Common Sense Media Review
Nothing new, pretty dumb.
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Hey Arnold!: The Movie
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 1 parent review
Based on 15 kid reviews
Kids say the movie is generally viewed as disappointing, primarily due to its shallow plot and lack of character development, which many fans of the original series found to be unsatisfactory. While some younger viewers enjoy its humor and themes of friendship, the adult audience expresses dissatisfaction, labeling it as bland and not representative of the beloved TV show.
- disappointing plot
- shallow characters
- mixed audience reaction
- themes of friendship
- humor critiques
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
HEY ARNOLD!: THE MOVIE finds its football-headed hero with a heart of gold in a save-the-neighborhood situation. A big bad wolf industrialist named Scheck (voiced by Paul Sorvino) wants to turn Arnold's happy suburb into a "mall-plex." Most of the adults reluctantly sell their homes, but Arnold arranges benefits and does research on how to save the town, undiscouraged by Scheck's constant attempts to crush him and the pessimism of everyone else. He eventually finds out about a Boston Tea Party-esque event that occurred in his town during the Revolutionary War and works to get the town saved as a historical landmark.
Is It Any Good?
Hard-core fans of the television series will enjoy seeing the Hey Arnold! characters on the big screen. But most everyone else will be bored with the characters, the animation, and the predictable chain of events.
Kids may enjoy seeing Arnold save the day, but adults will snooze through it, due to a storyline everyone's seen before, unexceptional animation, and characters that range from uninteresting to unappealing. There are some amusing voice cameos from Jennifer Jason Leigh and Christopher Lloyd, as well as references to Men in Black II and The Incredible Hulk. And if anyone these days comes close to being Mel Blanc, it's Dan Castellaneta (The Simpsons), who gives wildly different characters such genuine personality that one would never guess that they come from the same guy. If only those voices had a better script.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Movie Details
- In theaters : June 28, 2002
- On DVD or streaming : April 25, 2017
- Cast : Christopher Lloyd , Jennifer Jason Leigh , Spencer Klein
- Director : Tuck Tucker
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Paramount Pictures
- Genre : Family and Kids
- Topics : Friendship
- Run time : 76 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : mild violence
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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