Horrid Henry: the Movie

This charmless "naughty schoolboy" saga is aimed at primary school children, and often looks like it was made by them - though not in any positive way. In fact, it's hard to see how such an oddly old-fashioned film will connect with today's kids (certainly the younger members of the audience were oddly quiet), though familiarity with the character's book and animated-TV origins will help. Theo Stevenson (relatively new to the big screen) plays Henry, and is OK, and there is a plot - of sorts - but it smacks of being made up as they went along. Henry's umpteenth failure to hand in his homework leads to the sacking of firm-but-fair teacher Miss Battle-Axe (Anjelica Huston), the threatened closure of his school, and the near success of a dastardly plot by the fiendish Vic Van Wrinkle (Richard E Grant), head of the nearby fee-paying establishment, to poach the school's pupils for money-making purposes. Of course, only Henry and his Purple Hand Gang can save the day. Not quite Horrid, but this Henry comes close. Accompanying adults may wish they'd opted for triple detention.