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Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed movies.
Hey Arnold! The Movie
Mixed or average reviews
Based on 23 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 11 votes
Read user comments
Rate this movie >
Movie Info
Genre(s): Family/Kids
Written by:
Craig Bartlett (also characters)
Steve Viksten
Directed by: Tuck Tucker
Release Date:
Theatrical: June 28, 2002
DVD: December 31, 2002
Running Time: 75 minutes, Color
Origin: USA
Summary
RATING: PG for some thematic elements
Starring Spencer Klein, Francesca Smith, Jamil Walker Smith, Dan Castellaneta, Tress MacNeille, Paul Sorvino, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Christopher Lloyd
Nickelodeon character Arnold tackles life in the big city as he goes up against a powerful industrialist who threatens to build a mammoth "mall-plex" in the middle of Arnold's close-knit neighborhood.
Also On The Web: Internet Movie Database View The Trailer Official Studio Site
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
New York Post Lou Lumenick
The story is also engaging and hip enough to make it a far easier sit for parents. And it's hard not to like a hero who takes public transportation to a showdown with the bad guy.
Read Full Review >Entertainment Weekly Lisa Schwarzbaum
The ethical, independent-minded kid has his unhip charms, and so does Hey Arnold! The Movie.
Read Full Review >Philadelphia Inquirer Carrie Rickey
If your kids are old enough to safely see the movie by themselves, drop 'em off and pick 'em up after. You don't need to see this one.
Read Full Review >USA Today Claudia Puig
The movie feels like a long-form version of the popular Nickelodeon cartoon series on which it's based, which probably won't bother Arnold fans.
Read Full Review >TV Guide Frank Lovece
Essentially a feature-length episode of the popular Nickelodeon animated series, this faithful expansion is savvy enough to stay put.
Read Full Review >LA Weekly Paul Malcolm
The rough, watercolor washes of its city backdrops mark the film with nostalgia while its story carries us along at an amiable, buoyant pace.
Read Full Review >Portland Oregonian Jay Boyar
Hey Arnold "don't get no respect," it's not half bad, either. Kids will certainly like it. For adults, it's perfectly watchable in a Rugrats sort of way.
Read Full Review >Los Angeles Times Gene Seymour
The cause is just. But there's something off-kilter about the mix. Maybe it's because the animation retains its TV flatness while the story's texture is gratuitously bulked up.
Read Full Review >The Globe and Mail (Toronto) Liam Lacey
The updated Dickensian sensibility of writer Craig Bartlett's story is appealing.
Read Full Review >New Times (L.A.) Andy Klein
Just barely diverting, even at under 80 minutes -- a TV episode inflated past its natural length.
The New York Times A.O. Scott
Blown up way past television-set size, the animated film's squiggly lines and rushed renditions are pale and blurry. This may be the first cartoon ever to look as if it were being shown on the projection television screen of a sports bar.
Read Full Review >Variety Scott Foundas
Has surprising hipness and good humor to spare, all put across with a funky, low-tech vibe.
Read Full Review >Seattle Post-Intelligencer Sean Axmaker
That may be enough to keep the kids bobbing along -- and there are worse heroes for a kid to have than Arnold -- but apart from the shenanigans of civil-disobedient senior citizens, this movie offers little to keep accompanying parents interested.
Read Full Review >The Onion (A.V. Club) Nathan Rabin
Nothing about Hey Arnold! The Movie cries out for the big-screen treatment, but it at least makes the transition from television to film with its charm intact.
Read Full Review >Chicago Tribune Loren King
It's a refreshing theme for a kids' movie, one that incorporates history and urban flavor, not to mention a preservationists' perspective, into the usual mix.
Read Full Review >Chicago Reader Ted Shen
The simplistic drawing is closer to "Peanuts" than "The Lion King," and the dialogue is strangely anachronistic.
Read Full Review >Austin Chronicle Marc Savlov
Inoffensive and sporadically funny, its chief charm is Arnold's ridiculous noggin, and that's not saying much.
Read Full Review >New York Daily News Elizabeth Weitzman
Could easily be just another episode of "Hey Arnold!" the TV show. Except that it's three times as long, and not half as much fun.
Charlotte Observer Lawrence Toppman
It's a drab jumble of meaningless action, dull characters and animation as flat and superficial as its story.
Read Full Review >Boston Globe Ty Burr
The ugly duckling of Nickelodeon's after-bath lineup. That's its strength.
Read Full Review >Washington Post Michael O'Sullivan
Neither funny nor suspenseful nor particularly well drawn.
Read Full Review >What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this movie is 7.9 (out of 10) based on 11 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
J. Nome gave it a 10:
Wonderful concept of the constant need of big business's to develop our wonderful low-rise buildings, a real smile.
Angela R. gave it a 10:
Well since I watched this HA! movie and it's about a footballheaded kid saving the neighborhooed, it's also like saving your world from danger, I should give it a 10!
A movie critic gave it a 7:
This was never meant to be a movie. It was simply meant to be a TV special, but Paramount, sensing the oppurtunity, made it into a movie. That said, it actually turned out OK. It had cool action, etc. (kind of rare for this more realistic type of show...) When the film begins, I let out a gasp. It looks HORRIBLE. The worst animation I've seen in a while. Once I got used to it, though, I enjoyed the movie, despite it visually looking worse than the show. The plot is fairly simple, with no sub-plots at all, but it's based on a fairly simple show. The film's main gimic involves Helga and Arnold, but it had exactly NO EFFECT on the film. Or the show, for that matter. At the end, they just acted like it never happened. Nickelodeon movies really should get past using these gimmics to bring in crowds, and work harder on making a movie that is more complicated than the one simple plot. Yes, it's a kids movie, but I expected more than what seemed like an extended episode of the show with some action thrown in.
Simply Gilbert Mulroneycakes gave it a 6:
Hey Arnold! the series, while pretty good, doesn't really merit a feature-length cinematic version, and, I understand, was never supposed to have one. This is just a TV movie that's got lost. Wait for the video release, for that is where it belongs.
Sam P. gave it a 6:
I have a strange liking for Hey Arnold! (the series), though it steals just about any cliche in the (or for that matter, any) book its full of interesting characters (though even the characters are cliched) and most of the time some pretty good in-jokes. And if you have had the pleasure (or displeasure) of seeing it then you know their are three fun little "questions" that the audience is supposed to wonder. Number 1 What's Arnolds last name, Number 2 Where are Arnolds parents, Number 3 When is Helga going to tell Arnold that she has feelings for him?????????? Well unfortunately only one of these questions were answered in the film and it's NO surprise to the audience (the answer was shown in the in the preview for chrissake). But enough about the show. The movie is so-so. Again the story is cliched. The little dude goes up against the big powerful guy that runs everything. The question IS is he going to win??? See any feel-good Capra movie and you'll find the answer. I mentioned that I was a fan of the series. Well, I read an interview of Craig Bartlett (the creator) once and he mentioned that in the movie every character in the series will appear . Now as someone who has seen every episode I was thinking of ways they could use some of the urban legends that are used quite often in the series. Stoop Kid, Wheezin Ed, Piegon Man, Monkey Man. Think of the possibilities! To may dismay they were either not shown at all or only as a brief cameo. I sensed wasteed potential. So I suggest if you are a die-hard fan of the series you'll love it but if not Lilo and stitch is a much better alternative. Hey Arnold! The Movie could've been a good fun popcorn flick but it turned out to be just one big long cliched episode!
Golden Noses gave it a 9:
I am a big fan of Hey Arnold the series, and I enjoyed the movie too. What dissapointed me though was that the movie wasn't originally made for the big screen, it was going to be a Nick Flick on Nickelodeon and so it wasn't as good as it could have been. The animation was just regular, and the making of it was treated like a regular episode. Since the movie is mostly just a continuation of the series people who aren't familiar with the story won't understand it very well. With the creator leaving Nick and Hey Arnold being cancelled plus insufficient advertising, I'm suprised but happy that the movie did this well. Hey Arnold has been through a lot and in my opinion the critics went too hard on it. Overall I thought it was a great movie with hilarious humor and a good moral, and I recommend it to everyone, fan fan of the series or not.
Bayleef14 gave it a 0:
Biggest piece of sh.. I have have seen.
