Jonah: A VeggieTales Movie (2002) User Reviews

If you're a Veggie-Tales fan ...

[Bry-2 · 6/10 · 21 October 2002]

... you'll love it! Lots of insolent humour, good songs (a great Gospel number, for instance, and "The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything"), and a moral -- a little broadly spread, but not unpalpable.

It's sort of nice to have God in a movie without his name being taken "in vain." Nice change from the sort of movie I prefer.

And my kids loved it.

I hope this gets a wider distribution before its video release.

as my introduction to VeggieTales, and as someone who isn't even too much into Christianity, I was very surprised by Jonah

[Quinoa1984 · 7/10 · 19 July 2007]

Jonah: A Veggie Tales movie should only be the kind of fodder to show to kids who have gotten too bored with the boring Bible readings in Sunday school. But somehow, based on a recommendation from a friend (who sometimes leans towards the strange and abstract anyway), I watched the Veggie Tales movie and it is actually much better than should ever be considered. A first impression I had looking at the Veggie-Tales, even from afar, was that it looked like the healthy, slightly (only slightly) more coherent version of Aqua Teen Hunger Force, which I am still mixed on. But it's a little different than that, at least as far as the movie goes.

It is ultimately very silly and marketed more for a specific target group of kids- Christian kids looking for morals in the stories of the Old Testament, in this case being the tale of 2nd chances taken and missed and slipped up on with a prophet via a giant whaler- and yet there is an appeal as far as taking less than two pages of the bible and making it into a 75 minute movie. And it actually works at being unpretentious in its less detailed CG animation in this form. This isn't Pixar that one will be getting, but a lot of very clean-looking talking vegetables (where are their arms, minus the caterpillar guy, you might ask), and with a lot of extra-goofy songs; one of them is even a gospel tune, sung by angels whilst Jonah is trapped in the whale's belly. All I could think watching this scene was "wow, what the hell, no pun intended, is this?" That was much of the reaction I had to what went on, and I even got a few genuine surprises through the story as I wasn't totally familiar with it all.

If there is any crossover appeal, aside for the parents in watching their kids having fun enjoying the coolest little figures out of cartoon-like abstractions, with creatures bouncy and bright and even very cute (those peas are about as adorable as Miyazaki creations, if less textured). It's nothing very special in the recent boom of computer animated features, but it's probably a whole lot less cynical (and maybe less cruel and sophomoric) than a lot of those films, and it is in a very oddly formed way almost brilliant.

So close to being great for everyone

[nucksfan4life · 5/10 · 6 October 2002]

Given that this movie is a VeggieTales enterprise of course the kids are going to eat it up. The real challenge for the film makers was to make the movie enjoyable for the parents. "Jonah" comes so close to accomplishing this for 100% of the movie. The strength of the VeggieTales series has always been the songs. "Oh Where is my Hairbrush?" ring a bell. "Jonah" does have its fair share of songs, but I felt that there were too many long gaps in between some of the musical numbers. It didn't help that most of this time was spent listening to Jonah whine. Get rid of Jonah's whining and add in a few more songs and this movie would have been perfect for all ages. As it stands however, "Jonah" teaches a strong lesson to children in an enjoyable way. Can't argue with that.

A view from the other side of the pond.

[stuart_poore · 26 January 2004]

My family and I are big VeggieTales fan from the UK. The movie wasn't released over here, so I had to get a Region 1 DVD and a Multi-region player just to see it.

To be honest, the film, while good, was slightly disappointing. However the DVD extras were fantastic and also explained the reason for my initial disappointment.

One of the DVD extras tries to justify what I consider the movies two biggest faults. These are the choice of story and the choice of characters from the VeggieTale universe.

The problem with the story is that they stick to the well-known Bible Story TOO WELL. They carry on past the 'famous bit' and show the end of the story, which shows that actually Jonah is a bit mean and was disappointed that God didn't kill everyone! This means the main story ends on a bit of a down, and the tacked on `big finale' seems out of place to me.

The fact that the main character turns out to be not so nice partially explains the "casting".

If you're a big VeggieTale fan, you'll be left wondering why both the stars `Bob and Larry' have such a small part. If you're not a fan, you'll be wondering who all these characters are, especially "The Pirates who don't do anything!"

As a VeggieTale fan, I was also disappointed by a) The introduction of a major non-vegetable character!!! b) The fact that they continue to move away from the original ‘joke' that vegetables can't hold anything (due to lack of arms). The movie has object's being held by ‘invisible' hands and that just doesn't seem right to me.

All that aside, the movie is pretty good. Bright, fun, silly, and a good `moral' Bible story without `morality' being laid on too thickly.

The DVD extras disk was full of VERY funny stuff, and made up for the aggravation of having to send across the pond for a DVD.

P.S. It took me a while to realise that while the Outtakes appear in Spanish (!?!) the English version is available as an ‘alternative' language.

A film dedicated to its target audience and nobody else

[StevePulaski · 6/10 · 8 November 2013]

Jonah: A VeggieTales Movie is a perfectly good-hearted, innocuous tool to help indoctrinate your children into the Christian faith. Of course, that's a little too brash, but it's an accurate summation of the animated film that features bright colors, grandscale animated settings, themes relevant to real life, and talking vegetables that simplify stories to make them accessible to your little ones.

This film seems to defy film criticism in the way that it already has its own route to its target audience. In addition, the audience who wants nothing to do with the film will find no challenge in trying to ignore it. Its target audience will find the film recommend to their young children at certain church events and religious gatherings and children will likely be fascinated by the franchise's aforementioned traits. Honestly, the VeggieTales shorts aren't the worst type of videos to show your children. However, if one can look past the colorful qualities for just a few moments, they will find nothing more than a surface-level, preachy, morality play that grows tiresome quickly and is thankfully punctuated by a fluffy song in between the dreary exposition of the Bible.

The film opens with Bob the Tomato driving Dad Asparagus and several young vegetable children to a concert. They wind up getting into a bit of a wreck and seek help at a seafood restaurant where they meet "The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything." "The Pirates" decide to entertain the gang by telling them the story of Jonah, an ambitious prophet who makes a living preaching the word of God to different towns. One day, God himself implores Jonah to preach his word to the town of Nineveh, a dangerous, unholy village, to which Jonah refuses and decides to travel to Tarshish, the furthest you can get from Nineveh.

What unfolds is something of a road movie, with Jonah, who is an asparagus creature mind you, meeting random assortments of food, getting infamously swallowed by the whale, and learning such themes as compassion and mercy. Even the Veggie children learn of such themes, one meaning to respect your companions, the other meaning to give others second chances even if they don't deserve them. Such morals are the foundation of Jonah: A VeggieTales Movie's existence and, in seventy-eight minutes, it does more than get its point across. It beats the morals and themes into the head of the viewer until you feel like telling everyone within your vicinity what you learned just to make the knowledge you gained seem more useful in some way.

Thank the lord there are at least catchy songs that turn up every now and then to snap you back into reality. One song in particular I enjoyed, and wish was actually a complete tune, is "Billy Joe McGuffrey," which the young Veggie children are singing in the car which winds up distracting Bob the Tomato as he drives in a rush to see the concert. The fast-paced tune, the frantic animation, and the excitement of everything happening at once made me feel like a young kid watching the VeggieTales on a Saturday morning. What followed were other catchy tunes that, thankfully, were complete songs, like "Message From the Lord" and "Jonah Was a Prophet," two songs I'll be damned if I could get out of my head.

I think that's value of watching something like Jonah: A VeggieTales Movie when you're either too old or an outsider of the target audience is the nostalgia factor. My generation was one that probably got the most use out of this franchise, and seeing these characters come back for one harmless film was something that, at the very least, was cheerful and amusing. On another note, not completely necessary. However, at a concise seventy-eight minutes and featuring a few catchy anthems, it's not a real task by any means.

Voiced by: Phil Vischer, Mike Nawrocki, Tim Hodge, Lisa Vischer, Dan Anderson, Shelby Vischer, Kristin Blegen, and Jim Poole. Directed by: Phil Vischer and Mike Nawrocki.

All Hands On Deck!...And Get Me Some Popcorn!

[MovieRat-2 · 9/10 · 13 December 2002]

After countless 1/2 hour videos and even more countless silly songs, Veggie Tales hits the big screen with a whale of a tale (get it, WHALE of a tale? HA HA!) in JONAH: A VEGGIE TALES MOVIE. True to the Veggie theme, the entire cast is made completely of talking fruits and veggies (save for a camel, a whale, and an annoying little catapillar named Khalil). Although the movie tells the biblical story of Jonah, plenty of artistic lisence is taken to provide an upbeat, musical, and knee slapping experiance for the entire audiance. And when I mean the entire audiance, I mean everyone from little bitty kids to adults. You see, the creators of Veggie Tales (Big Idea) always try to throw in a few jokes every now and then that only adults will be able to enjoy, but unless you are actually paying attention to the film you might miss it.

Now I've said that artistic lisence is taken in telling the Jonah story; however, this does not mean that you are being told an entirely different story from the one in the bible. Overall, the story told in JONAH is basically the same as it is told in the Bible, so parents don't worry about showing this film to your kids...in fact, I encourage you to see this film with your kids. Have a good time with them. Know that you are seeing a quality film and a pretty faithful retelling of the Jonah story.

Have to say, disappointed

[Davebo · 7/10 · 7 October 2002]

As a Christian parent of three youngins, I am required by law to like the VeggieTales, and I do. I think they're very creative and I always look forward to the new videos.

I must say I'm disappointed in the movie: It dragged. We didn't get to see enough of our favorites (Bob, Larry, Jr.). The music was lacking. Mostly, the sweetness wasn't there. Did we care about Jonah? Not much. He was pretty cold. His side kick is a caterpillar? Okay, I can deal with deviating from all the characters being vegetation. But, I wasn't crazy about "Carlisle". Perhaps it's the length of the film; more isn't always better.

I think BigIdea was too quickly sold on the concept that for the full screen they needed a big idea, and what could be bigger than the whale that swallows Jonah? But, Jonah isn't a story that translates that well. It's an important story, but there are so many other wonderful stories untapped by BigIdea.

How about The Prodigal Son? So much more heart than a disobedient profit.

Quite disappointing

[MovieAddict2016 · 5/10 · 30 September 2005]

Call me anything you want, but the old "VeggieTales" shorts are very fun to watch. They appeal to both adults and children; their humor is juvenile on one level and very adult on another, similar to "The Simpsons." "VeggieTales" actually became so famous for a while in the regular mainstream market that Big Idea (the creators of the shorts) began to extend the new movies, and then created their own full-length theatrical feature film, "Jonah: A VeggieTales Movie." Unfortunately, the full-length film proves that thirty-minute shorts are far better. The movie's Christian preaching is clearer than in the shorts, and the story itself runs out of steam rather fast.

The Veggies are traveling and their car breaks down, and while they're stranded in a seafood restaurant of some sort, the Pirates Who Don't Do Anything begin to tell them of a tale involving Jonah, who was told by God to deliver a message to the people of Ninheva. He instead boarded a pirate ship in an attempt to fool God, but soon a maelstrom had him thrown off board by the pirates and swallowed by an enormous whale.

I ultimately couldn't really get into this film - it's not anywhere near as funny as the classic Veggie shorts or successful in its fusion of preaching Biblical values and slapstick humor.

Overall, something of a "mixed vegetables" bag. (Pun intended.)

Jonah is a catch!

[rolleriffic · 8/10 · 5 October 2002]

I just got back from the theatre from seeing this film. I took my 3 year old daughter who is an avid veggie fan to see the film. It was her first movie and Jonah was well worth being her inaugural film going experience. But this is far from just a kid's movie. One of the Chicago newspaper reviewers said that this was not a film for adults without children. This would be far from accurate. The movie certainly works for children, but those familiar with the Veggie franchise understand that much in the same way as Bugs Bunny, The Flintstones, and the Muppets that much of the humor is for the adults.

The movie works on a number of levels:

1) It tells a cohesive story for both the Veghead and the Veggie novice. Three of the main characters in the film are the Pirates who don't do anything who have a prominent part in the Veggie sing-a-long videos. However, there is nothing in the film that hinges on previous experience with Bob, Larry et al.

2) The movie entertains and instructs. Veggie Tales are educational. They are meant to be. This film is certainly no exception. The point of this story is to be compassionate and merciful. It makes that point by telling the story of a character who was neither and a God who was both. The story effectively segues between Veggie present and Bible past to let the modern day characters learn from the Biblical ones. I do not want to leave you with the impression that this film is merely a 90 minute flannel graph (Oooh flannel graph) for church going children. This is a fine and funny film for kids of all ages (Including 38). The animation is crisp. The musical numbers are fun and provocative.

3) Junior Asparagus is in a limited role. I am not certain if I am the only one who thinks this but Jr. Asparagus is the animated Wesley Crusher. (He actually does help save the ship in one episode.) I like Jr. in small doses and I was certainly able to swallow his part in this movie.

4) Larry the Cucumber is an integral part of the film. I am a big fan of Larry and I certainly think he is the funniest cucumber making movies today.

5) Silliness abounds. From the opening car trip sing-a-long to the closing credits, the high standard of Veggie insanity is maintained.

The film is certainly not Citizen Kane for the green grocer section. It could certainly be better in parts. Some of the teaching points are a little too pronounced. I also took umbrage with a legal proceeding taking place in a land where we are continually told that they did not know wrong from right. Also I write very silly songs and live near Lombard, IL where the movie was filmed and my phone never rang once. The film is certainly strong enough to overcome these minor flaws (but when Veggie 2 starts being created, I better get a call!)

Overall, Big Idea Productions should be very pleased with this movie and I think the film going public should be as well.

"Sunday Morning Values, Saturday Morning Fun."

[RenegadePhoenix · 7/10 · 5 October 2002]

Jonah is the first full-length movie by Big Idea, and it's sort of obvious. Some of the characters don't look quite as good as they could, and halfway through the movie Jonah turns colors from green to a dusty blue, but that could have been the theater. All in all, it's a very cute movie, with decent songs and a pretty good plotline. However, I think that Mike & Phil could have just left this at the usual 30 minute length of most of their movies, since Jonah overall just feels long. About 3/4 of the way through, I was ready to go. 7/10 stars :)

Too Preachy

[prexer · 3/10 · 27 October 2002]

I should have expected it from the Veggie-tales folks. I had hoped for a more open treatment of the biblical tale. But lots of preaching about God and Compassion and Mercy and giving people a second chance...

Unlike the online trailer, which used modern music humorously, the actual movie dropped the good music for pretty badly written fare.

My kids (and I) loved Lilo and Stitch, and came out telling me how important family was. This one pushed it's message too hard, without enough good story telling, and thus will be forgotten very quickly.

I laughed, I cried...it moved me, Bob!

[LVW_happygirl_4 · 10/10 · 11 October 2002]

Do you know all of Larry's Silly-Songs by heart? Can you and your friends/children/parents recite an entire episode of VeggieTales without having the video in the VCR? If you answered yes, then I see no reason why you won't absolutely adore this great accomplishment and wonderful new addition to the Big Idea Productions family.

A full-length VeggieTales movie (83 minutes is a bit on the short side, but that works better for the kids) is slightly different from one of their videos. The plot is more developed and drawn out; attention is given to more details; the full story of Jonah (as found in the Bible...Veggie style, of course) is portrayed. The kids might get a little antsy with such a long movie compared to the Veggies they're used to, but they broke it up nicely with the narration sections.

The whale was impressive, but it might scare some of the kids at first. After the initial "swallowing", though, it's not nearly as scary. The creators didn't sacrifice the message to release this movie on the big screen, and I was proud to see it.

Overall, I loved the movie. Larry was cute, the message was positive, the songs were entertaining and educational/fun. If you've never experienced VeggieTales, you might not get all of the jokes or might think it's a little strange to see "hopping" talking vegetables, but believe me...it's worth it.

Happy movie watching, and stick around through the credits for a cute little addition!

A delicious dinner with god

[thesterlingweaver · 7/10 · 9 March 2022]

A simple fun movie, but here are the problems, the animation looks outdated, the runtime of only 82 minutes is short, etc. But as a Christian, I say that this honestly was pretty good, I mean at least it's funny.

Ho-hum story full of religious dogma and ridiculous characters

[jwd011262 · 3/10 · 21 October 2002]

I have to confess my nieveness with regard to this movie. I had never heard of veggie tales, and didn't know that the whole series contains religious messages. So, if you're into such messages, stop reading now!

This movie made me uncomfortable. I took my kids to it on a rainy Saturday when there was no other G-rated flick available. The production was fine, but I've never gone to the multiplex and experienced that dreadful feeling of being in church. It was strange, and to me embarrassing, to be preached to at the movies. And this film dishes it out too - it tells the tale of Jonah, etc., with all the gloom and doom of the biblical text - it's just camouflaged in a cartoon and cleaned up for the kiddies. For example, instead of drawing lots to determine who's responsible for making god mad, the characters play "go fish" in the middle of The Perfect Storm. It was like Veggie-Twilight-bible-zone. It also makes no attempt to go beyond the trite and trivial retelling of Jonah, the pirates, and the whale. And it takes dreadfully long time to get through the whole mess. Probably the sloppiest part was upon his entry into Ninevah, every native was slapping or being slapped with a fish. Ridiculous throughout.

I suppose that if you can handle the preposterous veggie tales concept and a bland retelling of Jonah, then perhaps this movie may be interesting for you. Indeed, there were other viewers around us who seemed to find some value in it and somehow thought it to be new and worthwhile. They were laughing at all the programmed places and commenting at how cute it all was. No offense intended here, but I don't subscribe to such routine and this movie was a big waste of time. My kids were bored with it too.

Despite my distaste for the religious, I'd have enjoyed the movie had there been even a hint of talent in the writing. Everything was flat and uninspiring. Nothing was done to the story to make it less pointless than the original, no attempt was made to provide any character with substance, and lots of time was spent in the traditional manner trying to create meaning from a fable. In contrast, John Lassiter and his crew have shown that an animated feature can have depth, significance at every level, and technical competence, and be a big hit. This movie had none of those things.

I'll be back to the movies soon, but next time, hold the asparagus!

Pretty good and surprisingly accurate

[PorridgeBird · 20 November 2002]

I call this movie pretty good because, well, there have been better. Maybe VeggieTales should keep to cramming all the jokes into its standard thrity-minute length. However, this is still a movie the kids can enjoy and the parents can endure.

What surprised me the most was how accurate the story was to the actual Biblical story. While some things are added for a laugh, such as Ninevites slapping people with fish (showing the movie's Monty Python influence), some things were made so that it was more accurate. For examples, Jonah didn't want to go to Ninevah, he did decide to go to Tarshish instead, he did stay in the whale for three days and nights, and the vine episode at the end really involved a worm eating it away (although this worm is Khalil, the half catapillar hooked on motivational tapes.)

This VeggieTale is funny for family, but some may find it a bit dull compared to the thirty-minute ones of before. Still, it's worth the eight dollars.

P.S. If you get bored with the kiddie humor throughout, there's something more for the parents at the end: The Credits Song. After the pseudo-rock song, listen for the Pirates singing a song which has nothing to do with the movie and eventually ends with Pa Grape needing a Tums.

Good enough

[doomedmac · 6/10 · 10 October 2021]

As far as animated musicals go, Jonah isn't too bad. It's got some great songs but the rest of the movie falls a little flat.

The Veggie gang makes its way onto the big screen to tell the tale of Jonah.

[schmimic · 8/10 · 24 May 2005]

I bought this movie before I ever even bothered watching it because I figured, hey, it's Veggie Tales. How can you go wrong, right? Well, I don't regret buying it, but it's not quite as good as most of the regular Veggie stuff.

Most of us have a pretty good grasp on the Jonah story right? Well, just as always with Veggie Tales, the heart of the story is there with the most important details, and then everything else gets mixed up and screwed around with. It starts off with Dad Asparagus and Bob the Tomato driving a bunch of the little veggies to a Twippo concert. Then they encounter some difficulties on the road and find themselves with two flat tires and crashed into a tree stump.

They get out and head for the nearest building, a seafood restaurant. When Junior Asparagus sits down at the table, he hears some people talking on the other side of the glass. It's the pirates who don't do anything! I don't remember what they ask Junior, but they eventually strike up a conversation, and the pirates tell Junior the story of that one time when they met Jonah and had a little adventure… Jonah was a prophet who traveled across Israel delivering God's messages to His people. Then Jonah gets a call from God to deliver a "turn and repent" message to Ninevah. But why Ninevah? The Israelites and the Ninevites don't get along, and Jonah would rather die than go there. So he decides to go against God's orders and sail as far as possible in the opposite direction, to Tarshish. He hires the pirates who don't do anything to take him out there, and so the four of them set sail for Tarshish.

Just like in the Bible story, there's a big storm because of Jonah, and after they cast lots to determine who is responsible (done quite ingeniously in the movie I think), they throw Jonah into the ocean. The storm goes away when they throw him in, and a whale (not a big fish like the story) comes along and swallows Jonah up. There Jonah has a little encounter with a choir of asparagus angels, and then the whale barfs him up on the shore, and he heads out for Ninevah.

I think the hilarious thing is how the pirates end the story. Just like in the Bible story, at the end, Jonah is wailing and mourning and whining and crying and there's no real conclusion, and that's how it ends in the movie. The pirates just say "the end" and that's pretty much it. Of course, there's still some other stuff that happens outside of the story segment of the movie.

Overall it's done pretty cleverly, but it doesn't quite have the same Veggie Tales zip that it should. The special features on the DVD and certainly worth the cost though.

Bottom Line: 3 out of 4 (worth watching)

More of the real story

[matrixrandy · 6/10 · 12 October 2002]

I love Veggie tales. I looked forward to this one. However, It was a big mistake to have two stories in one. They should of concentrated more on the story itself (Jonah). Maybe spend more time on the city of Ninevah and it's civilians. Also the worst scene was inside the bellyof the fish. They did this gospel choir song that was 3 minutes toooooo long. I personally liked "Esther" better! It told more of the story in one half hour then Jonah did in one and a 1/2 hours.

Randy

Not a movie for "non believers".

[dsipling · 1/10 · 22 February 2006]

All in all a good movie for those who like to lie to their kids. The fact that "veggies" like to watch god destroy people for these sins is complete bunk. God destroys without discrimination. Very hard to watch if you find the hole god thing very tiresome. I only wish the "God" people would make something that shows how much god loves us and not bore us to death with mindless dribble and silly cartoons that even kids think is stupid. Only when they understand that fact can they begin to make entertaining movies for the youth of America and the world. Yes they look cute but what does talking vegetables teach them other than adults lie to them

good kids' film

[jirdd · 8/10 · 28 October 2002]

So I have a two year old at my house and we watch a LOT of VeggieTales. However, I have lots of friends with no children at their houses who also watch VeggieTales (albeit less than we do). That's because the Veggies, unlike so many kids' videos and other entertainment, talk to kids without talking down to them, and also throw in stuff that parents like. Good entertainment, and smart marketing -- more kids' entertainment needs to realize that parents BUY the videos, and are much more likely to buy stuff that the parents like, too.

That said, while I didn't like this movie as much as I like the half-hour VeggieTales videotapes, I still liked it much, much better than 95% of the kids movies I've seen. My two year old (his first movie) sat through it without a peep, except for the occasional observation about Jonah or the whale or the Pirates Who Don't Do Anything.

This movie is actually a bit more overtly Judeo-Christian than most of the videos. I honestly don't get how people are put off by the Veggie videos, as they are very non-preachy and simply teach kids, in an entertaining way, that it's good to share, be thankful for what you have and to have the courage to stand up for your convictions. The movie is a little more, "We should do what God wants us to do." Still, kids will be entertained and parents won't be checking their watches.

A good flik, but somewhat subdued compared to the videos

[sjh-4 · 7/10 · 5 November 2002]

This was a good first effort for Big Idea. It's a cute film, tells a good story, and is well done. But it seems somewhat subduec compared to the all-out humor of the VeggieTale videos, especially the earlier ones. Why don't the Pirates yuck it up more (and sing)? Why don't the french peas expand on the Monty Ponthon bit, instead of just hint at it? I feel like the film is a little too 'safe', perhaps trying too hard for commercial success. They'll get more success if they just relax, let down their hair, and do what they do best. That credits song at the end - that's the tone the whole movie should've had.

And - wouldn't a 'silly songs w/Larry' short at the beginning be great?

Better to read the book

[belladonna_marie · 1/10 · 3 November 2002]

I took a three year old who sat politely through the movie without fidgeting or fussing. I thought she was enjoying it until it was over when she looked at me and instead of her usual "I liked that, it was COOL!" she asked "can we go home NOW?" The other children in the theater spent the movie time running around, playing and asking anyone who would answer "is this over yet?"

I knew that it was going to be moralistic and preachy but I never expected that it would be as pandering as it was. Even my three year old felt her intelligence was insulted.

The best VeggieTales Video in my opinion

[Doctor-Insane · 10/10 · 3 August 2019]

As a movie it's alright for little kids if you can get past the religious stuff, but as a VeggieTales video, it's up there with Lord of the Beans as the best of the best in which the series has to offer. Just give it a watch, you won't be disappointed.

Not enough Saturday Morning Fun

[skilleahy · 5/10 · 8 October 2002]

Jonah is a Veggie Tale version of Jonah and the Whale. The Veggie Tales film abandons the videos' formula for success. What is surprising here is that the consistently funny Larry the Cucumber is given a supporting role. While Larry has a few hilarious asides, he is generally off-screen while Archibald the Asparagus (Jonah) bemoans his fate. Larry has little interaction with Bob the Tomato, who is a great straight--er vegetable. (Shoot Tomatoes are fruit!) Bob has even a lesser role.

Finally there are no "Silly Songs" in this film. I appreciate the attempts to move away from the formula, but some formulae are funny precisely for their variants on the theme. (Note Chaplin's success as the little tramp.) While the film makers may not want to hear this, they are exceptionally funny when they do straight comedy without their preaching, which there was simply too much in the film. They should remember their own promotional tagline of Saturday Morning Fun; Sunday Morning Values. Had they went for more laughs, they would have made a better movie without abandoning their mission.

Super fun movie with a great message!

[cinephile-27690 · 10/10 · 15 December 2018]

This movie is so entertaining that not a single second of this movie bores me! From the opening logo to the 2 songs in the credits, every single minute(83 in total) is a pure delight.

The movie starts out with Bob, Junior, his dad, Laura, and a few other Veggie characters in a van on the way to a concert. Turbulence causes the van to be stuck at an abandoned seafood restaurant, where they meet The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything- 3 lazy pirates who recall meeting the biblical prophet Jonah. With this memory, they teach the customers a lesson in how God wants us to give each other a 2nd chance when we do something wrong.

Jonah has some of the best songs Veggie Tales has to offer-2nd Chances is so catchy I recall dancing all over the living room floor as a kid...and a 16 year old. (Don't judge me!) There is also A Message From the Lord, Jonah Was A Prophet, Billy Joe McGuffery, Steak and Shrimp, and a few others.

The animation isn't Pixar level, but Veggie Tales is made by a company that had a limited budget. In fact, that is partly why the company went bankrupt a few months later.(Read the book Me, Myself, and Bob for more on that.) But the fun and the message is what really counts.

If you see this on a DVD, watch the outtakes, they are the best outtakes ever! I still laugh at them! They are on You Tube as well.

While there is not much else to say, I feel like more could be said. I have seen this numerous times and I will definitely see it many more times in my life. The great Bible story and moral is one that should be presented to anyone, whether or not they believe in God. Forgiveness is something we should all try to give.

Jonah is spectacular beyond words, with A Message From The Lord that all should hear...and enjoy.