Barnes & Noble

The average VeggieTales video -- a faith-based outing marked by cleverly irreverent humor -- clocks in at a crisp 30 minutes. Fans will be pleased to know that in their leap to the big screen, the computer-generated all-veggie cast do not wilt under the feature-length running time. Jonah is a bountiful blend of Python-esque looniness, silly songs, and non-preachy lessons in compassion and mercy. The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything, a root beer-swilling trio, recall the story of Jonah. The prophet basks in the prestige of being God's messenger ("Do not fight, do not cheat, wash your hands before you eat," he sings at one point) but balks at God's command to travel to Nineveh (where the unruly residents slap each other with fish). Desperate circumstances ensue when Jonah finds himself in a whale of an adventure. But an inspired new character, Khalil, joins him. This enterprising traveling buddy touts a mother who was a caterpillar and whose father was a worm ("But I'm okay with that now," he insists). This is all very easy to swallow, even for secular audiences. Viewers of any denomination will enjoy the aptly named "The Credit Song," which runs over the end credits. And not to worry: A disclaimer reassures us that no vegetable was harmed in the making of this film. Donald Liebenson

All Movie Guide

One of the best-known stories from the Bible gets a new and decidedly playful retelling in this animated comedy, the first feature film from the creators of the popular video series VeggieTales. Archibald Asparagus (voice of Phil Vischer) stars as Jonah, who is chosen by God to help spread his message to the world. Unfortunately, his first stop on his evangelical tour is the city of Nineveh, where the residents while away their days bingeing on cheese snacks and arguing, usually settling a war of words by throwing fish at one another. Circumstances force Jonah to set sail across the ocean, where he's assisted by Khalil (voice of Tim Hodge), a carpet peddler who is half caterpillar and half worm ("but I'm OK with that now"), and "The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything," who are led by the well-meaning but lethargic Mr. Lunt, Pa Grape (both voiced by Phil Vischer), and Larry the Cucumber (voice of Mike Nawrocki). However, Jonah's mission gets a bit of a setback when a mammoth whale changes his plans. Phil Vischer and Mike Nawrocki, who provide most of the character voices, also wrote and directed Jonah: A Veggie Tales Movie, and also created the original video series. Mark Deming

Product Details

• UPC: 012236134565
• Source: LIONS GATE
• Region Code: 1
• Aspect Ratio: Pre-1954 Standard (1.33.1)
• Presentation: Wide Screen
• Sound: Dolby Digital Stereo, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
• Language: English, Español
• Subtitles: English
• Time: 1:23:00
• Sales Rank: 6,437

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