So, there’s a lot of children, a whole film full, in fact. Some are better than others, granted, but tolerance of a child’s more unattractive side is a minimum requirement before entering the cinema to see this one. Unless you’re under 10 years old, of course. The Horrid Henry books have sold over 16 million copies in the UK alone, and Henry is now the most popular literary character after a certain boy wizard. Unlike Harry, though, you’re unlikely to see any adult picking up a copy for his or her own enjoyment, and this anticipated film adaptation goes quite far to explaining why. It’s loud, crass and rude, exactly what many a small child would love life to be like. Although Henry often feels hard done by and downtrodden, he holds the power in these stories. Admittedly, Theo Stevenson’s performance as the title character is impressive. The 13-year-old has to carry all the unbelievable dialogue and zest for life on his tiny shoulders, and he makes it look easy. As the character’s not exactly a good, wholesome role model, it would be easy for him to be unlikeable, but he manages to charm his way through in the end. In a film so often maniacally frenzied and shrill, Stevenson’s assured take on Henry grounds things. The main draw for parents is the all-star supporting cast, and it becomes something of a game to spot the national treasures amidst the newcomers and TV personalities populating the screen. For every Anjelica Huston or Richard E. Grant, there’s also a Kimberly Walsh and Mathew Horne hanging around, and this makes for a decidedly bizarre mixture. For some reason, natural comic performers like Jo Brand and Noel Fielding are pushed to the margins, meaning the former Girls Aloud starlet ends up with more screen time than both combined. Anjelica Huston as Miss Battleaxe is, obviously, a pleasure to watch, as she takes a pivotal role in Henry’s effort on Too Cool for School. The sequence is the climax of the movie, and features an appearance by TV stars Dick and Dom, much to the delight of those kiddies. Folks unaware of their existence will find their prominence within these final scenes quite strange, but this will soon turn to terror as they begin prancing around the screen like particularly unnerving silent movie stars. A cross between evil clowns and mimes, it’s a great performance from the pair, if you’re trying to give people nightmares. The film is troubling, both for the obvious performances and dubious moral grounding. The 3D inevitably adds little to the experience, and the cynic in me guesses they just want to squeeze every last penny from the millions of fans Henry has already acquired. It’s definitely of the poke you in the eye variety, and is accompanied by an equally obtrusive soft rock soundtrack that wouldn’t be out of place a decade ago. However, Henry is a treasure amongst his target audience, and I definitely heard a small boy call the film “sick” during the closing credits. I may doubt his critical thinking, but he was 10 years old, so who am I to tell him otherwise? Follow Den Of Geek on Twitter right here. And be our Facebook chum here.
