Due to the series' popularity, a theatrical film was released in 2002 (directed by Tuck Tucker) and the series continued to run until 2004. The hour long final episode of Hey Arnold! built upon the absence of Arnold's parents and ended on a cliffhanger with Arnold finally discovering the last known location his parents being in San Lorenzo. Despite the first film's flopping worldwide, there were plans to produce another movie that would expand on the series' finale and explain the mystery behind Arnold's parents, but was cancelled because the creator was busy working on the pilot for another series. Although fans of the original series continued to show interest in the scrapped project, no confirmed progress was made towards actual development until late 2015.
The film picks up right where the series ended and revisits the original characters from Hillwood as the class enters a contest to win a trip to San Lorenzo. Once the class arrives in San Lorenzo, Arnold and his friends try to uncover the clues that will lead them to his parents and the mysterious green-eyed people.
While the movie's plot isn't anything groundbreaking, it's still a movie aimed at younger audiences that needed to be clear enough for newcomers to understand, but also serviceable for an older demographic. Besides being a bit predictable and having some minor plot holes, the film wraps up nicely with a satisfying conclusion that not only resolves the main conflict, but also a minor subplot that reoccurred throughout the show. Since the original series aired over a decade ago, the quality of the animation has marginally increased (while staying true to the style of the original), but is decent compared to film's with a bigger budget.
The main focus of the film is on characters and their interactions and how they conflict for most of the movie. Despite the film's focus on characters, there wasn't much characterization outside of Arnold's character, which left the rest of the cast seeming one-dimensional and a slightly unnecessary. I was a bit disappointed at the way movie handled its supporting cast because they in the show, almost every character was three-dimensional and given enough time to elaborate on their personality and past. Nevertheless, I understand the time and budget constraints of any film, especially a direct-to-television one, and how when adapting a previous work, creators need stick to some of the characters and base plot while also creating something new. Since the movie's plot did not pay much attention to the side characters in the original show, I think their decision to focus on Arnold was for the best because at the very least, they went through the trouble of including all of the reoccurring characters. The movie's antagonist was a stereotypical villain who was only after money and riches, and had nothing really noteworthy about him besides his occasional humor.
Due to the film focusing primarily on Arnold looking for his parents, the movie dealt heavily with the topic of family and friendship. While the theme of "family" being the people close to you is nothing groundbreaking and extremely cliche, it is still and important lesson that I think everyone should learn. Throughout the film this is shown through Arnold's arguments and reconciliations with his friends over getting to safety or finding his parents.
On the whole this film is probably insignificant and foreign to most people now, it belongs to a series that greatly influenced me and I hold close to my heart, even if most wouldn't spare it a second glance. Not only is this movie important to me, but also to fans who were actually old enough to view the series as it originally aired, and had to wait 15 years for a conclusion. I'd rate this film as good good because at it's worst, its a competently made children's film, but at it's best, it's a loving sendoff or invitation to a classic series and fans.
Hey Arnold!: The Jungle Movie Teaser
Hey Arnold!: The Jungle Movie Trailer
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