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| image = Help! I'm a Fish UK DVD Cover.jpg
| alt =
| caption = United Kingdom DVD cover art
| native_name = {{Infobox name module|da|Hjælp, jeg er en fisk}}
| director = Stefan Fjeldmark<br />Michael Hegner<br />Greg Manwaring (uncredited)
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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,
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.
It was released on 6 October 2000 in [[Denmark]], 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>[http://www.iftn.ie/?act1=record&aid=70&rid=989&tpl=filmography_dets&only=1&force=1 Irish Film and Television Network] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402100138/http://www.iftn.ie/?act1=record&aid=70&rid=989&tpl=filmography_dets&only=1&force=1 |date=2015-04-02 }}</ref> The film was a commercial failure and [[box-office bomb]], grossing $5.6 million in Denmark against an approximate $18 million budget.▼
▲It was released on 6 October 2000 in [[Denmark]], 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>
==Plot==
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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 | url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACMPuu7_B5E | work = YouTube | title = A fish tale pilot trailer (1996) | access-date = 1 October 2017 | url-status = live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180714215828/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACMPuu7_B5E | archive-date = 14 July 2018 }}</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 "[[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]].
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’m A Fisher!: Mark Fisher’s The Weird and The Eerie and Help! I’m a Fish |url=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
[[HanWay Films]] and PID (Producers International Distribution) handled international sales to the film.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.hanwayfilms.com/help-im-a-fish | title=Help! I'm a Fish }}</ref><ref
The film had a theatrical release 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 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
== Reception ==
===Box office===
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 |url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=main&id=helpimafish.htm |title=Help! I'm a Fish (2003) - Box Office Mojo |access-date=2015-04-30 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151017075859/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=main&id=helpimafish.htm |archive-date=2015-10-17 }}</ref><ref name="budget">
The film was deemed to have been more successful at the box office in [[Germany]] and [[France]].<ref name=":2" />
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===Critical response===
''Help! I'm a Fish'' recieved mixed-to-postive reviews.
Renee Schonfeld from ''[[Common Sense Media]]'' describes the movie as an "animated sea adventure with kid heroes, music, and mild scares." She gives it a 3 out of 5 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]]'' calling it a "sweet, charming and entertaining little cartoon."<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>
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# [[Help! I'm a Fish (Little Yellow Fish)]] – [[Little Trees (band)|Little Trees]]
# Do You Believe in Magic? – Loona
#
# People Lovin' Me – [[Lou Bega]]
# Funky Sharks – Shaka feat. Sko
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==Legacy==
A television series adaption was announced by [[Egmont Group|Egmont Imagination]] in May 2001, and would consist of twenty-six episodes. Nothing else was announced about it, and it's likely that the series never got past the planning stages.<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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