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{{Short description|2000 Danish animated film}}

'''''Help! I'm a Fish''''' ({{lang-da|'''''Hjælp, jeg er en fisk'''''}}) is a [[Denmark|Danish]] [[animated film|animated]] [[feature film]] originally released in [[Scandinavia]] in late [[2000]], and produced by Denmark's well-renowned [[A-Film]] studios. It was directed by [[Stefan Fjeldmark]] and [[Michael Hegner]].

{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2025}}{{More citations needed|date=July 2020}}

{{Infobox film

| name = Help! I'm a Fish

| image = Help I'm a Fish Danish poster.jpg

| alt =

| caption = Danish theatrical release poster

| 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]]

| music = [[Søren Hyldgaard]]

| cinematography =

| editing = Per Risager

| studio = [[A. Film A/S|A. Film APS]]<br />[[Egmont Imagination]]<br />[[Munich Animation|Munich Animation GmbH]]<br />[[Kinowelt|Kinowelt Medien AG]]<br />EIV Entertainment Filmproduktion<br />[[Terraglyph Interactive Studios|TerraGlyph Rights Limited]]<br />[[TV2 Denmark]]<br />[[Eurimages]]

| 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>

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

| language = Danish<br />English

| budget = 101 million [[Danish krone|DKK]] ($18 million USD)<ref name=budget />

| 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–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 positive reviews from critics and audiences.

The movie follows three children--a skateboarding mischief-maker named Fly; his sweet sister, Stella; and a young [[genetics]] scientist, Chuck--who discover an eccentric professor's secret formula that, once drunk out of, can turn anyone into a fish. The three, now stuck in the sea, must find its reverse within 48 hours, or else they forever stay that way themselves.

==Plot==

An English-language version of the film, with [[Alan Rickman]] and [[Terry Jones]] (the Professor) as voices, premiered at the beginning of April [[2005]] on the [[Latin America]]n version of the [[Cartoon Network]].

Fly is an impulsive 12-year-old boy living with his younger sister Stella and parents Lisa and Bill. When their parents go out for the night, Fly and Stella are babysat by their aunt Anna and her son Chuck, a cautious, overweight genetics prodigy, and Fly and Stella's cousin. When Anna falls asleep, the children sneak out to go fishing. Caught in a high tide, they stumble across the boathouse of Professor MacKrill, an eccentric but kindly [[Marine biology|marine biologist]]. Reasoning that [[climate change]] will melt the polar icecaps to produce [[Sea level rise#Long-term sea level rise|marine transgression]] within the next century, MacKrill reveals he has developed a [[potion]] to transform humans into marine animals, along with an antidote to reverse the process.

Mistaking it for [[lemonade]], Stella drinks the potion and turns into a [[starfish]], which Fly unknowingly throws out the window into the sea. Chuck discovers the mistake after finding Stella's transformation caught on camera. The trio set out to find Stella, but their boat sinks in a storm. Fly and Chuck drink the potion, becoming a [[California flying fish]] and a [[Aurelia aurita|moon jellyfish]]. Bill and Lisa return home to find Anna frantic with worry. Noticing that Fly's fishing equipment is gone, Bill, Lisa, and Anna head to the beach to search for them but find only Fly's rollerblades. The adults fear the worst until Professor MacKrill, having survived the storm, arrives and shows them the video of Stella's transformation.

{{spoiler}}

Underwater, the leaking antidote attracts a [[lemon shark]] and a [[pilot fish]]. They consume it, gaining intelligence and [[anthropomorphic]] appearances. The pilot fish names himself Joe and uses the antidote to create a civilisation of intelligent fish, intending to launch a revolution against humanity, whilst The Shark becomes his dim-witted subordinate.

One day Fly and Stella's parents leave them in the care of their aunt and her son (i.e. Fly and Stella's Cousin) Chuck (Charles.) After the aunt falls asleep, Fly sets out on a fishing trip, taking Stella with him and blackmailing Chuck into coming as well (using the last copy of a program of Chuck's Fly accidentally deleted earlier.) They make their way out to a small peninsula where they start fishing. The only thing Fly catches is a can, but it has a small sea-horse inside, which Stella instantly names "Sasha" and becomes extremely attached to, although ultimately has to return to the sea.

Fly, Chuck, and Stella reunite, accompanied by Sasha, a [[seahorse]] whom Stella adopts. They must find the antidote within forty-eight hours, or their transformations will be permanent. The trio swims to Joe's ___domain, a sunken [[oil tanker]], where Fly tries to steal the antidote. They are caught and interrogated by Joe about their intent and origins. He demands that they manufacture more of the antidote, or the Shark will eat them. The children are imprisoned and guarded by an aggressive, militaristic [[king crab]]. Sasha frees the children, who manage to escape.

However, by now the tide has turned the accessible peninsula into an isolated island, and the small outcropping the children are standing on is about to be swallowed by the sea. However, at the last minute they find a [[secret passage]] leading to a hidden cove inside the island. There they find a bizarre laboratory, within which is the bizarre but friendly Professor McKrill, a Marine Biologist. He explains that he, fearing that the world shall be flooded due to global warming, has been developing a way for humans to survive underwater- Fish Potion. He explains (via song, which he uses to bolster his failing memory) how the Fish Potion is created, and asks the children to film him before he tests it. Before doing so, though, he must make Anti-Fish Potion, a potion that will restore a human who has drunk Fish Potion to their original self (its formula is the same as Fish Potion, with one extra ingredient). While he explains the Anti Fish Potion to Chuck and Fly, Stella drinks the Fish Potion, believing it to be lemonade. As a result she is transformed into a Starfish.

The children decide their only hope to become human again is to duplicate the antidote's formula, gathering ingredients from around the ocean. Just as they complete the potion, Joe and his army appear and corner them. In a stand-off, Joe drinks the last of the original antidote, transforming his fins into hands. The children try to escape, but Fly is wounded by the crab, who drinks the new antidote and declares himself King Crab. At the same time, MacKrill and Bill pass over in a makeshift boat powered by a [[Pump|water pump]]. The pump causes an underwater typhoon, sucking up the army. The Shark eats the King Crab but is incapacitated when he is sucked head-first into the pump.

Fly discovers Stella, but doesn't realise it is his sister. When Chuck tells him to put the starfish in water (lest it dry out) Fly elects to throw it out the window (into the sea), as all of the Professor's Fish Tanks seem to be filled with carnivorous fish. As he does so Chuck finds the video camera which had been left on, and realises, too late, that the Starfish is Stella. Immediately, both boys and the Professor set out to find Stella, despite the storm that has started. When it proves futile to search for her in a boat, Fly elects to take the Fish Potion, and find her himself. At this point the Professor explains that there is a time limit on Fish Potion; once you drink it, you have 48 hours to drink the Anti Fish Potion before you become a fish forever. Fly drinks the potion, and jumps into the sea. The storm intensifies and the Professor's boat sinks. Chuck, who can't swim, is driven to drink the Fish Potion himself.

Chuck remembers that MacKrill has another vial of the antidote in his laboratory. Formulating a plan, Chuck plans to carry Fly and Stella through dangerous [[Desalination|seawater intake pipes]] back to the lab. However, Stella has to leave Sasha behind as the journey could kill her. The children flood MacKrill's laboratory to reach the potion, but Joe follows, stealing it. Fly pursues Joe into the pipes, tricking him into repeatedly drinking from the potion by challenging his intellect, causing Joe to eventually mutate into a deformed humanoid and drown.

Around this time the children's parents realise they are missing and set out to find them.

Fly drags the antidote back into the lab, Chuck uncorking it just as Lisa and Anna open the door to the flooded lab. Chuck and Stella become human once more, reuniting with their parents and MacKrill. After a few tense moments in which a stuffed fish is mistaken for Fly's body, the human Fly emerges from one of the lab's pipes with a broken leg. Some time afterwards, the family and MacKrill spend some time together on the beach. Sasha appears, so Chuck and MacKrill transform her into an actual horse, who Stella rides around joyfully.

Meanwhile Stella awakens on the sea floor, and finds Sasha again. She befriends the seahorse and for much of the rest of the movie rides her (since Stella, as a Star Fish, cannot swim herself.) They meet up with Fly (who has become a "Californian Fly Fish") and then find Chuck (who has become a Jelly Fish.) Chuck believes the Professor has drowned, and he himself does not know what has happened to the antidote.

==Cast==

What has happened is that it was discovered by fish, who inadvertently drank it and acquired Intelligence, and the power of speech. The first fish to drink it, who names himself "Joe" ([[Alan Rickman]])immediately grows ambitious, and with his idiotic Shark minion, and the Anti Fish Potion, becomes determined to rule the world.

{| class="wikitable"

|-

! 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]]

|-

| Professor H.O. MacKrill<ref>{{cite web |title=Urban Cinefile Feature |url=http://www.urbancinefile.com/home/view.asp?a=7493&s=Reviews |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050724215329/http://urbancinefile.com/home/view.asp?a=7493&s=Reviews |archive-date=24 July 2005 |website=Urban Cine File}}</ref>|| [[Søren Sætter-Lassen]] || [[Terry Jones]]

|-

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

|-

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

|-

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

|-

| Bill (The Father) || [[Peter Gantzler]] || [[John Payne (voice actor)|John Payne]]

|-

| Lisa (The Mother) || [[Paprika Steen]] || [[Teryl Rothery]]

|-

| 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|| Michael Hegner || [[Scott McNeil]]

|}

==Production and music==

Professor McKrill, who survived the storm and was washed up on a small island, start to make his way back to his lab now.

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

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]], "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 children discover a trio of intelligent fish waiting for a bus, and decide to investigate. When they reach Joe's fortress- a sunken steam ship much like the Titanic- they realise that he is using the antidote to give Fish Intelligence. They try to steal or drink the potion, but fail. Joe, seeing that they know more about the potion than he does, tries to coax the information out of them, and locks them up when he cannot. Eventually Sasha (who Joe had separated from them, and sent to work) manages to rescue the kids, and they escape Joe's fortress. At this point friction begins to build between Joe and Shark, as Joe becomes tired of Shark's idiocy, and Shark becomes tired of being subservient (since he can, after all, eat any of the fish in Joe's army.)

The production took about 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'm A Fisher!: Mark Fisher's The Weird and The Eerie and Help! I'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>

Around this time the parents meet up with Professor McKrill, and thanks to his video of Stella's transformation believe that their children have been turned into fish. They set out to find and restore them.

==Release==

Fly now remembers the song and recipe for Anti Fish Potion, and the kids set about gathering the reagents. They succeed in gathering all the ingredients except the ink of an octopus, which Chuck thinks will be impossible to find (when in fact, they spend a long conversation talking on top of an Octopus.) They are then attacked by the octopus, but it retreats, spraying ink and allowing them to complete the potion. However, it turns out that the octopus was scared by Joe's army, which has now surrounded them.

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" />

Joe's army breaks down into a power struggle as Shark refuses to be dictated to just because he is stupid. The children try to escape, but the leader of Joe's crab army stops them. He mortally wounds Fly, and drinks the potion they have made, augmenting his own intelligence. He declares himself "King Crab" and takes control of the crab army, preparing to take over the aquatic world for himself. However, at this point Professor McKrill and the father of Fly and Stella have started syphoning the sea to find fish that might be the children, and their faulty syphon sucks up the entire crab army (including King Crab) and Shark.

The film had a theatrical release in the United States on 29 June 2001, and in the United Kingdom by Metrodome Distribution 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>

The children are left with approximately 12 minutes to regain their human forms, which Fly thinks is impossible, as he is mortally wounded, they have no more potion, and brewing more would take too long. Chuck, however, (who was formerly pessimistic as to the chances of them becoming human again) hatches a plan to enter the Professor's Lab and use the potion that is still there. They now part ways with Sasha (as the mission will be too dangerous, and she, obviously, cannot become a human.) Carrying the wounded Fly in a sock (that he found, amongst other things, in a small 'dump' in the sea) Chuck and Stella enter the pump to reach the Professor's lab, but are followed by Joe (who now has no army.) The children successfully reach the lab, and flood it, however, before they can reach the potion Joe defeats them and takes it for himself, leaving them to deal with the school of Piranha they accidentally unleashed when flooding the lab.

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]].

Chuck manages to punch the pirana into submission (presumably using jelly fish ability to sting) and Fly (still wounded, but with a plan) follows Joe, who is escaping back down the pipe. He taunts Joe and starts asking him complicated questions, causing Joe to drink more potion, resulting in a disgusting transformation as becomes more and more "human" (although the combination is rather monstrous.) Eventually Fly poses the last two questions: "What happens to a fish who drinks too much antidote?" "He becomes Human." "Can a human breath underwater?" "Of course not." At this point Joe drowns, and his corpse floats away.

== Reception ==

Fly returns the antidote and the children prepare to drink it, however, at the same time their parents open the door to the lab, causing the water to pour out, and as a result they are swept around, and struggle to drink the potion. Stella and Chuck revert to human form, but Fly can only be seen struggling against the tide, still a fish. When the water ebbs away the parents are overjoyed to see Stella and Chuck, but Chuck realises that Fly is not present. He rushes back into the lab, and discovers Fly, still a fish. He frantically tries to find a solution, but accidentally drops Fly, at which point his mother accidentally steps on him. At this point Fly's voice is heard, and he emerges on the other side of the room, a human once more. They realise that the fish that was crushed was actually a stuffed model, seen near the start of the movie.

===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 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 [[Finland]], where audiences are even more suspicious of non-US animations.<ref name=":2" />

In the 'Epilogue' we see all the movies' human characters relaxing on the beach of the island. Chuck is not as stiff as he was at the start of the film, spending more time to have fun, and applying his knowledge, while Fly (whose leg is in a cast, presumably as a result of the wounds he suffered as a fish) plays games on Chuck's laptop. Stella finds Sasha again, and the Professor and Chuck whisper a theory to each other. They use a similar potion to transform Sasha into a pony, and the film closes as the cast watch Stella ride her.

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

==External link==

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

===Critical response===

''Help! I'm a Fish'' received positive reviews.

Renee Schonfeld from ''[[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]]'' 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==

{{Infobox album

| name = Help! I'm a Fish

| type = Soundtrack

| artist = Various Artists

| cover =

| alt =

| released = 28 February 2003

| recorded = 2000

| venue =

| studio =

| genre = [[Movie soundtrack]]

| length =

| label = {{flatlist|

*Medley Records

*Trust Soundtracks

*[[EMI]]

}}

| producer = Various Artists

| chronology = [[Søren Hyldgaard]] film scores

| prev_title = Edderkoppen

| prev_year = 2000

| next_title = Pixie Panic

| next_year = 2000

| misc = {{Singles

| name = Help! I'm a Fish

| type = soundtrack

| single1 = [[Help! I'm a Fish (Little Yellow Fish)]]

| single1date = March 26, 2001

}}

}}

Danish teen-pop girl group [[Little Trees (band)|Little Trees]] performed the title track, "[[Help! I'm a Fish (Little Yellow Fish)]]", which was released as a single in the UK. Fellow Danish girl group [[Creamy]] also recorded a version of the song.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hansen |first=Thomas Søie |date=2000-11-08 |title=Hjælp! Creamy er tilbage |url=https://www.berlingske.dk/kultur/hjaelp-creamy-er-tilbage |access-date=2025-02-01 |website=Berlingske |language=da |df=dmy-all}}</ref> The Belgian girl group [[K3 (band)|K3]] also recorded a Dutch version of the song for the movie.

# [[Help! I'm a Fish (Little Yellow Fish)]] – [[Little Trees (band)|Little Trees]]

# Do You Believe in Magic? – Loona

# Wobble-Di-Bubble-Di-Doo – [[Cartoons (band)|Cartoons]]

# People Lovin' Me – [[Lou Bega]]

# Funky Sharks – Shaka feat. Sko

# Mother Nature – Little Trees

# Interlude (Professor) – Terry Jones

# Fishtastic – Terry Jones

# Ocean Love – Eddi Reader

# Close Your Eyes – Patricia Kaas

# Interlude (Jelly Fish) – Jeff Pace & Alessandro Juliani

# Suddenly – Solveig

# Ocean Of Emotion – Meja

# Intelligence – Alan Rickman

# Interlude (Goodbye) – Michelle Westerson

# Barracuda – Zindy featuring Pablo

==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. Further development has not been stated to take place, and the series was never made.<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>

==References==

{{Reflist}}

==External links==

* {{IMDb title|0168856}}

[[Category:2000 animated films]]

[[Category:2000 children's films]]

[[Category:2000 comedy films]]

[[Category:2000 films]]

[[Category:Animated2000s children's animated films]]

[[Category:Danish2000s children's comedy films]]

[[Category:Children2000s children's fantasy films]]

[[Category:Animated drama films]]

[[Category:Animated films about fish]]

[[Category:Animated films about sharks]]

[[Category:Animated films set in Denmark]]

[[Category:Animated musical films]]

[[Category:Children's drama films]]

[[Category:Danish animated films]]

[[Category:Danish independent films]]

[[Category:Danish musical films]]

[[Category:English-language Danish films]]

[[Category:English-language German films]]

[[Category:Films about shapeshifting]]

[[Category:Films scored by Søren Hyldgaard]]

[[Category:Films set in Copenhagen]]

[[Category:Films set in the Atlantic Ocean]]

[[Category:German animated comedy films]]

[[Category:HanWay Films films]]

[[Category:Sea adventure films]]