Film
What's on at the cinema plus reviews of the latest movie and DVD releases
Bookmark this pageHelp! I'm a Fish (2000)
Director: Michael Hegner, Stefan Fjeldmark
Movie review
From Time Out Film Guide
Danish directors Hegner and Fjeldmark wanted 'to create an animated film based on an ordinary daily situation'; and this, believe it or not, is it. Thirteen-year-old Fly takes kid sister Stella and dweeby cousin Chuck on a fishing trip. Stranded by the tides, they stumble on an underground laboratory where dotty Professor Mac Krill has devised a potion to turn humans into fish (in anticipation of the polar ice caps melting and humans being forced to survive underwater). After Stella accidentally drinks some of the potion and turns into a starfish, the boys have to take it, too, to find her - but if she doesn't get the antidote within 48 hours, she'll remain a fish forever. This underwater adventure, complete with Busby Berkeley-style synchronised swimming sequences, is further complicated by the antidote falling into the fins of megalomaniac pilot fish Joe, enabling him to think and speak like a human. Capitalising on his newfound powers, he soon sets up a one-fish state, with himself as a kind of despotic Captain Nemo, supported by a 'dumb but dangerous' shark and bullyboy crabs. For a story about friendship and working together, the characters are cute, the animation pretty well executed, and Rickman is a fine choice to voice the menacing Joe. That said, the film lacks the technical precision of Shrek and the bold, well-rounded characterisation of the Toy Story films. More importantly, it lacks that extra dimension which would engage and entertain the adults in the audience as well as the kids.Author: JFu
Cast & crew
Director: Michael Hegner, Stefan Fjeldmark
Producer: Anders Mastrup, Eberhard Junkersdorf, Russell Boland
Cast: Alan Rickman, Terry Jones, Aaron Poul, Søren Sætter-Lassen, Mortern Kerrn Nielsen, Sebastian Jessen, Jeff Pace, Nis Bank-Mikkelsen full cast
Genre(s): Children's
Duration: 80 mins
Most popular on this site
Top Stories
Has David Cronenberg turned tame?
Has director David Cronenberg veered too far from his radical and bloody roots with new film 'A Dangerous Method'?
The 10 worst date movies
Just in time for Valentine's Day, we present ten of the least romantic films ever made
Where to watch this year's Oscar-nominated films
Find out where to watch 2012's Oscar-nominated films in London cinemas
10 unlikely badboy biopics
Featuring Phil Collins, Jeremy Clarkson, Nick Clegg, David Starkey and a host of other unlikely subjects
Interview: Sean Durkin on 'Martha Marcy May Marlene'
The first-time director of the brilliant new thriller discusses religious cults and robot boxing
Pop-up cinema for Valentine's Day
Side-step romantic clichés with some alternative Valentine’s viewing
What do you think?
Post your review now