Nickelodeon takes us Across The Dangerverse!
Henry Danger has always been a big hit in the Craggus household. A firm family favourite, we’ve watched most episodes more than I care to remember and the musical episodes even more often than that. So you can imagine our excitement when rumours started swirling of Henry Danger: The Movie, especially as the adequate but never-quite-as-good spin-off Danger Force had come to an end.
It may have taken longer to arrive than we expected but now that it’s here Henry Danger: The Movie swings for the fences, aiming to translate Nickelodeon’s goofy, genre-bending series into something a little bigger, bolder, and, crucially, cinematic. And it mostly gets there. The film trades Swellview’s episodic hijinks for a reality-warping adventure that leans into multiversal chaos, fan-fiction absurdity, and a few surprisingly sharp meta-jokes. But while it embraces its ridiculousness with giddy enthusiasm, there’s no denying that a couple of missing faces cast a shadow over the festivities.
Jace Norman slips effortlessly back into the role of Henry Hart, now an ex-sidekick trying to carve out his own heroic legacy. The movie plays with that premise, sending him tumbling through alternate realities where his past (and Nickelodeon’s own brand of slapstick nonsense) collides with a shifting future. Along for the ride is Missy Martin (Glee Dango), a superfan whose newfound Reality Altering Device (yes, it’s literally called RAD) tosses them into a dimension-hopping mess where everyone is either way cooler or significantly weirder than before. It’s the kind of story that thrives on self-awareness, and the film isn’t afraid to poke fun at itself – whether through alternate versions of familiar faces or by letting Henry finally say out loud what longtime fans have probably thought about Swellview’s crime-fighting efficiency.
Sean Ryan Fox’s Jasper gets one of the best transformations, donning the moniker Captain Stache in a reality where he takes up the mantle of heroism—albeit with significantly less competence than his old boss. Ella Anderson, meanwhile, dials Piper’s energy up to eleven in a villainous turn that feels delightfully unhinged, creating a standout contribution to the franchise’s rogues’ gallery. Meanwhile, Michael D Cohen’s Schwoz makes his presence felt in a typically bizarre and eccentric way, providing some of the film’s more absurd comedic beats. While Frankie Grande’s Frankini, ever the theatrical villain, gets a minor but scene-stealing role, injecting a dose of flamboyant chaos that perfectly fits the film’s heightened tone and fully justifies him being the only returning villain from the show. If the show was always about Henry figuring out his place in the world, the film has fun with the idea that he could be anyone, anywhere, depending on how the dice roll in the multiverse.
That said, the absence of Cooper Barnes’ Captain Man is keenly felt. While he does eventually pop up in a sequel-baiting last-minute cameo, the heart of the series was always the dynamic between Ray and Henry, and Henry Danger: The Movie struggles to fill that gap. It makes sense thematically – Henry stepping out of his mentor’s shadow and all that – but it still leaves a hole where the larger-than-life, man-child hero antics used to be. The upgraded production values help compensate, with a slicker visual style, punchier if less playful action sequences, and a multiversal playground that allows for some fun, if sometimes chaotic, set pieces.
For fans of Henry Danger, the movie delivers what it promises: a bigger, louder, and slightly more absurd evolution of the show’s formula. It might not have every ingredient of the original, but it understands its audience and leans into the franchise’s strengths – with a few more dimension-hopping detours. It’s a fun, fast-paced caper that knows exactly what it is, thankfully never takes itself too seriously and shows that there’s cinematic life in Nickelodeon’s Dangerverse yet.
