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Pirates Who Don't Do Anything: A Veggie Tales Movie (Widescreen)
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Manufacturer: Universal Studios
Find all by Universal Studios
Directed By: Mike Nawrocki
Audience Rating: G (General Audience)
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Theatrical Release: December 3, 2008
Average Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars
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Retail Price: $29.98
Online Sale Price: $19.99
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Starring: Tim Hodge, Mike Nawrocki, Phil Vischer, Cam Clarke, Yuri Lowenthal
A boatload of beloved VeggieTales pals embarks on a fun and fresh pirate adventure with their trademark humor and silly songs in The Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything – A VeggieTales Movie! Larry the Cucumber, Mr. Lunt and Pa Grape find themselves on the ride of their lives when they are mysteriously whisked back to the time when pirates ruled the high seas. As they help a brave princess rescue her brother from a dastardly pirate villain, they battle evil Cheese Curls, giant rock monsters and their own fears and become the most unlikely heroes you’ve ever seen. It’s a swashbuckling good time for the whole family!
User Submitted Pirates Who Don't Do Anything: A Veggie Tales Movie (Widescreen) Reviews
October 27, 2008
A Story With Allegorical Elements, Time Travel, and Talking Vegetables.
Several years ago when Big Idea Productions hadn't gone bankrupt and Phil Vischer was still the man who everyone thought was running the company, he wrote a script for a motion picture that featured characters from the Big Idea universe, but in a non-Biblical story. The movie was about the Pirates Who Don't Do Anything and was written several years before production even started on PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN. Unfortunately, Big Idea went bankrupt and the movie was forgotten and could have been a lost relic. But thank goodness it wasn't and Vischer and Big Idea came together once again for THE PIRATES WHO DON'T DO ANYTHING.
The movie begins aboard a ship under attack by pirates in the 17th Century. Led by Robert the Terrible, the banished brother of the King, the pirates capture Prince Alexander. Robert is furious at his brother and intends to use the Prince as a pawn to win the King's throne. Alexander's sister, the Princess Eloise, and their butler Willory escape from the pirates and use a device the King has created (a nod to THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA hear) to call for help.
Meanwhile in the present day, Elliot (Larry the Cucumber), Sedgwick (Mr. Lunt), and George (Pa Grape) are servers at the Pieces of Ate Dinner Theater. The place is a popular entertainment destination for families and the trio all dream of eventually working not serving food, but as starring members of the cast in the show. Taking a cue from THE WIZARD OF OZ, the three friends each have different issues that they struggle with. None of the three are exactly where they would like to be in life and things seem headed downhill for them, especially when they mess up an audition for the cast.
But then the mysterious device sent from the King selects these three to help. Very rapidly the trio finds themselves traveling through time, fighting evil pirates, dodging flesh-eating cheese curls, and running from gigantic rock monsters. It's one dangerous adventure after another and Elliot, Sedgwick, and George each have their face their own internal struggles and work as a team in order to rescue the Princess, defend the King, and save the Kingdom.
THE PIRATES WHO DON'T DO ANYTHING is a highly entertaining movie. It is from Big Idea and features VeggieTales characters, but it is unlike any VeggieTale production to date. For starters, the VeggieTales characters aren't actual characters in the movie. Instead, they play characters other than themselves. For instance, normally Larry the Cucumber portrays all kinds of other different characters in a story, but everyone knows it's just Larry playing the parts, especially with the winks and nods to the 4th wall. That doesn't happen in THE PIRATES WHO DON'T DO ANYTHING. Instead, Larry plays Elliot and it is Elliot who is one of the heroes of the story. It's basically what most actors do in each project they take on, but in this case it's the characters of VeggieTales who are the actors acting in a film that's not about them. Larry, Mr. Lunt, and Pa Grape portray the major characters, but most of the cast of VeggieTales can be seen in the film in supporting roles or cameos.
The movie is also significant because it is one of the least overtly Christian/Biblical of all the Veggie Tales shorts, DVDs, and movies so far. The film is full of allegorical elements that are taken from Biblical scripture and Christianity, but the story is not a Bible story and never takes on a preachy tone.
There are some that say the animation is good, but not amazing. That's not accurate. Historically, Big Idea was making thirty minute shorts a couple years before Pixar came to the forefront. The company was at one time on the cutting edge of CGI animation and was one of the first to break through the "new frontier" that is now so commonplace. However, Big Idea is a very different company than Pixar and once their universe was created and the characters were established, there was no huge need to advance more rapidly. Pixar and other animation studios like them continually push the envelope of CGI animation to make their features look more and more lifelike. In the Big Idea universe, that's not necessarily. Yet, for the universe it is, THE PIRATES WHO DON'T DO ANYTHING pushes at the boundaries of that universe, with extremely bright and vibrant colors, and has the characters doing all sorts of things they have never done before, e.g. sword fighting.
The first half of the movie does move a bit slow, but once the trio travel back through time the pace quickens and doesn't stop until the end. Also, true to VeggieTale humor there are all kinds of sight gags, one-liners, and allusions that are sure to make children laugh and their parents and other adults smile.
October 22, 2008
My children LOVE this DVD
It always cracks me up to read the serious reviews of cartoons! The bottom line is......the kids love it! As for not feeling for any of the characters............even I choke up where the creators intended viewers to do so. The take off on the B52's Rock Lobster (Rock Monster) sends my whole household into a dance. This DVD is worth every penny.
As for the doctrinal/Christian aspect of Veggie tales, we go to church on Sunday for those lessons........these shows are good clean fun.
October 19, 2008
Not Doing Something Has Never Been So Adventurous
Pirates was the first movie that my young son watched entirely in the movie theatre. He loves those silly vegetables and so do I. While he watches he does not even realize the important values he is learning, but I am gladened to know he is exposed to wonderful teaching moments.
The story follows three pitiful veggie friends who are called to perform the most impossible task. They must overcome self-doubt, laziness, and unrealistic fears if they are to succeed. And that is probably something all of us fight at one time or another.
Another great feature is the extended ending. Very funny scene which had my wife and I laughing at loud in the car as we sat at the Sonic Drive-In. Pick up a copy of this and I promise your family will not be disappointed. You will end up being the hero, just like our favorite veggie friends.
October 17, 2008
"What Kind of B Movie Am I In?"
Imagine a world where vegetables sail the seven seas and the most fearsome pirate is the one with arms and legs, albeit mechanical arms and legs. That's the world of the new VeggieTales release. And it's a full length film.
The movie opens in the 17th century. We are on a ship that is being captured by pirates. While brave Prince Alexander tries to fight them off, he is ultimate captured. Unfortunately, the pirates are being led by Robert the Terrible. Not only is he the king's banished brother, but he has also used mechanics to create arms and legs (well, one leg and one peg leg), making him the most fearsome pirate around. The one thing he wants most is his brother's throne, and he intends to use the prince and princess to get it.
Unfortunately for him, Princess Eloise and the butler Willory (Archibald Asparagus) have escaped capture. And they use a contraption the King has created to send a plea for help.
Fast forward to the present day. At the Pieces of Ate Dinner Theater we meet Elliot, Sedgwick, and George (Larry the Cucumber, Mr. Lunt, and Pa Grape.) They work as Cabin Boys (waiters), but long to be in the show. Unfortunately, Elliot has a list of things he is afraid of, Sedgwick is just plain lazy, and George lacks self-confidence.
And these three misfits are the ones the plea for help finds. Before they really know what is happening, they find themselves on board the ship with Willory and Princess Eloise on a quest to rescue Prince Alexander. Can they become heroes to complete the quest? Or will their flaws spell doom for everyone?
Aside from the characters I mentioned, most of the main characters are new. But keep an eye open for blink and you'll miss then cameos from many of the regulars, including Bob the Tomato. Also look for the appearance of the Grape family. I guess they aren't gone for good.
This movie really is a tale of two halves. I found the first half slow and predictable as it set things up. While the second half was still predictable, this is where the fun really started. The jokes came much faster and really hit their target.
This is also the least overt Christian film from the Veggies. There is still a clear moral about what it takes to be a hero and there is a strong allegory to things (although don't take it too far or you'll wind up with very, very bad theology.)
As you would expect, this move is 100% kid friendly. The fearsome pirates drink Root Beer and Ginger Ale. Their sword fights never produce a single wound. Frankly, I got quite a kick out of this.
In keeping with the Veggie's roots, this isn't the top notch animation you would normally see. But it is keeping with their last few efforts, so long time fans will know what to expect.
This is not the best effort from VeggieTales, but it is fun and the franchise's many fans will certainly enjoy it.
October 11, 2008
VeggieTales is Cute and Entertaining Fun for the Whole Family
Avast ye maties! This be a tale of pirates, but it isn't the one you're thinking of. That ones over for now. No, this one is about three vegetables who defy all odds to become heroes. In "The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything: A VeggieTales Movie."
George, Sedgewick (both Phil Vischer) and Elliot (Mike Nawrocki) were simple cabin boys working at a pirate-themed restaurant when they find a ball that sends them back in time to the 16th century. While there, they are told by a princess that they must save her brother from an evil pirate. Though they know they're not heroes, they accept and end up on an adventure of nutritious proportions.
In this day of incredible computer-aided animation and scripts written to keep audiences laughing, it is easy to get caught up in the quality of the production and the non-stop barrage of jokes while losing sight of another objective that a good movie for kids might--or even should--attempt to achieve: communicating the value of virtues. It is rare that a movie can pull off all three, and I have to believe that effectively communicating values (without preaching) is the most difficult of the three.
The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything comes close on all three counts. The animation is good, but it does not amaze. The story has moments of laughter and emotion, but you don't end up caring about many of the characters. And it makes it clear that doing the right thing and being willing to make sacrifices for others is important and worth the effort. In the end, kids will have been entertained while having important principles reinforced. This is truly a movie for kids from start to finish, rather than a cute story with mature humor thrown in from time to time to keep things interesting for parents who might not be able set their prurient interests aside for a couple of hours.
Now if I could just get those freaky cheese curls off my mind...
September 29, 2008
Best Veggie Tales Yet!
What a great, fun movie! I enjoyed this Veggie Tales movie so much & so did my 5 yr. old daughter. It has lots of "jokes for the grown ups" as I call them, especially at the end - B52's fans prepare to dance! This movie also manages to work in a spiritual message at the end, but does it so subtly that non-believers won't feel preached at in the least. The spiritual aspect is what I like most about Veggie Tales in general, as a teaching tool for my child, and even my atheist spouse gets some laughs out of most of the shows. This movie is one that will appeal to all types of parents and kids.
September 19, 2008
AWESOME MOVIE!!!
I have been a veggie tales fan since they first came out and when this movie came out I took my 3 year old to see it. She loved it! It can not come out on dvd fast enough!
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