Broccoli...celery...it’s got to be VeggieTales! After stacks of thirty-minute videos have become big hits among children and the older crowd, it was time for the Big Idea Company to produce a full-length feature.

Jonah was released on October 4th and is still in theaters. The movie focuses on the classic Bible story of Jonah and the whale. As always, those vegetables have added quite a twist to the original storyline.

The movie starts out as a group of kids and two chaperones (this is where Bob the Tomato comes in) are heading to a concert headlining one of the coolest acts around.

Of course, on their way, there are numerous disputes and everyone ends up with a grudge against someone else.
After some mishaps on the road (porcupines, wrong turns, underwear...), they find themselves at a seafood restaurant in the middle of nowhere where they run into the Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything.

Here’s where Larry the Cucumber makes his movie debut. So where does the story of Jonah come in? Well, right here.

When the Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything attempt to explain some concepts of Christianity to these concert-going, grudge-holding vegetables, they have to tell a story... the movie flashes back to Bible-times and the story of Jonah begins. In the Bible, Jonah carries messages from God.

In VeggieTales, he is God’s mailman. He arrives on his dignified camel and the town crowds in to hear the messages.

Jonah is considered to be an upright, highly respectable man--umm--vegetable. But, what happens when he refuses to obey what God asks him to do?

I was almost disappointed that, for once, I didn’t see Larry the Cucumber taking the lead role. Instead, we find Archibald Asparagus playing the part of Jonah.

However, Larry is able to cram in a few more of his songs as a pirate while Jonah tries to avoid paying a visit to the Ninevites--those good-for-nothing, fish-slapping rascals.

Along the way, he runs into the Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything and an overly caring--and utterly annoying--caterpillar named Khalil.

On the high seas with the Pirates (who, of course, have never actually sailed before), Jonah finds more trouble than he is prepared for...not to mention an over-sized fish that is sent directly from God to Jonah.

The kids all loved the movie and were still singing the songs as they left the theater.

Jonah is a great family feature that many adults--and college students--would also find highly amusing.

Bob and Larry didn’t have as much air time as I would have liked, but all in all the movie proved that VeggieTales is still a hit on the big screen.

This movie still has a good message, catchy tunes and a few good laughs. I recommend that you see it... and don’t forget your cheese curls!