VeggieTales Review

From the Box

It’s 1880′s London, and Cavis Appythart and Millward Phelps (Bob and Larry) are putting the finishing touches on their first Christmas musical — “The Princess and the Plumber.”  Filled with spectacle and more electric lights than London has ever seen, Cavis is convinced his impressive show will “teach London to love!”  Unfortunately, a church Christmas pageant staged by little Edmund Gilbert (Junior Asparagus) is opening the same night, right down the street, and features the “Star of Christmas” — a priceless artifact that hasn’t been seen in 80 years!  Just how far will Cavis go to make sure his show opens on top?

Find out in this hilarious, action-packed adventure which teaches that it’s the true story of God’s love that shows us how to love one another– at Christmas time and throughout the year!

The Show

This is definitely the show that the VeggieTales writers wanted to do for Christmas.  It’s the prequel to an Easter Carol, for reasons that will become obvious.

In the beginning we see Bob and Larry (with the help of Pa Grape) going to make a big show to teach London to Love.  But in order to be big enough to attract a star actress and get the Crown Prince to come see it, they will have a gimmick– electric lights on the scenery.

As they are arranging for this big production, Cavis gets word that a local church will be showing a “Star of Christmas” and accidentally spills this information to Archibald Asparagus who is playing the part of the newspaper man.  When word of this leaks out, the Crown Prince backs out of coming, and so Bob tries to make his production bigger by putting lights on the costumes.

When this doesn’t work, Bob decides that he and Larry must steal the star, but they get the wrong relic– stealing the Turtle of Damascus.  They then run the dress rehearsal, but the lights on the stage catch fire and burn down Uncle Nezzar’s theater.

It isn’t until they are thrown into prison with a robber that the realize that they had it all wrong.  In what is probably one of the best explanations of what the world thinks of love and what God thinks of love, the prisoner tells Cavis and Millwood that everyone loves those that love them or if it’s convenient for them– it’s loving unconditionally that’s true love (all the while Larry’s playing the “What we have learned” song on his harmonica).

Edmund and Rev. Gilbert show up and free Cavis and Millwood, who then try to make the pageant all the way across town using Pa Grape’s car with rockets.  That’s a ride you have to see to believe.  In the end, Cavis and Millwood return with presents and cookies for the prisoner after learning that God’s gift to us– His Son– came while we were enemies with him.

It ends with Lisa Vischer singing a great rendition of O Come, O Come Emmanuel.

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From the Cover:

Ebenezer Nezzer is out of control!  Filling London with plastic Easter eggs, he’s on a rampage to make Easter “bigger than ever!”  But just how hard can his mechanical chickens work before they’re…well, fried?  In just one unforgettable day and night, Cavis and Millward (Bob and Larry) and a music box angel named Hope (voiced by Rebecca St. James) must convince Nezzer that Easter is about more than just candy and eggs.

Inspired by Dickens’ Christmas classic, this very special VeggieTales film explains why millions of Christians around the world celebrate Easter past, present and future.

To see more of my review, go to VeggieTales: An Easter Carol.

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One of the best VeggieTales episodes ever, and the only one that I believe they touch on the Gospel plan of salvation, is VeggieTales – An Easter Carol. While this episode will raise a few eyebrows when it equates Christianity with everything from Police being brave to orphanages, there’s a lot to be learned in a simpler lesson– one that VeggieTales wants you to really understand and is especially appropriate for the season.

The lesson is that Christmas and Easter are linked.  You pick this up in both this DVD and the Easter CD.  The whole story of Jesus cannot be told without both.  He could not die unless He came.  He could not be our substitute without becoming one of us.

It’s a powerful lesson that you should use when talking with someone about Christmas this year.

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From the Cover:

God Wants Me to Forgive Them!?! contains two hilarious, fully computer-animated stories that teach children a biblical perspective on forgiveness.

The Grapes of Wrath

Four cranky grapes, known for being mean (in ways that only veggies can be mean like throwing snake in your milkshake) come upon Junior playing outside.  They start picking on him because of his name and his falling over a hoe in the yard, and Junior’s asked by his father to forgive them more than once. 

At this, Junior balks, and Bob and Larry show back up to ask Qwerty what the Bible has to say on the topic.  When Qwerty digs up the verse on forgiving 70 times 7 times there’s then an interlude on just how much that is– with Rosie getting the answer right.

After this, the Grapes of Wrath decide to change their names to the Grapes of Math and everyone decides to get along.

Forgive-O-Matic

This is the only non-silly song interlude, and it’s cute, but one can understand why they decided to stick to songs.  In this segment, the head Scallion tries to sell a machine that will give you forgiveness, and he tries to sell it like a ronco food item from infomercials!  Complete with testimonials!

When Junior confronts him with the fact that you can’t buy forgiveness, the Scallion tries to sell it as a chia-forgive-o-matic or anything else you can think of.

Larry’s Lagoon

This Gilligan’s Island parody has everything that you could ask for– beautiful day, the crew you know and love (minus Mary-Ann) and Larry day dreaming that he’s in a Russian ship trying to rescue some whales!?  In any case, Larry’s day dreams crash them on an island, and then destroy’s a hut they built– and it takes Larry’s disappearance and another chain of events to cause them to look for him and to forgive them.

In the end, Junior’s dad builds a helicopter to get them off the island.

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