Help! I'm a Fish: Difference between revisions

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{{Infobox film

| name = Help! I'm a Fish

| image = Help! I'm a Fish UKDanish DVD Coverposter.jpg

| alt =

| caption = UnitedDanish Kingdomtheatrical DVDrelease cover artposter

| native_name = {{Infobox name module|da|Hjælp, jeg er en fisk}}

| director = Stefan Fjeldmark<br />Michael Hegner<br />Greg Manwaring (uncredited)

| producer = Anders Mastrup<br />Eberhard Junkersdorf<br />Russell Boland

| writer = Stefan Fjeldmark<br />[[Karsten Kiilerich]]<br />John Stefan Olsen<br />Tracy J. Brown

| story = Stefan Fjeldmark<br />Karsten Kiilerich

| narrator =

| starring = Jeff Pace<br />Michelle Westerson<br />[[Aaron Paul]]<br />[[Terry Jones]]<br />[[Alan Rickman]]<br />[[David Bateson]]

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| distributor = [[Nordisk Film]] <small>(Denmark)</small><br />[[Kinowelt]] <small>(Germany)</small><br>[[HanWay Films]] and PID <small>(Internationally)</small><!--Do not add the UK or US distributors here, please; see WP:FILMRELEASE.-->

| released = {{film date|2000|10|6|Denmark|2001|4|12|Germany|2001|8|24|Ireland|df=y}} <!--Do not add the UK or US release dates here, please; see WP:FILMRELEASE.-->

| runtime = 77 minutes<ref>{{cite web |title=Help! I'm A Fish |url=https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/help-im-a-fish-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0zmtk0mdk |website=[[BBFC]] |access-date=16 March 2025}}</ref>

| runtime = 72 minutes

| country = Denmark<br />Germany<br />Ireland

| language = Danish<br />English

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| gross = $5.6 million<ref name=gross />

}}

'''''Help! I'm a Fish''''' ({{langx|da|'''Hjælp, jeg er en fisk'''}}; also known as '''''A Fish Tale''''') is a 2000 animated [[science fantasy]] [[musical film]] directed by Stefan Fjeldmark, Greg Manwaring, and Michael Hegner, and written by Fjeldmark, [[Karsten Kiilerich]], John Stefan Olsen, and Tracy J. Brown. It stars the voices of [[Alan Rickman]], [[Terry Jones]], and a then-unknown [[Aaron Paul]].<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |last=Iversen |first=Ebbe |date=2000-05-14 |title=Dansk succes i Cannes |url=https://www.berlingske.dk/samfund/dansk-succes-i-cannes |access-date=2025-02-01 |website=[[Berlingske]] |language=da |df=dmy-all}}</ref> The film tells the story of three kids–Fly, his little sister Stella, and cousin Chuck—whoChuck–who turn into fish and must return to human form before 48 hours are up; otherwise, they will be stuck as fish forever. They must also contend with a [[pilot fish]] who has taken the antidote for himself, which he has his own plans for.

It was released on 6 October 2000 in [[Denmark]],<ref name=":4" /> 10 August 2001 in the United Kingdom, and 5 September 2006 in the United States. Animation production was split between [[A. Film Production]] in Denmark, [[Munich Animation]] in Germany, and [[Terraglyph Interactive Studios]] in Dublin, Ireland.<ref>{{Cite web |title={{!}} The Irish Film & Television Network |url=http://www.iftn.ie/?act1=record&aid=70&rid=989&tpl=filmography_dets&only=1&force=1 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402100138/http://www.iftn.ie/?act1=record&aid=70&rid=989&tpl=filmography_dets&only=1&force=1 |archive-date=2 April 2015 |access-date= |website=[[Irish Film and Television Network]]}}</ref> The film was a commercial failure and [[box-office bomb|box-office flop]], grossing $5.6 million in Denmark against an approximate $18 million budget and receiving mixed-to-positive reviews from critics and audiences.

==Plot==

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! Character !! Danish voice actor !! English voice actor

|-

| Fly || Sebastian Jessen || Jeff Pace<br>Morgan Fane (additional dialogue)

|-

| Stella || Pil Neja || Michelle Westerson<br>Alexandra Jakobsen (additional dialogue)

|-

| Chuck || Morten Kernn Nielsen || [[Aaron Paul]]<br>[[Alessandro Juliani]] (additional dialogue)

|-

| Joe || Nis Bank-Mikkelsen || [[Alan Rickman]]

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| Shark || [[Dick Kaysø]] || [[David Bateson]]

|-

| Sasha || colspan="2" | [[Louise Fribo]] || [[Frank Welker]]

|-

| General Crab || [[Ulf Pilgaard]] || [[David Bateson]]

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|-

| Aunt Anna || [[Ghita Nørby]] || [[Pauline Newstone]]

|-

| Shrimp || [[Dick Kaysø]] || [[Ian James Corlett]]

|-

| Eel || [[Ghita Nørby]] || [[Tabitha St. Germain]]

|-

| Flounder || Martin Brygmann || [[Garry Chalk]]

|-

| Bus driver || [[Zlatko Burić]] || [[Richard Newman (actor)|Richard Newman]]

|-

| Seabass|| MartinMichael BrygmannHegner || [[Scott McNeil]]

|}

==Production and music==

{{More citations needed|date=July 2020}}

On 4 October 1997, Stefan Fjeldmark (who is the film's writer), Michael Hegner and Greg Manwaring were hired and set to direct ''Help! I'm a Fish'', also known as ''A Fish Tale''. Karsten Kiilerich, John Stefan Olsen and Tracy J. Brown wrote the script for the film. Anders Mastrup and Russell Boland produced the film for release in 2000. On 9 March 1998, it was announced that Jeff Pace, Sebastian Jessen, Michelle Westerson, Pil Neja, [[Alessandro Juliani]], [[Aaron Paul]], Morten Kernn Nielsen, [[Terry Jones]], [[Søren Sætter-Lassen]], [[Alan Rickman]], Nis Bank-Mikkelsen, [[David Bateson]], [[Dick Kaysø]], [[Louise Fribo]], [[Ulf Pilgaard]], [[John Payne (voice actor)|John Payne]], [[Peter Gantzler]], [[Teryl Rothery]], [[Paprika Steen]], [[Pauline Newstone]], [[Ghita Nørby]], [[Richard Newman (actor)|Richard Newman]] and [[Zlatko Buric]] joined the film. On April 12, 1999, it was announced that [[Søren Hyldgaard]] would compose the music for the film. In 1996, a pilot trailer was completed, which has resurfaced on the Internet. The environment and object designs, animation, plot, character names, voices, and designs are noticeably different from how they would eventually appear in the finished film.<ref>{{cite web |last=Silver |date=22 December 2014 |title=A fish tale pilot trailer (1996) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACMPuu7_B5E |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180714215828/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACMPuu7_B5E |archive-date=14 July 2018 |access-date=1 October 2017 |work=YouTube}}</ref>{{better source needed|date=July 2020}}

Development and storyboarding of the film were completed in Denmark. Production then moved to Germany and Ireland for the final phases of animation, lighting, colour and production to maximise tax credits offered to foreign film projects in Germany and Ireland. The film's soundtrack contains numerous popular and original songs, such as "[[Help! I'm a Fish (Little Yellow Fish)]]" performed by [[Little Trees (group)|Little Trees]], "Agloubablou" performed by [[Cartoons (band)|Cartoons]], "Ocean of Emotion" performed by [[Meja]], "People Lovin Me" performed by [[Lou Bega]], "Ocean Love/Ton Amour Ocean" performed by [[Anggun]], "Close Your Eyes" performed by [[Patricia Kaas]], "Interlude" performed by [[Terry Jones]], "Fishtastic" performed by Terry Jones, and "Intelligence" performed by [[Alan Rickman]]. One original song, "Ocean Love/Ton Amour Ocean", which serves as the film's opening theme, is performed by either [[Anggun]] or [[Eddi Reader]] depending on the release.

The production that took about around four years to make, with the production work being split and moved around frequently.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Blackwell |first=Adam |title=Help I’mI'm A Fisher!: Mark Fisher’sFisher's The Weird and The Eerie and Help! I’mI'm a Fish |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240501082552/https://revisit.blog/help-im-a-fisher-mark-fishers-the-weird-and-the-eerie-and-help-im-a-fish/ |access-date=1 May 2024 |website=Revisit.blog}}</ref>

==Release==

The film was released theatrically on 6 October 2000 by [[Nordisk Film]]<ref name=":3">{{cite web |title=Hjælp! Jeg er en fisk – Danish Film Institute |url=https://www.dfi.dk/en/viden-om-film/filmdatabasen/film/hjaelp-jeg-er-en-fisk |access-date=6 July 2020 |work=[[Danish Film Institute|DFI]]}}</ref> and was released on DVD and VHS on 6 January 2003 by Movie Star.

[[HanWay Films]] and PID (Producers International Distribution) handled international sales to the film.<ref>{{cite web |title=Help! I'm a Fish |url=https://www.hanwayfilms.com/help-im-a-fish |website=HanWay Films}}</ref><ref name=":3" />

The film had a theatrical release in the United States on 29 June 2001, and in the United Kingdom by Metrodome Distribution, released on 10 August 2001.<ref name=":1">{{cite web |last1=Mitchell |first1=Robert |title=Parole Officer checks in at the UK box office |url=https://www.screendaily.com/parole-officer-checks-in-at-the-uk-box-office/406579.article |website=[[Screen International|Screen Daily]] |access-date=13 February 2024}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{cite web |title=Egmont to adapt Help! I'm a Fish for TV |url=https://www.c21media.net/news/egmont-to-adapt-help-im-a-fish-for-tv/ |website=C21Media |access-date=13 February 2024}}</ref> In Ireland, the movie was screened on 27 June 2003 as part of the athletes' evening entertainment programme for the [[Special Olympics World Games]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=23 June 2003 |title='Help I'm A Fish' One of the Titles Screening for Special Olympics |url=http://www.iftn.ie/news/?act1=record&only=1&aid=73&rid=3307&tpl=archnews&force=1 |access-date=2025-03-16 |website=Irish Film & Television Network}}</ref>

In North America, the English dub of the film was released in 2006 by [[Genius Products]]<ref>{{cite web |date=5 September 2006 |title=A Fish Tale DVD |url=https://www.amazon.com/A-Fish-Tale/dp/B000GBEWKM |access-date=18 July 2021 |work=[[Amazon.com]]}}</ref> and in 2007 by [[Alliance Atlantis]].

== Reception ==

===Box office===

''Help! I'm a Fish'', according to distributor Nordisk, was a moderate success in Danish due to the school holiday week when the film's box office increased 240% from the first week to the second. In the second week, it grossed $915,945. In comparison, [[Lars von Trier]]'s [[Dancer in the Dark|''Dancer'' ''in the Dark'']] has grossed $885,020 after six weeks.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Buddrus |first=Petra |date=20 October 2000 |title=Help! I'm A Fish sinks competition in Denmark |url=https://www.screendaily.com/help-im-a-fish-sinks-competition-in-denmark/403958.article |access-date=2025-03-16 |website=Screen Daily |language=en}}</ref> It became the most-watched Danish cinema film of the year, with 335,000 tickets sold during the last 13 weeks of 2000 and 265,000 people going to the cinema in 3 ½ weeks alone.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2001-01-03 |title="Hjælp! Jeg er en fisk" blev årets mest sete film |url=https://www.berlingske.dk/kultur/hjaelp-jeg-er-en-fisk-blev-aarets-mest-sete-film |access-date=2025-02-01 |website=Berlingske |language=da |df=dmy-all}}</ref> The film grossed $5.6 million in Denmark against an approximate $18 million budget and became a [[box-office bomb]].<ref name="gross">{{cite web |title=Help! I'm a Fish (2003) |url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=main&id=helpimafish.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151017075859/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=main&id=helpimafish.htm |archive-date=2015-10-17 |access-date=2015-04-30 |website=[[Box Office Mojo]] |df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref name="budget">{{Cite book |last=Bendazzi |first=Giannalberto |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dZvhCgAAQBAJ&dq=jungledyret+hugo+3+budget&pg=PA130 |title=Animation: A World History: Volume III: Contemporary Times |date=6 November 2015 |publisher=[[CRC Press]] |isbn=978-1-317-51988-1 |language=en |access-date=19 April 2020}}</ref><ref name=":0" />

The film was deemed to have been more successful at the box office in [[Germany]], [[France]], and [[FranceFinland]], where audiences are even more suspicious of non-US animations.<ref name=":2" />

The UK release of the film opened to a mediocre £81,908 within 157 cinemas.<ref name=":1" />

===Critical response===

''Help! I'm a Fish'' received mixed-to-postivepositive reviews.

Renee Schonfeld from ''[[Common Sense Media|]]''Common Sense Media'']] calls the movie an "entertaining, nicely animated story, with engaging heroes, cleverly designed musical sequences, and exciting action." She also praised voice actor Alan Rickman as a "funny, slitheringly evil performance made well […] tops a solid cast" and the animation as "old-fashioned and combines simply-drawn characters with beautiful underwater settings." She gives it a three stars out of five rating.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Schonfeld |first1=Renee |title=A Fish Tale (Help! I'm a Fish) Movie Review |url=https://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/a-fish-tale-help-im-a-fish |website=Common Sense Media |access-date=9 February 2024}}</ref> [[Peter Bradshaw]] of ''[[The Guardian|]]''The Guardian'']] calls it a "sweet, charming and entertaining little cartoon." He also noted that Rickman's "superbly wicked character isn't on, but it's a nice little holiday film nonetheless."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Bradshaw |first1=Peter |title=Help! I'm a fish |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2001/aug/10/culture.peterbradshaw |website=The Guardian |date=10 August 2001 |access-date=19 February 2024}}</ref> Lisa Nesselson of ''[[Variety Magazine]]'' reviewed that "classy, impressionistic animation of underwater inhabitants […] the drawing style switches to a more standard cartoon look." She also noted that they prefer the "bloated, charmless overkill of a [[How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (film)|live-action 'Grinch']] to the beautifully rendered and emotionally spot-on '[[The Iron Giant]],' 'Fish' comes as salutary entertainment for all but the very youngest viewers," and the "script is genuinely down to the wire as the trio matches wits with evil Joe. Musical numbers are adequately catchy."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Nesselson |first1=Lisa |title=Help! I'm a Fish |url=https://variety.com/2001/film/reviews/help-i-m-a-fish-1200468513/ |website=Variety Magazine |date=6 May 2001 |access-date=19 February 2024}}</ref> Olly Richards of ''[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]]'' gave the film two stars out of five, stating that "Despite a flourish or two in the design, this really doesn't bring a lot to the table, given the current level of competition in the animated film stakes."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Richards |first1=Olly |title=Help! I'm a Fish Review |url=https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/help-m-fish-review/ |website=Empire |date=January 2000 |access-date=18 April 2024}}</ref> [[Time Out (magazine)|''Time Out'']] calls it "lacks that extra dimension which would engage and entertain the adults in the audience as well as the kids."<ref>{{cite web |last1=JFu |title=Help! I'm a Fish |url=https://www.timeout.com/movies/help-im-a-fish |website=Time Out |access-date=19 April 2024}}</ref> ''[[Evening Standard]]'' calls it out "The animation is light years behind Disney or DreamWorks, but achieves a sort of nostalgic charm because of it […]."<ref>{{cite web |title=Help! I'm A Fish | work=London Evening Standard |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/help-i-m-a-fish-7433172.html |access-date=19 April 2024}}</ref>

===Awards= and nominations==

''Help! I'm a Fish'' won a Children's Jury Award for Feature Film or Video – Animation in the 2000 [[Chicago International Children's Film Festival]].<ref>{{cite web |title=CHICAGO INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN'S FILM FESTIVAL — WINNERS LIST 2000 |url=https://facets.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/CICFF17_Awards_2000.pdf |access-date=2 August 2023 |website=[[Facets Multi-Media|FACETS]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Pedersen |first=Kim |date=8 June 2014 |title=Styrk dansk animation! |url=https://www.ekkofilm.dk/blogs/kim-pedersen/styrk-dansk-animation/ |access-date=19 February 2024 |website=Filmmagasinet Ekko |language=danish}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"

|-

! scope="col"| Award

! scope="col"| Date of ceremony

! scope="col"| Category

! scope="col"| Recipient(s)

! scope="col"| Result

|-

! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" |[[Chicago International Children's Film Festival]]

|2000

|Feature Film or Video - Animation

|''Stefan Fjeldmark and Michael Hegner''

|{{Won}}

|-

! scope="row" rowspan="7" style="text-align:center;" |[[Robert Awards]]

| rowspan="7" |[[18th Robert Awards|4 February 2001]]

|-

|[[Robert Award for Best Danish Film|Best Danish Film]]

|''Help! I'm a Fish''

|{{Nom}}

|-

|[[Robert Award for Best Director|Best Director]]

|''Stefan Fjeldmark and Michael Hegner''

|{{Nom}}

|-

|[[Robert Award for Best Screenplay|Best Screenplay]]

|''Stefan Fjeldmark and [[Karsten Kiilerich]]''

|{{Nom}}

|-

|[[Robert Award for Best Score|Best Score]]

|''[[Søren Hyldgaard]]''

|{{Nom}}

|-

|[[Robert Award for Best Sound Design|Best Sound]]

|''Stig Sparre-Ulrich and Friedrich M. Dosch''

|{{Nom}}

|-

|[[Robert Award for Best Visual Effects|Special Effects]]

|''Jesper Colding and Nicolai Tuma''

|{{Nom}}

|-

! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" |[[Annecy International Animation Film Festival]]

| 9 June 2001

| Best Feature Film

| ''Help! I'm a Fish''

| {{nominated}}

|-

! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" |[[German Film Award]]

| 14 June 2002

| Outstanding Children or Youth Film

|''Help! I'm a Fish''

|{{Nom}}

|}

==Soundtrack==

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==Legacy==

A television series adaption was announced by [[Egmont Group|Egmont Imagination]] in May 2001,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Teninge |first=Annick |date=25 May 2001 |title=Help! I'm a Fish TV Series In Development |url=https://www.awn.com/news/help-im-fish-tv-series-development |access-date=2025-03-16 |website=[[Animation World Network]] |language=en}}</ref> and would consist of twenty-six episodes. NothingFurther elsedevelopment washas announcednot aboutbeen it,stated andto it'stake likelyplace, thatand the series neverwas got past the planningnever stagesmade.<ref name=":2" />

The film's stars [[Aaron Paul]] and [[Alan Rickman]] would later co-star again in the 2015 film ''[[Eye in the Sky (2015 film)|Eye in the Sky]]'', released shortly after Rickman's death. Paul expressed his regret that despite working with Rickman on ''Help! I'm a Fish'' and ''Eye in the Sky'', they never got the chance to meet.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/apr/10/aaron-paul-eye-in-the-sky-breaking-bad | work = The Guardian | title = Aaron Paul: 'It's impossible not to throw our own emotions into the mix' | date = 10 April 2016 | access-date = 1 October 2017 | url-status = live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171001212850/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/apr/10/aaron-paul-eye-in-the-sky-breaking-bad | archive-date = 1 October 2017 }}</ref>

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==External links==

* {{IMDb title|id=0168856|title=Hjælp, jeg er en fisk}}

{{wikiquote}}

*{{IMDb title|id=0168856|title=Hjælp, jeg er en fisk}}

[[Category:2000 animated films]]

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[[Category:Danish animated films]]

[[Category:Danish independent films]]

[[Category:Danish musical films]]

[[Category:English-language Danish films]]

[[Category:English-language German films]]