Horrid Henry: The Movie is a 2011 British comedy film directed by Nick Moore[4] and produced by Allan Niblo, Rupert Preston, Mike Watts, and Lucinda Whiteley,[5] who wrote it. In the film, Henry and the Purple Hand Gang fight 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 of the same name by Francesca Simon.[6] The film itself takes place before series 3 of the TV series.
Phase 4 Films and Entertainment One released the film in theatres in the United States and Canada on 22 December 2012.[9] The film received negative criticism from critics. It grossed $10.1 million worldwide. Horrid Henry: The Movie was released on DVD and Blu-ray on 28 November 2011 in the United Kingdom. Horrid Henry: The Movie sold over 750,000 DVD copies in the UK.[10]
Plot
After once again neglecting to finish his homework, Horrid Henry has his friend, Brainy Brian, forge a note from his mother claiming that his cat ate it. His teacher, Miss Battle-Axe, sees through Henry's ruse because the word "homework" is spelled correctly, something Henry struggles with. While Henry is in detention, his friends join him, and they rehearse for a school talent contest; they are interrupted by Miss Oddbod, the Headmistress, and two school inspectors.
Meanwhile, Vic Van Wrinkle, the corrupt headmaster of the prestigious Brick House School, influences the school inspectors to close down Ashton Primary, the school Henry attends, hoping to profit from an influx of new students. The inspectors encourage Henry's pranks, resulting in Miss Battle-Axe and her colleague, Miss Lovely, being dismissed for failing to maintain discipline. Furthermore, Miss Oddbod prohibits Henry's band, the Zero Zombies, from entering the talent contest.
With Ashton Primary on the brink of closing, Henry's Great Aunt Greta offers to pay for Henry to attend an all-girls private academy (thinking Henry is a girl) and his younger brother, Perfect Peter, to attend Brick House. Miss Lovely applies for a job at Brick House and spies on Van Wrinkle; she is captured, but passes notes about Van Wrinkle's plan to Peter. After Henry escapes from his new school with the help of Margaret, who has also been transferred there, he and the Zero Zombies compete in the talent contest, hoping that a victory will garner enough fame to save Ashton Primary from closure. They win the contest, but Miss Oddbod informs Henry that fame is irrelevant in this case and that Ashton Primary School will close regardless.
Henry later receives an invitation to participate in the game show2 Cool 4 School, and Margaret suggests they use the cash prize to bribe the school inspectors into leaving Ashton Primary alone. In the final round of the game, Henry is confronted by Miss Battle-Axe, who challenges him to spell "homework." Recalling Miss Battle-Axe's previous admonitions and using the phrase "Oh, Henry" as a mnemonic device, he finally spells the word correctly and wins.
Meanwhile, Peter and his friends try to rescue Miss Lovely, but are captured by Van Wrinkle. Miss Lovely tricks Van Wrinkle into explaining his plan while Peter has her mobile phone on a call with Miss Oddbod, who contacts the police. Van Wrinkle attempts to escape, but falls over due to Peter tying his shoelaces together; he and the school inspectors are arrested. Henry offers the cash prize to Miss Oddbod, who declines it and explains that the school has already been saved. Instead, the money is used to throw a large party at Henry's house.
Cast
Theo Stevenson as Horrid Henry,[7] a mischievous boy considered horrid due to his behaviour
Anjelica Huston as Miss Boudicca Battle-Axe,[7] the teacher of Henry and his class whom despises him, yet is determined to teach him something
Scarlett Stitt as Moody Margaret,[7] the archenemy of Henry whom lives next door to him and the Leader of the Secret Club
Ross Marron as Perfect Peter,[7] the younger brother of Henry whom is good and well-behaved
Richard E Grant as Vic Van Wrinkle,[7] the evil Headmaster of Brick House
Parminder Nagra as Miss Lovely,[7][11] Perfect Peter's teacher whom is kind and optimistic
Noel Fielding as Ed Banger,[7] the lead singer of the Killer Boy Rats, Henry's favourite band
Jo Brand as Greasy Greta,[7] a dinner lady who serves Henry vegetable stew on 2 Cool 4 School
Prunella Scales as Great Aunt Greta,[7] Henry's great aunt in the belief that Henry is a girl named Henrietta and that Peter is a teenager
Helen Lederer as Rich Aunt Ruby,[15] the sister of Mum, the sister-in-law of Dad, the mother of Stuck-up Steve and the wealthy aunt of Henry and Peter
Lloyd Howells as Rude Ralph,[11] Henry's best friend
Jack Sanders as Aerobic Al,[11] an athletic boy whom is good friends with Henry
Connor O'Mara as Beefy Bert,[11] a friend of Henry's whom lacks intelligence and only ever says "I dunno."
Reuben Lee as Brainy Brian,[11] a friend of Henry's and the most intelligent student in his class
Billy Kennedy as Weepy William,[12] a friend of Henry's and a sensitive boy whom often gets emotional
Helena Barlow as Sour Susan,[11] Moody Margaret's best friend whom usually copies what she says
Nikita Mistry as Gorgeous Gurinder, a vain girl whom is friends with Margaret
Ela Warburton as Lazy Linda, a lazy girl whom often sleeps in class and a friend of Margaret's
Nethra Tilakumara as Singing Soraya, a girl whom enjoys singing and often sings her sentences and a friend of Margaret's
Metin and Timur Ahmet as the School Inspectors,[13] the Henchmen of Vic Van Wrinkle whom are being paid to help get Ashton Primary closed down
Frank Kauer as Spotless Sam,[16] a tidy boy and one of Peter's best friends
Joshua-James Thomas as Goody Goody Gordon,[16] a well-behaved boy and one of Peter's best friends
Gabriel Werb as Tidy Ted,[16] a tidy boy whom is best friends with Peter
Tyger Drew-Honey as Stuck-up Steve,[12][17] the snobby older cousin of Henry and Peter, the son of Rich Aunt Ruby and the nephew of Mum and Dad whom attends Brick House and is heavily spoiled by his mother
Tamsin Heatley as Miss Tutu,[13] the dance teacher at Ashton Primary whom teaches some students ballet
Heatley also provides the voice of Fang,[13] Henry's vicious pet hamster.
Philip Pope as Moody Margaret's Dad,[13] the lenient father of Margaret whom spoils her
Kia Pegg as Vicious Vicky,[16][18] the younger sister of Sour Susan whom frequently bites others
Grant Logan as Wheely Walter,[13] the Science teacher at Ashton Primary whom uses a wheelchair
Lily and Sasha Demetriou Ottaway as Vomiting Vera,[13] the baby daughter of Prissy Polly
Horrid Henry: The Movie was filmed at London for seven weeks in November and December in 2010 and was released in cinemas the following summer.[8]
Release
Horrid Henry: The Movie was theatrically released on 29 July 2011, in the U.K. by Vertigo Films.[19][9] It was later released on DVD and Blu-ray on 28 November, that same year, in the United Kingdom.
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 9% of 22 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 3.60/10.[22] Common criticisms included the unfunny, juvenile humour,[11][23][24] stuttering plot,[11][24][25] and unimaginative use of stereoscopy.[11][23][24] The bright colour palette was widely praised, but generally said to be wasted, given the overall low quality of the film.[11][23][25]
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 thespian talent, while its use of 3D is likewise less than imaginative.'[11]
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".[25] When interviewed on Desert Island Discs by Kirsty Young, Horrid Henry book author Francesca Simon stated, 'I haven't seen [the film]...I had nothing to do with it.'[26] She would also express her dislike of the film during a Q&A at the Edinburgh International Book Festival in August 2019, stating that it differed from the books.[27] Sandie Angulo Chen of Common Sense Media gave this a film two stars out of five, describing as a "forgettable British kid comedy [that] is pretty horrid indeed."[28]
Soundtrack
Horrid Henry: The Movie: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Killer Boy Rats (Lucinda Whiteley, Matthew Corbett and Mike Wilkie)
Sequel
In an interview with Novel Entertainment, aired out in January 2020 after the success of Horrid Henry: The Movie being aired on Nicktoons, executive producer Lucinda Whiteley said she was "absolutely [working on a sequel]! And not just one but two sequels, as the story of how Henry ends up saving the world needs more than just 90 minutes!"[30]
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