Pretty Good

a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

It's a good bad... and worth a popcorn matinée. While it's easy to lament what could have been...

The veggies never cease to be entertaining.Our kids love them and I have an affection for them as well,but there are elements of this film that trouble me.While I suppose that there is a message that is Christian in nature in the film,God is never mentioned once,nor is the Bible or anything pertaining to it.In a normal Veggie Tales production,God is mentioned at least somewhere if not throughout.I find this troubling.Hopefully,the makers of this series will get back on the ball with their next production.Hopefully they have not forsaken what has endeared them to many people over the years and have sold out to mainstream Hollywood.This would be a rotten shame.Also,all of the usual VT characters get at least a small part in all or most of their productions,yet here this is not the case.We see only seconds of Bob the Tomato,and nothing at all of the French Peas or Junior Asparagus.This is not so much troubling as it is disappointing,I suppose.Overall,it's an entertaining watch,but in the end I see it as little more than an attempt to make a little dough off of a theme very popular in cinema these days:Pirates.So,Mike,Phil,if you ever read this,get back to those Christian values as quickly as you can and restore my sagging faith.

Those lovable VeggieTales are back on the big screen in "The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything." In the 17th Century, evil Robert the Terrible (Cam Clarke) has kidnapped the King's son, Alexander (Yuri Lowenthal), and his sister Bernadette (Cydney Trent) uses a special capsule her father gave her to summon help.In the modern time, George, Sedgewick and Elliot are busboys for a famous dinner theater, wishing they were really pirates. Soon they're transported to the 17th Century, and are now called upon to be heroes...even though they're all scared to death! VeggieTales is one of the best cartoon series for children. It teaches moral lessons without having it jammed down your throat, and even for grown-ups (like myself), I found the film to be surprisingly entertaining and hilarious (I mean, who wouldn't laugh at vegetables fainting?).

I am a Veggietales fan. I enjoy most of the television episodes, although some are better than others. Jonah was a decent showing of the Veggietales on the big screen, but I have to say I am disappointed in Pirates.I just found myself bored. The laughs were few, and very far between. The storyline was not very original, very predictable and I miss the Biblical lessons that Veggietales are known for. There was still a lesson, but not one we haven't heard before in a billion other better made movies for the secular audience.I was trying to pay attention to how the kids in the theater were reacting. I heard one young boy behind me say "that was good" when the show ended, but I'm not sure if he was remarking on the "Rock Monster" (think B52s "Rock Lobster") song at the end, which is catchy and lighthearted (too bad more of the movie wasn't that way) or if he meant the whole show. The kids didn't seem to fidget too much while the movie was playing...but I was.I just know that Big Idea has better ideas under its sleeve than this. I'm hoping their next venture is up to par.

Positives: An above average kid movie, with enough adult references to keep the parents interested. Not as hyperactive a movie like other modern movies aimed at children, a plus. A decent moral message.Negatives: For those expecting a biblical message, as with other VeggieTale productions, you will be disappointed. There are analogies to biblical themes, but nothing explicit. The idea of the "helpseeker" floating golden ball, a major element in the movie, which is a magical device that helps and guides the main characters throughout, had a sci-fi, mystical aspect to it. The very idea of a "helpseeker" was against the very character of what I had come to expect from past VeggieTales productions.As a kids movie, I would give it a 7. But for those expecting a VeggieTales biblical message, look elsewhere. My disappointment over the moderation of their message reduces my rating.