Jonah: A VeggieTales Movie (2002)

Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

Excellent but underrated film

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

I am a very big fan of Veggie Tales. But hearing they had a motion picture, I had some doubts. Sometimes movies based on TV or video series feel like just one long episode. And that is what I did feel was the case with Jonah. The animation has improved (though nowhere near Pixar level of course), song writing is just as great as ever, and the editing is all fine, but it was a story that could have been greatly shortened to have made standard video show length. And that's the problem with Jonah: pacing. It feels long even though it has a modest running time. Sideral elements have obviously been added to pad out the time (side characters and plots) to feature length, and so everything feels forced. Kahleel (spelling?) is one of the most annoying side characters I have met mostly because he rarely adds anything to the movie. Random side comments from characters for laughs are all fine and well, but they shouldn't distract from the flow of the movie. The scriptwriters threw in large jokes that took a long time to set up, but left us with lame pay off lines. Some of the plot transitions to get us from one scene in the movie to the next are also heavy handed.That being said, it is a movie that will delight children; it's principle target audience. It's message is easy to understand and it contains enough goofiness and action to keep them riveted (as it did with my boys). My critiques are mainly geared towards the adult viewers, whose tastes are more refined. But Jonah is a children's movie with pop culture in jokes for adults. And that is very refreshing considering that many animated features these days can't make up their minds if they are for children or adults (Dreamworks studios being the biggest culprit). If you have kids, definitely let them see this. If you are an adult, look elsewhere.

I caught this movie while flipping through channels on local television in Houston and couldn't turn it off. I had never seen any VeggieTales before this and it blew me away. The talent it took to make this story witty, touching, and engaging all at the same time is obvious. Not only that, but the music and songs are excellent! Seriously...I don't mean they are excellent in some snobby religious way but actually catchy and fun. Maybe I'm a weirdo...actually, I know I am...but I had to get up and sing and dance while the choir sang inside the whale. Yes, I am 31 years old and I was dancing to a cartoon...alone.I know it isn't popular to say anything like this, but I am going to say it. I really and truly felt the anointing of the Lord on this movie.My future kids WILL be watching this flick. PS - one of the best parts is the credits song after the movie ;) 10 out of 10 stars - **********

Big Idea Studios has always had a mission to provide quality family media with a positive Biblical worldview. Every project they have undertaken has done this while entertaining teens and adults as well as children. This is quite an accomplishment considering the company has only been in existence for 10 years, and started with one man and one computer. This perspective should be kept in mind when comparing the animation to Shrek or Monsters, Inc. Try comparing Jonah instead to the early Veggietales videos and you will see where they are headed. Heart and soul is poured into every minute of this film, and why not?--many of the artists and production team are Disney or Dreamworks vets. The DVD package of Jonah puts these other studios to shame. There are three separate commentaries on the film itself, including one by Larry the Cucumber and Mr. Lunt! That is just the beginning! There is a studio tour, out-takes and digital dailies commented on by the characters, concept art, music development, music videos, games, and even a copy of the entire script if you use your DVD-ROM. The Bigidea.com website has sample clips of all of these features. Don't kid yourself, Big Idea and Veggietales are a force to be reckoned with, and Hollywood has now taken notice that Biblical is not boring!

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.