Help! I'm a Fish: Difference between revisions

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| 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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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 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>

==Release==

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

===Critical Responseresponse===

''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 Nominationsnominations==

''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>

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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]]