Hey Arnold was a show I liked as a kid, but grew to love as an adult. When I heard that a movie was made to conclude the series, I was so excited. Overall, it was pretty good, but there were things I thought ruined the movie a bit:
Helga having footage of Arnold in the various episodes from the series due to the use of security cameras seems incredibly off to me. Her having something like this was never mentioned in the series, so her conveniently having all of this is testing my suspension of disbelief. I know the technology in the show has advanced due to the use of laptops and smartphones, but this was a bit of an stretch just for her to help Arnold win the contest.
Arnold's character is a bit off as well when he keeps a secret from his friends when talking with Eduardo about his parents and the Green- Eyed people. Why he would keep this a secret from his best friend Gerald is beyond me. Everyone knows Arnold's parents aren't around and even Gerald knows that he and Arnold were determined to find them in San Lorenzo. The liar revealed aspect when Eduardo was really La Sombra felt so unnecessary as well.
The great mystery with what happened with Arnold's parent was kind of dumb and a tad unrealistic. They caught the sleeping sickness and have been lying next to each other for 9 or so years in the temple with the Green-Eyed people. Apparently, only the adults caught this sickness, but the children for the most part were all fine. Kind of odd, if you ask me. Also, how could they still be alive if they have been lying dormant for all those years? They didn't age, their bodies didn't look malnourished or withering, and the chances of staying alive sound like they should have been slim.
The ending for this movie felt rather rushed and never built up enough emotion for me. While I have always wanted Arnold to be reunited with his parents, the whole reunion felt so lackluster and the emotion was incredibly minimal. The parents never convinced me once they woke up that this is the first time they have seen their son all grown up since their departure. They acted rather nonchalant as about this whole thing, which is where most of the emotional aspects fell flat.
Overall, the plot wasn't the greatest thing to conclude the series, but it was pretty serviceable with the following pros:
The characters for the most part match the same characters from the series in both wit and charm. Grandpa Phil and Grandma Gertrude were hilarious in this film. The animation, while different, was pretty good too. Helga's story arc of confessing her love for Arnold was also pretty good and the ending where they kiss was something we all wanted.
So, this film isn't perfect and has quite a lot of flaws, but for the most part, is a suitable conclusion for the series that we all have been waiting for.
Helga having footage of Arnold in the various episodes from the series due to the use of security cameras seems incredibly off to me. Her having something like this was never mentioned in the series, so her conveniently having all of this is testing my suspension of disbelief. I know the technology in the show has advanced due to the use of laptops and smartphones, but this was a bit of an stretch just for her to help Arnold win the contest.
Arnold's character is a bit off as well when he keeps a secret from his friends when talking with Eduardo about his parents and the Green- Eyed people. Why he would keep this a secret from his best friend Gerald is beyond me. Everyone knows Arnold's parents aren't around and even Gerald knows that he and Arnold were determined to find them in San Lorenzo. The liar revealed aspect when Eduardo was really La Sombra felt so unnecessary as well.
The great mystery with what happened with Arnold's parent was kind of dumb and a tad unrealistic. They caught the sleeping sickness and have been lying next to each other for 9 or so years in the temple with the Green-Eyed people. Apparently, only the adults caught this sickness, but the children for the most part were all fine. Kind of odd, if you ask me. Also, how could they still be alive if they have been lying dormant for all those years? They didn't age, their bodies didn't look malnourished or withering, and the chances of staying alive sound like they should have been slim.
The ending for this movie felt rather rushed and never built up enough emotion for me. While I have always wanted Arnold to be reunited with his parents, the whole reunion felt so lackluster and the emotion was incredibly minimal. The parents never convinced me once they woke up that this is the first time they have seen their son all grown up since their departure. They acted rather nonchalant as about this whole thing, which is where most of the emotional aspects fell flat.
Overall, the plot wasn't the greatest thing to conclude the series, but it was pretty serviceable with the following pros:
The characters for the most part match the same characters from the series in both wit and charm. Grandpa Phil and Grandma Gertrude were hilarious in this film. The animation, while different, was pretty good too. Helga's story arc of confessing her love for Arnold was also pretty good and the ending where they kiss was something we all wanted.
So, this film isn't perfect and has quite a lot of flaws, but for the most part, is a suitable conclusion for the series that we all have been waiting for.