Jonah: A VeggieTales Movie (2002)
Runtime: 83 mins
Theatrical Release: Oct 4, 2002 Wide
Box Office: $25,408,198
Synopsis:
Get ready for the biggest event in VeggieTales history -- the first feature-length film showcasing the characters you love, as well as some new friends that will take you on the adventure of a lifetime!
The action begins on a moonlit night when a van of singing Veggies encounter some...
Get ready for the biggest event in VeggieTales history -- the first feature-length film showcasing the characters you love, as well as some new friends that will take you on the adventure of a lifetime!
The action begins on a moonlit night when a van of singing Veggies encounter some unexpected trouble. After a heated battle with a clothesline, a pair of boxer shorts and, yes, porcupines, Bob the Tomato and the Veggie kids find themselves at an old, rundown seafood joint where nothing is quite as it seems.
Here they encounter "The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything," the laziest bunch of scalawags and biggest root beer consumers to never sail the Seven Seas. As Bob and the kids settle in to wait for a tow truck to help get their van back on the road, these curious Pirates share a little story about a guy named Jonah. As the story begins, we are transported to another time and place, where society moves a bit slower than in today's times.
Now Jonah is kind of like a mailman -- except his messages came straight from God! Jonah loves his job, until the day comes when he has to deliver a message to the people of Nineveh. You see, Jonah hates the Ninevites. They lie! They steal! But worst of all, they slap people with fishes! Instead of carrying out his mission, Jonah turns and sets sail in the opposite direction onboard a pirate ship. From the hold of this vessel, where he meets Khalil, a chatty carpet salesman who just happens to be a caterpillar, to the belly of a whale where he meets -- whoops! We can't tell you who he meets there -- to the heart of Nineveh for a hilarious showdown, Jonah goes on an adventure none of them (ncluding the whale) will soon forget! And everyone will learn that one of the best gifts you can give (or get) is a second chance.
This eye-popping animated film will be in theatres this fall, and is brought to you by Big Idea Productions, the creators of the wildly popular CGI video series, VeggieTales. -- © FHE Pictures
Genre: Childrens
Starring: Tim Hodge, Lisa Vischer, Dan Anderson, Kristin Blegen, Shelby Vischer
Screenwriter: Phil Vischer, Mike Nawrocki
Producer: Ameake Owens
Composer: Kurt Heinecke, Phil Vischer
Buy It On DVD
Reviews
The main characters tha us kids know and love disappear. We're introduced to a new cast, and they really aren't very funny or interesting.
A fun-filled adventure story that is certain to keep kids on the edge of their seats while teaching them important life lessons.
Probably the best case for Christianity since Chesterton and Lewis.
Seeing as I'm a 31-year-old Jewish cynic from Philadelphia, it's plainly obvious that I am not the intended audience for Jonah: A VeggieTales Movie. But I know a feature-length advertisement when I see one.
The film is a hoot, and is just as good, if not better than much of what's on Saturday morning TV especially the pseudo-educational stuff we all can't stand.
The movie is a blast of educational energy, as bouncy animation and catchy songs escort you through the entire 85 minutes.
Bouncy animation and catchy songs keep the film from tasting too much like spinach.
Even if you're an agnostic carnivore, you can enjoy much of Jonah simply, and gratefully, as laugh-out-loud lunacy with a pronounced Monty Pythonesque flavor.
A whale of a good time for both children and parents seeking Christian-themed fun.
Despite its obvious agenda, the film moves along at a good clip (clocking in at 80 some minutes) and should entertain adults nearly as much as the kids.
If a big musical number like 'Praise the Lord, He's the God of Second Chances' doesn't put you off, this will be an enjoyable choice for younger kids.
The movie's heart is in the right place, but all its messages of tolerance might resonate better if the Spanish-accented pirate didn't get drawn with a gold tooth and the turban-wearing Khalil wasn't an opportunistic rug merchant.
Spears of Afro-topped asparagus singing gospel and French-accented peas working as maitre d's at a seafood restaurant -- what's not to love?
The script, the gags, the characters are all direct-to-video stuff, and that’s where this film should have remained.
You and your kids could do worse. You and your kids probably have done worse.
The animation is competent, and some of the gags are quite funny, but Jonah ... never shakes the oppressive, morally superior good-for-you quality that almost automatically accompanies didactic entertainment.
I'm not generally a fan of vegetables but this batch is pretty cute.
Strictly for kids suffering from rescinded television privileges or adults seeking a nap in a cool, dark environment that reeks of stale popcorn.
Even generally sympathetic adults may eventually find their minds wandering, if only because of the characters' continual, annoying hopping; being vegetables, they have no legs, you see.
Related Forums
by: soda_popstar 10/8/02
Pictures
News
posted by Gitesh Pandya January 10, 2008
For the first time in three weeks, studios will pack a Friday with plenty of new releases as four films open or expand...
Around the Network
Jonah: A VeggieTales Movie at IGN
Jonah: A VeggieTales Movie at AskMen

Top Critic