Monday, March 4, 2013

Review and Giveaway of the Latest VeggieTales ~ The Little House that Stood

Here's a description of the movie:

"When the Three Little Pigs roll into Cabbageville looking to build some new houses, they meet one builder with a plan and two without a clue! Larry builds with hay, Mr. Lunt with bricks, but only Bob builds his houses on a firm foundation - following the wise plans from the Master Builder's Handbook! Will the Little Piggies make the right choices when it comes to building their houses - and their lives - on solid ground? Find out in this parable that shows kids when they follow God's blueprints, then can stand strong when the storms come!"

(You can learn more about this movie and other VeggieTales shows on Facebook, Twitter, and the movie's website.)

Movie Trailer



My Review

Are you ever too old for VeggieTales? Not according to my family, as none of us are the target-audience age, yet we still enjoy the cute and clever stories! (Although I'm finding more and more that there isn't really a target-audience age for these shows... The animation is geared toward younger children, but the humor and homage to literary works and films can only be understood by adults, to my way of thinking.)

The Little House That Stood is a sweet addition to the VeggieTales collection. It begins with Larry the Cucumber dressed up as a gingerbread cookie (yes, we finally get to see him with arms and legs!), and a hungry Mother Goose visiting Bob and Larry. Capitalizing on the current excitement over fairy tales (or nursery rhymes, in this case), the stage is set for some fun twists on popular children's stories and parables from the Bible.

The first story, for which the movie is named, was my family's favorite. As Larry once said in an earlier movie, the title of which I can't recall: "I laughed. I cried. It moved me, Bob." OK, I didn't exactly cry, but my family and I did indeed laugh at some of the lines and the antics of Bob, Larry, and Mr. Lunt. The songs are catchy (I particularly liked "Solid Stuff"), some of the voices are rather interesting, some of the lines and references to modern culture are pretty funny, and the lesson on the importance of having a firm foundation for all areas of a person's life is shared in a fresh and clear way.

The "Silly Song" is just what the feature's title promises: "silly." Of course, all of the "Silly Songs" are supposed to be rather ridiculous, but some are more creative and catchy than others. My family mentioned that some of the ones they loved in the past were "Barbara Manatee" and "The Gated Community." This one about Larry's tooth (a throwback to the "I Love My Lips" song?), while instrumentally enjoyable, was a little too weird and goofy for our taste.

The second story that rounds out the movie, "The Good Egg of Gooseville," was not as enjoyable as the first story. I did appreciate the cleverness - how so many different nursery rhymes could be tied together to illustrate the importance of sacrificing for others and truly loving one's neighbor. However, my family and I agreed that the rhyming stories (like one of the stories on the Robin Good and His Not So Merry Men DVD) are not VeggieTales' best. They're a little harder to follow, rather convoluted/strange, and they're kind of annoying (maybe trying too hard to be too clever).

If you're a fan of VeggieTales, The Little House That Stood has some good points that would make it a fine addition to your collection. Overall, it's not the best of their movies, but the first story is enjoyable, and there are enough cute moments to make it worth the viewing. But if you don't enjoy the rhyming stories, take heed. And if you or your children are new to VeggieTales, other VeggieTales movies might serve as a better introduction to the shows.

*With thanks to Propeller for providing me with the DVD in exchange for my honest opinion.*

"Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: 'Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.'"

Giveaway!

The folks at Propeller not only offered me a copy of the DVD for review, but also a chance to give away a copy to one of you! If you'd like a chance to win The Little House That Stood, please note the following:
  • Leave a comment with your valid e-mail address. (I'd love to hear which VeggieTales show is your favorite!)
  • This giveaway is open internationally
  • You have until 9:00 p.m. (PST) on Sunday, March 10th, to enter the giveaway. The winner will be drawn randomly via the List Randomizer and announced on Monday, March 11th.
Good luck!

22 comments:

Gina @ Hott Books said...

I SO want this. We love Veggie Tales, still, & my youngest is 9. We have movie nights and invite the nieces and nephews over just to watch the veggies so I can still get my fix ;)

gina at hottbooks.com

Tales of Whimsy said...

I'm reviewing this one too. I too loved the first part best as well.

Great review.

My favorite silly songs: Pants, Where Have All the Staplers Gone, and Sports Utility Vehicle.

Hutt-Write Voice said...

You know what, I've never seen a veggie tale movie, but have heard a lot of good things about them. So would really love to win this one. Thanks for the offer and the great review!

Rissi said...

Nope, who is too old for Veggie Tales!? LOL!

This brought back so many fond memories from childhood. :)

Andrea said...

Our favorite Veggie Tale was Rack, Shack and Benny.

andrea2russia@hotmail.com

Glogirl said...

I like "Princess and the Popstar".

ajmizen(at)hotmail(dot)com

Amber Holcomb said...

Gina,

That's too cute! The veggies are so much fun - we watched "Big River Rescue" last night, and got some great laughs out of it. :)

Thanks for entering, and good luck!

~Amber

Amber Holcomb said...

Juju,

Will look forward to hearing your thoughts on it! Glad you agree about that first part - wasn't it cute? :)

They've had some great silly songs before! We watched "Big River Rescue" last night, and that silly song - "The Biscuit of Zazzamarandabo" - is quite clever/hilarious! ;)

Thanks for stopping by!

~Amber

Amber Holcomb said...

Linda,

You haven't seen any of them before? Oh, that must be remedied! ;) They are quite cute!

Glad you enjoyed the review, and good luck in the drawing!

~Amber

Amber Holcomb said...

Rissi,

I know, right?? ;)

Gotta love those fond memories! Thanks for stopping by!

~Amber

Amber Holcomb said...

Andrea,

Oh, that's a cute one - with that catchy chocolate-bunny song! :)

Good luck in the drawing!

~Amber

Amber Holcomb said...

Glogirl,

I haven't actually seen that one! Glad to hear you liked it. :)

Good luck in the drawing!

~Amber

Jen said...

Veggie Tales are great. I always like the Jonah one. I haven't seen many of the new ones, but now that I have a 2 month old baby girl, I just know there will be some veggie tales in my future, she just has to get bigger first :).

jen
jen.whitney08[at]gmail[dot]com

Mama V said...

My son loves the "League of Incredible Vegetables" video :) Thanks!

mamavresale@yahoo.com

Amber Holcomb said...

Jen,

Agreed - gotta love VeggieTales! And congratulations on your new family member! I'm sure that will be lots of fun to watch VeggieTales with her in the years to come. :)

Good luck in the drawing!

~Amber

Amber Holcomb said...

Mama V,

I haven't seen that one - sounds cute, though! And it sounds like one a boy would enjoy! ;)

Good luck in the drawing!

~Amber

Michelle said...

Great review, Amber! We used to watch Veggie Tales when the kids were younger. Our favorite was Madame Blueberry. : )

I know some little ones who would enjoy this. Thanks for entering me.

Michelle
scraphappy71 at sbcglobal dot net

Amber Holcomb said...

Michelle,

Thank you! :)

Madame Blueberry is a great one! It has a message I really needed to hear when I was younger...and I still need to hear today!

Glad you could stop by. :) Good luck in the drawing!

~Amber

Wendy Newcomb said...

My grandson would love this, I've never watched Veggie Tales but I think they would be good for kids.

wfnren(at)aol(dot)com

Amber Holcomb said...

Wendy,

They're generally really cute and clever movies that share Bible stories or other stories with encouraging messages - fun for adults and kids alike! :)

Thanks for stopping by, and good luck in the drawing!

~Amber

May the K9 Spy (and KC Frantzen) said...

True confession time...

Never actually watched anything Veggie Tales... *gasp*
I know, I know...

I've seen snippets here and there but that's it.

Amber, I truly enjoy reading your thoughtful critiques. Hope you have a wonderful day today and every day!

If I won, I'd watch! Just sayin'...

may at maythek9spy dot com

Amber Holcomb said...

KC,

*Gasp!* Hehe, seriously, though, it's OK! ;)

I grew up with VeggieTales, and I've had fun watching them through the years. :)

I'm so happy you enjoy reading my reviews! I enjoy reading your comments. :) Hope you have a wonderful day, week, etc., as well!

Good luck in the drawing!

~Amber