| Jonah,
A VeggieTales
Movie
Exciting,
high-quality animation, a fun storyline, engaging musical
soundtrack, and positive themes all combine to create a
movie that will please both children and their caregivers. This
first movie based on the direct-to-video series features
favorite VeggieTales characters that are as charming and fun
as ever--Larry the Cucumber, Bob the Tomato, Archibald
Asparagus (as Jonah), and so forth. The
Veggies find themselves in an old seafood restaurant, where
they meet a group of lazy pirates. A retelling of the story
of Jonah, which is a big lesson on compassion, ensues. The
biblical story of Jonah doesn't have a happy ending, but the
movie does. The bottom line is delivered powerfully, and
some might say in a preachy manner. However, this is an
enjoyable family movie. |
Jonah: A VeggieTales Movie
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The
Video/DVD
Released on
video and DVD on March 4th, 2003, Jonah A VeggieTales Movie
is sure to delight viewers at home, young and old. This humorous
re-telling of the story of Jonah and the whale features stunning
animation. The DVD is a 2-disc collector's edition and includes
outtakes, featurettes, music videos, and more. It contians
wide-screen and full-screen versions, and Spanish dubbing. Five
featurettes include the making of the movie and a Big Idea tour.
An interactive storybook is also included, entitled "Even
Fishslappers Need a Second Chance". If you have a DVD-ROM
drive, you can play six games. The DVD certainly doesn't
disappoint with the bonus features! The video does include the
outtakes, and a Spanish dubbed version is also available on VHS.
[For more information, or to buy:
Jonah - A VeggieTales Movie
(VHS)
Jonah - A VeggieTales Movie (DVD 2-disc Collector's Edition)
at Amazon.com]
There is a
wide range of merchandise available starring the VeggieTales,
including books, audio, and video. The most recent addition to the
line is software games. We are in the midst of reviewing these
CD-ROMs. They look very promising indeed, with colorful animation
and plenty of games.
Computer Software
Starring VeggieTales
Jonah: A
VeggieTales Game is one of three software releases starring
the lovable vegetables. Following the story line of the
movie closely, this arcade-style program for children
approximately ages 5-8 has players following Jonah through ancient
lands, delivering God's message and fulfilling all kinds of
missions. Players start in Joppa where they must use their mouse
or the arrow keys to toss messages into tents. After completing
two levels of the game, they can either continue playing the game
or advance to the next location in the story. In Crunch Time, kids
try to feed the pirates by shooting food at them. The next
activity involves steering the ship around docks and avoiding
bumping into boats as they attempt to pick up special crates of
supplies. There are 12 activities in all. In between each
activity, an exciting movie clip plays. This program presents an
entertaining way to relive the movie at home. It's not hugely
educational, but it can be difficult to find arcade-style games
that are forgiving enough for children in the suggested age group.
This program offers doable challenges. Our rating:
A-.
[For more information, or to buy: Jonah: A Veggie Tales Game
at Amazon.com for approximately $19.99 US]
 We love Veggie
Tales: Mystery of Veggie Island. Lush 3D graphics (see the
screenshot at right!), fun games, and an exciting mystery that
involves searching the island for pieces of a treasure map and
more, all add up to a very entertaining software. This game
is good for children about 5-9. Once the entire mission is
completed, there isn't a lot of variation to the game the second
time around, but the overall experience is a good one! Very cute.
Our rating: A.
[For more information, or to buy:
VeggieTales: The Mystery of Veggie Island
at Amazon.com]
 Also available
is a collection of 5 arcade-style games in VeggieTales: Veggie
Carnival. This game has less content than the programs mentioned
above, but it offers some wholesome fun for kids who enjoy arcade
games. This one has cartoon-style graphics. After Larry and Bob
greet kids, they get to play games in a carnival setting. As they
do, they win tickets that can be converted to tokens. They'll need
enough tokens to ride the "ultimate" Bobbereeno game and
to enjoy silly songs with robots.
[For more information, or to buy:
VeggieTales: Veggie Carnival (Jewel Case)
at Amazon.com]
Our rating: B.
VeggieTales Videos
 There is quite
a library of VeggieTales videos available--it's a direct-to-video
series, after all. One of the
more recent videos is Jonah Sing-Along Songs and More,
pictured at right. VeggieTales: A Snoodle's Tale is a video/DVD
that holds valuable lessons about self-worth. See our
review. [For more information, or to buy: VeggieTales Videos
at Amazon.com]
VeggieTales Music
Lots of
VeggieTales music to choose from! We like Silly Songs with
Larry--a collection of extra-goofy and silly songs young kids will
love, including the hilarious The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything
(which is also found on the soundtrack to the movie). Jonah: A
VeggieTales Movie Soundtrack is another good choice. It makes
a great souvenir of the movie. [For more information, or to buy: Veggie Tales: Silly Songs With Larry
or Jonah: A Veggietales Movie
Amazon.com]
VeggieTales Books
We took a look
at Draw With Jonah and Friends, a picture board book in
which kids are encouraged to draw. We had expected drawing
instruction, but found instead unfinished scenes for children to
complete. They'll need crayons to fill in missing boats, leaves,
the king's crown, and so forth. The story follows Jonah's
adventures. [For more information, or to buy: Draw With Jonah and Friends (VeggieTales...
or
Amazon.com]
Check out:
Amazon's VeggieTales Store
(you'll find books, videos, music, and VeggieTales toys).
An Interview with VeggieTales' Co-Creator, Phil Vischer
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