Hey Arnold: The Movie is a 2002 American animated spy adventure comedy film based on the Nickelodeon animated television series of the same name. It was directed by Tuck Tucker and written and co-produced by series creator Craig Bartlett and co-written by Steve Viksten, with music by series composer Jim Lang. The events of the film take place during the fifth and final season of Hey Arnold!. Based on the 1990s animated Nickelodeon series, Hey Arnold. The film stars Spencer Klein, Francesca Smith, Jamil Walker Smith, Dan Castellaneta, Tress MacNeille, Paul Sorvino, and Jennifer Jason Leigh. The film follows Arnold, Gerald, and Helga on a quest to save their neighborhood from a greedy developer who plans on converting it into a huge shopping mall.
The film was released on June 28 2002 and produced by Nickelodeon Movies and Snee Oosh, Inc. and distributed by Paramount Pictures. It was the third film made by Nickelodeon Movies to be based on a Nicktoon, after The Rugrats Movie and Rugrats in Paris: The Movie. It is also the first Nickelodeon film based on a Nicktoon to get a PG rating from the MPAA. It received negative reviews from film critics and grossed $15.2 million worldwide against a production budget of $3–$4 million.
A made for television sequel entitled Hey Arnold!: The Jungle Movie aired on November 24, 2017.
Plot[]
Arriving home from a basketball game, Arnold Shortman and his best friend Gerald Johanssen learn that FutureTech Industries (FTI) CEO Alphonse Perrier du von Scheck has announced plans to redevelop the entire neighborhood as a luxurious high-rise shopping mall. That night, Helga Pataki finds that her father, Big Bob, is working with FTI to build a new super-sized branch of his beeper store in the proposed mall. She ultimately sides with her father, though is hesitant to do so because of her love for Arnold.
Arnold hosts a demonstration against FTI, but it fails when their permit is stolen by Scheck's employees and Arnold's grandmother Gertie Shortman is arrested, causing the neighbors to lose hope and sell their homes to FTI. Just as the fate of the neighborhood appears to be sealed, Grandpa Phil tells Arnold the story of the "Tomato Incident", a major Revolutionary War battle fought in the city. Arnold realizes that the neighborhood had to have been declared a historic district after the war, effectively ensuring its preservation. Arnold and Gerald search throughout the city for the legal document certifying its landmark status, and ultimately discover that the document was sold to Scheck, who denies obtaining the document.
As the deadline draws near, Arnold gets a mysterious phone call from "Deep Voice" (a "Deep Throat"-esque character), who informs Arnold that Scheck actually has the document inside his office safe, and is lying that he does not know its whereabouts. Arnold and Gerald steal the key to the safe from Scheck's assistant, Nick Vermicelli. Nick later notices the missing key, and informs Scheck. Meanwhile, Phil and the boarders try to devise a backup plan to stop the bulldozers from destroying the neighborhood in case Arnold's plan fails. The plan is to wire the storm drain tunnels beneath their street with dynamite to intercept FTI's construction equipment. Big Bob later teams up with them after discovering Nick's contract states Scheck will control 51% of his company and swindle him as a result.
With help from agent Bridget, Arnold and Gerald infiltrate the FTI headquarters, only for them to discover that Scheck has the document in his hand. Scheck then tells his own family's story regarding the Tomato Incident. His ancestor, the governor of the local British forces, was defeated and humiliated by the American colonists including Arnold's ancestors during the "Tomato Incident". To avenge his family's honor, Scheck intends to demolish the neighborhood and replace it with a building carrying his name on it. He destroys the document to ensure that his plans will proceed, before summoning his guards to get rid of Arnold and Gerald. They escape, but believe they have failed, until "Deep Voice" advises Arnold to obtain the FTI's security-camera footage of Scheck burning the document.
Arnold discovers that "Deep Voice" is Helga, who reluctantly admits she loves him and that this was her reason for getting involved. He and Helga escape the building, and meet Gerald on a city bus, convincing the driver Murray to race home when realizing that his girlfriend Mona lives in the same neighborhood. Despite several near-collisions, the kids eventually make it back unharmed. Mayor Dixie arrives at the scene, along with the police and a news crew. Accessing the large ScheckVision jumbotron poised atop a nearby building, Arnold and Bridget show everyone the footage of Scheck burning the document. Dixie officially restores the neighborhood's status as a historic site, never to be destroyed by anyone for any purpose.
Scheck arrives, demanding to know why demolition has not begun. He sees the footage of himself burning the document on the monitor, and realizes he is caught and facing prison time. Having escaped prison, Gertie sabotages his car, and Scheck is promptly arrested. Harold inadvertently sits down on the detonator that ignites Phil's explosives, causing the jumbotron monitor to be destroyed. Helga denies loving Arnold, claiming her confession was made in "the heat of the moment". While Arnold is unconvinced, he pretends to accept it as she returns home.
Cast[]
- Spencer Klein as Arnold Shortman
- Francesca Marie Smith as Helga Pataki and Deep Voice
- Jamil Walker Smith as Gerald Johanssen and Rasta Guy
- Dan Castellaneta as Grandpa Phil Shortman and Nick Vermicelli
- Tress MacNeille as Grandma Gertie Shortman, Mayor Dixie, and Red
- Paul Sorvino as Alphonse Perrier du von Scheck
- Jennifer Jason Leigh as Bridget
- Christopher Lloyd as Coroner
- Maurice LaMarche as Big Bob Pataki/Additional voices
- Sam Gifaldi as Sid
- Christopher P. Walberg as Stinky Peterson
- Olivia Hack as Rhonda Lloyd
- Blake McIver Ewing as Eugene Horowitz
- Anndi McAfee as Phoebe Heyerdahl
- Justin Shenkarow as Harold Berman
- Vincent Schiavelli as Mr. Bailey
- Kath Soucie as Miriam Pataki/Additional voices
- James Keane as Marty Green/Additional voices
- Elizabeth Ashley as Mrs. Vitello
- Michael Levin as Ray Doppel
- Steve Viksten as Oskar Kokoshka
- Dom Irrera as Ernie Potts
- Baoan Coleman as Mr. Hyunh
- Craig Bartlett as Brainy/Murray/Grubby/Monkeyman