ "Harry Potter beats Captain America". BBC News. Retrieved 15 July 2015.
- ↑ "Horrid Henry: The Movie (2011)". Rotten Tomatoes. Flixster. Retrieved 29 August 2011.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Felperin, Leslie (July 26, 2011). "Review: Horrid Henry: The Movie". Variety. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
- 1 2 3 4 Munroe, Shaun (December 31, 2011). "Worst 20 Films of 2011". What Culture. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
- 1 2 3 Young, Graham (July 29, 2011). "Film Review: Horrid Henry - The Movie 3D". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
- 1 2 3 Adams, Derek (July 26, 2011). "Horrid Henry: The Movie". Time Out. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
- ↑ This was broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on 11 November 2011.
- ↑ http://www.amazon.co.uk/Horrid-Henry-Various-artists/dp/B005CDJW8G/