Jonah: A Veggie Tales Movie

Welcome back to Mr. Bee's origin month (does that title sound better? Please comment and let me know.). Now the second movie that I'm going to review for this special month is Veggie Tales Jonah. Now you may be wondering why I am reviewing this. Well, the answer is very simple: this is the first movie that I ever saw in theaters. I was three years old at the time, and we were celebrating my older brother's birthday (who is also my wonderful webmaster). But, I remember vividly the opening credits coming up on the big screen. I actually fell asleep during the movie (give me a break, I was three). But, I have seen the whole movie several times since.

Now first off, this is an evangelical movie and that is not necessarily a bad thing. I am a Christian so I naturally support what they are trying to do. Shall we begin?

Background

For those of you who don't know that Veggie Tales are a series of videos made for children in order to teach Christian values (hence their tag-line “Sunday morning values, Saturday morning fun”). The series started in the early 90's and they apparently always wanted to make a movie, but were not able to do it until 2002 partly because they could not find a studio to distribute it. If your wondering, they also released a movie in 2008.

Plot

Of course you have the story of Jonah and you also have a story of a bunch of kids on a way to a concert when their car breaks down. They try to find help at a seafood restaurant and end up connecting with a bunch of pirates who tell them the story of Jonah.

Opinion

Now let's start with the good stuff:

They don't change much of the story of Jonah and some of the humor can get a good chuckle, but some of the jokes are juvenile. The songs are really good Christian songs (except for one song which is basically an elementary school campfire song). The best song in the movie is “It Cannot Be” which really gets inside Jonah's head. The characters are well realized.

Now for the bad stuff: The animation looks like direct-to-video. The movie can get preachy, now granted it is a movie made to teach but I would prefer it not to hit me in the head with a hammer. And compassion and mercy are said way too many times and begins to sound a bit redundant (you could give me a penny for every time they said those two words and I would be as rich as Donald Trump by the end of the movie).

Overall, I find that Jonah is a decent kids' movie (definitely not meant for non-christian families). As for me, I grew up with the Veggie Tales. So, every time I watch it I find some enjoyment out of it. If you did not grow up on the Veggie Tales, then you might not find out many good things about it, but your kids will probably still enjoy it. So, overall, I would give Jonah the Veggie Tales movie a modest recommendation of 3 stars.

Well, thanks for sticking around until the end. Please check out my review for Mary Poppins if you haven't already (or, if you have, it wouldn't hurt to check it out again).

And, the answer to my quiz, Robert Stephenson.

And this week's quiz is: Which two animated Disney movies were released in the same year as Jonah? Here is a hint; none of them are Pixar. Comment below or e-mail me at thatbradley@gmail.com

Goodnight and Bee Happy!™

By Mr Bee   

copyright 2016 Mr. Bee Studio International All rights belong to Mr. Bee and webmaster Wesley M. and if anybody breaks this copyright they will have to spend ten years as my personal slave, and thanks for your understanding. 

images courtesy of  Comcast Corporation/ Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. and Mango Bollywood respectively.

“Mary Poppins”

   

“One hour in wonderland. I know this is a tv show and not a movie, but I think we can review both. ok This stars Edger Bergan and Charlie McCarthy.”

Mr. Bee in Spring of 2011

Now, here's a little background; five years ago I watched a couple of movie reviews online by James Rolfe (aka “The
Angry Video Game Nerd”). He was reviewing movies. Particularly I was watching his 2008 reviews of the live-action Batman movies. I thought that was really cool, so I attempted to do it. The quote at the top is my first attempt to do so. In honor of that, I am doing an entire month dedicated to...well....me. It is going to conclude with my finished review of One Hour in Wonderland (which was the first thing I attempted to review and never finished). So, please sit back and relax and enjoy “The Month that Created Mr. Bee” (the title is a work in progress).

The first movie that I'm starting with is Mary Poppins. If you've read my “Top 10 Disney Movies”, Mary Poppins is the greatest movie ever made (in my opinion, period). Since that is my opinion, this might not be an honest review. If you're looking for an objective review, you're probably going to have to check out another site. Okay, let's get right to it.

Background:

Now, I don't feel the need to talk about too much of the “behind the scenes” drama because it was covered extensively in the 2013 movie “Saving Mr. Banks”. There are also several documentaries about it which you can easily find (which are a primary source). So, long story short, the author of the book P.L. Travers was adamant on not letting the movie be made.

Plot:

Do I really need to tell you the plot of the movie? But, heh, I guess I will be nice. It's about Mr. Banks, played by David Tomlinson, who has two kids, Michael and Jane. He's a rich upper-class businessman that believes that children are to be seen and not heard. And then Mary Poppins comes to save the family.

Opinion:

Now as I mentioned in the beginning, this is the best movie ever made. Julie Andrews is great. Dick VanDyke is superb. And David Tomlinson has perhaps the best performance in the movie. The special effects are very good for 1964. And they hold up to this very day. The music is fantastically written by the Sherman Brothers.

However, there are a couple flaws with the movie. The jolly holiday sequence, for example, could have been a little bit shorter. Granted, the way it is isn't bad though. And, there is a scene in which Mr. Banks and his kids are at the bank and they try to take the money from Michael to put his account. Michael refuses, and apparently, the entire town hears this commotion and comes running to get their money out. There is one moment that begs the question; How did the whole town hear about it within a minute? (spoiler alert) That big commotion at the bank which caused Mr. Banks losing his job. There are other ways to make Mr. Banks lose his job. Making his son cause him to lose his job makes the emotion in this movie even stronger than if it wasn't his son's fault. But ifthey could have done it without the whole town hearing about it within a matter of minutes and rushing the bank, it would have been better. But, for what it is, I'm content with what we have. Mary Poppins is still the best movie ever made. So, no surprise here, I am proud to give Mary Poppins the highest rating I can give, 5 golden stars! What more can I say? Mary Poppins, practically perfect in every way. If you're wondering what I think of the Broadway musical version and “Saving Mr. Banks”, the musical version I saw an amateur production and my opinion of it was meh (but it had nothing to do with the actors). As for “Saving Mr. Banks”, it's a really good movie and I recommend it.

And now, the return of the quiz at the end of every blog! This week's quiz is: who directed Mary Poppins?

  By Mr Bee

 

copyright 2016 Mr. Bee Studio International All rights belong to Mr. Bee and webmaster Wesley M. and if anybody breaks this copyright they will have to spend ten years as my personal slave, and thanks for your understanding.

 images courtesy The Walt Disney Company Harmony Healthcare International