# Horrid Henry: The Movie

Horrid Henry: The Movie is a 2011 British 3D comedy film directed by Nick Moore and produced by Allan Niblo, Rupert Preston, Mike Watts, and Lucinda Whiteley, 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. The film itself takes place before series 3 of the TV series.
Horrid Henry: The Movie 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, and was officially released in cinemas on 29 July 2011 in 2D, RealD 3D, and 3D formats by Vertigo Films in the United Kingdom.
Phase 4 Films and Entertainment One released the film in theatres in the United States and Canada on 22 December 2012. The film was universally panned by critics and audiences, who criticised its humour, use of 3D, acting, and low quality, but was positively received from fans of the books and the TV series. 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 has sold over 750,000 DVD copies in the UK.

## 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 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.
Henry later receives an invitation to participate in the game show 2 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 calls 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 party at Henry's house.

## Cast

* Theo Stevenson as Horrid Henry, a mischievous boy considered horrid due to his behaviour
* Anjelica Huston as Miss Boudicca Battle-Axe, the teacher of Henry and his class whom despises him, yet is determined to teach him something
* Scarlett Stitt as Moody Margaret, the archenemy of Henry whom lives next door to him and the Leader of the Secret Club
* Ross Marron as Perfect Peter, the younger brother of Henry whom is good and well-behaved
* Richard E Grant as Vic Van Wrinkle, the evil Headmaster of Brick House
* Parminder Nagra as Miss Lovely, Perfect Peter's teacher whom is kind and optimistic
* Kimberley Walsh as Prissy Polly, Henry and Peter's older cousin
* Mathew Horne as Silly Simon (Dad), the father of Henry and Peter and the husband of Mum
* Siobhan Hayes as Ecstatic Eileen (Mum), the mother of Henry and Peter and the wife of Dad
* Rebecca Front as Miss Cynthia Oddbod, the strict and no-nonsense Headmistress of Ashton Primary whom often confiscates toys from her students
* David Schneider as Soggy Sid, the PE teacher at Ashton Primary whom despises Henry
* Dick and Dom as the co-presenters of 2 Cool 4 School
* Noel Fielding as Ed Banger, the lead singer of the Killer Boy Rats, Henry's favourite band
* Jo Brand as Greasy Greta, a dinner lady who serves Henry vegetable stew on 2 Cool 4 School
* Prunella Scales as Great Aunt Greta, 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, the sister of Mum and the wealthy aunt of Henry and Peter
* Lloyd Howells as Rude Ralph, Henry's best friend
* Jack Sanders as Aerobic Al, an athletic boy whom is good friends with Henry
* Connor O'Mara as Beefy Bert, a friend of Henry's whom lacks intelligence and only ever says "I dunno"
* Reuben Lee as Brainy Brian, a friend of Henry's and the most intelligent student in his class
* Billy Kennedy as Weepy William, a friend of Henry's and a sensitive boy whom often gets emotional
* Helena Barlow as Sour Susan, 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, the Henchmen of Vic Van Wrinkle whom are being paid to help get Ashton Primary closed down
* Frank Kauer as Spotless Sam, a tidy boy and one of Peter's best friends
* Joshua-James Thomas as Goody Goody Gordon, a well-behaved boy and one of Peter's best friends
* Gabriel Werb as Tidy Ted, a tidy boy whom is best friends with Peter
* Tyger Drew-Honey as Stuck-up Steve, the snobby older cousin of Henry and Peter, whom attends Brick House and is heavily spoiled by her mother
* Tamsin Heatley as Miss Tutu, the dance teacher at Ashton Primary whom teaches some students ballet
** Heatley also portrays the voice of Fang, Henry's vicious pet hamster.
* Philip Pope as Moody Margaret's Dad, the lenient father of Margaret whom spoils her
* Kia Pegg as Vicious Vicky, the younger sister of Sour Susan whom frequently bites others
* Grant Logan as Wheely Walter, the Science teacher at Ashton Primary whom uses a wheelchair
* Lily and Sasha Demetriou Ottaway as Vomiting Vera, the baby girl of Prissy Polly
* Lizzie Waterworth-Santo as Nitty Nora, the nit nurse at Ashton Primary

## Production

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.

## Release

Horrid Henry: The Movie was theatrically released on 29 July 2011, in the U.K. by Vertigo Films. It was later released on DVD and Blu-ray on 28 November, that same year, in the United Kingdom.

## Reception
### Box office

The film opened at #5 in the box office in the United Kingdom with £1.3 million, in a Top 10 led by Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 and Captain America: The First Avenger. It was knocked down the next week to #7, by Super 8 and Mr. Popper's Penguins.

### Critical response

The film received extremely negative reviews from critics. Review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reports that 9% of 22 reviews for Horrid Henry: The Movie are positive; the average rating is 3.60/10. Common criticisms included the unfunny, juvenile humour, stuttering plot, and unimaginative use of stereoscopy. The bright colour palette was widely praised, but generally said to be wasted, given the overall low quality of the film.
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.'
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". When interviewed on Desert Island Discs by Kirsty Young, Horrid Henry book author Francesca Simon stated: 'I haven't seen it (the film)...I had nothing to do with it.' Sandie Angulo Chen of Common Sense Media gave this a film two stars out of five, describing as a "forgettable British kid comedy is pretty horrid indeed."
In August 2019, Francesca Simon, the author of the original books, stated during a Q&A at the Edinburgh International Book Festival that she does not like the film, due to differing from the books.

## Soundtrack

The soundtrack was released on 1 January 2011, by Universal Music TV.
| Track | Song | Artists |
| 1 | "Too Cool for School" | Theo Stevenson |
| 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" (Movie Soundtrack Edit) | 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 (Blink-182 cover)" | Jedward |
| 20 | "I'm Horrid Henry" | 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!"