VeggieTales: Josh and the Big Wall (1997)

Terrible acting, screenplay and direction.

All that we are seeing on the screen is happening with real people, real action sequences in the background, forcing the eye to watch as if we were there.

True to its essence, the characters remain on the same line and manage to entertain the viewer, each highlighting their own distinctive qualities or touches.

It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

"VeggieTales: Josh and the Big Wall!" is n animated short film from 1997, so this one has its 20th anniversary this year and it was made by Chris Olsen and Phil Vischer, who (especially the latter) worked on many other VeggieTales as well. This one runs for 35 minutes, so don't fall for 30/31-minute versions that end abruptly without the film being over. The subject here is a really known and important one, so I expected a solid VeggieTale with decent significance, but sadly I was disappointed. The contents frequently seemed way too much aimed at small children compared to other VeggieTales and as a consequence the story-telling, significance and also voice acting failed. It is by no means a failure and still a somewhat decent watch at times, but the weaknesses here are just too frequent for me to recommend this. i also felt the music was not on par with other VeggieTales films. Certainly a missed opportunity, I give it a thumbs-down and it's worth checking out only for the very biggest fans of the series. The charm and magic that frequently comes with the VeggieTales characters is missing completely here.

Computer animated veggies...who would think of something kids hate to eat and apply morals to them, to make the best Christian videos ever? Big Idea productions. I think we all need to salute these guys. They take the same technique as the Simpsons (few people do all the voices, great humor, etc.) and apply, as I said before, morals. Great for kids, and even fun for us adults. Ignore the woman who said they get tiring after watching a long time...I own them all, and watch them constantly, and to tell the truth, I can't get enough limbless vegetables with morals...John "Larry the Cucumber" Ulmer5/5 STARS

I love the Veggie Tales videos, as do my two toddlers. However, this one video has a major stumbling block for me. I can allow for the fact that the characters are vegetables and that they soften the violence of the original Bible story for young ears. I do not, however, like the fact that the whole story is based on the Israelites not 'following God's directions' when, in this instance, they *did.* They followed his directions to the letter. There are so many other instances in Scripture where the Israelites disobeyed. There was plenty of material out there on which to base a story with this lesson. To imply disobedience here when they obeyed seems slanderous.Beyond that, the video is great. Some of the people at Big Idea Productions are obvious Monty Python fans. I just gotta love that! However, I've decided to avoid purchasing the VT videos based specifically on Bible stories (as opposed to morality tales) as history is not something I like to see messed with.

...after watching them too many times, they start to get reeaaaly old.Now, don't let that deter you from watching them. By all means, I encourage anyone to watch these shows. They are funny and cute, and can be enjoyed by everyone, even people who might not normally appreciate a Christian message in a video. I myself enjoy watching them on occasion, especially ones that have a lot of jokes that adults will understand more than kids (e.g., the "Are You My Friend" one which spoofs the classic Star Trek.) But here's a bit of advice from someone who has worked in a church nursery for 5 years running: if you own a video, DO NOT watch it too many times! (The nursery owns several tapes.) It WILL drive you insane, no matter how much you love it. I suppose it's the same way with any children's video; in many ways these VeggieTales tapes are a lot better. But the jokes can get old and repetitive and the songs tend to be annoying. Additionally, if you have any kids, or know any kids who own VeggieTales, they'll be reciting the jokes and songs nonstop. If you have a tape, I suggest you save it for a rainy day, or as a special treat or reward. Other than being a bit annoying at times, these VeggieTales tapes are really quite wonderful if watched only every once in a while, and can be a nice way to share a good message with kids. I give all the tapes about an 8 out of 10.