VeggieTales Review: The Wonderful Wizard of Ha's

Stars: 5 out of 5
Pros: Great spoof with plenty of laughs and a great message

Cons: Forgettable songs, Tutu

The Bottom Line:

That classic combo

Plenty of laughs, great message

Songs are biggest flaw

An Adventure "Somewhere Beyond the Barn"

The Wonderful Wizard of Ha's is the 27th episode from VeggieTales, and they have countless fans everywhere. And why not? These computer animated shows feature great laughs and good, Biblical morals. I wish there had been more solid Christian entertainment like this when I was a kid.

Most episodes follow a simple pattern. Bob the Tomato and Larry the Cucumber, our hosts, introduce some kind of problem, then segue into a story or two (this one features just one story) that shows us how to Biblically face the problem. And we usually get a silly song with Larry as well. Along the way there are jokes, gags, and songs, all done with computer animated vegetables.

As this release opens, Larry has a problem. He's broken something of his dad's. In fact, he's considering running away from home so he doesn't have to face his dad. Fortunately, Bob has a solution for him, our story for this episode.

In Kansas, Darby (Jr. Asparagus) is bored with life on his father's floss farm. He wants to go to Ha's, an amusement park in the area. When his father says they can't go, Darby runs away with his pig, er dog, Tutu. But before he gets far, he is swept up and taken to Munchieland. From there, he sets out to follow Yellow McToad to Ha's, along the way making friends with a Scarecrow (Mr. Lunt), a Tin Man (Larry the Cucumber), and a Lion (Pa Grape). But what will happen when he runs out of money? Will his father forgive him?

We also get a new silly song, "Monkey." By the time it is over, you will definitely know the difference between a monkey and an ape. Just don't take it as far as Larry does.

I guessed that Phil Vischer wrote this episode, and I was right. This is an absolutely hilarious show that features his touches throughout. Many of the jokes will probably go over the heads of the intended audience, preschoolers. In fact, they will go over the heads of anyone who hasn't seen the movie version of Wizard of Oz. Even the songs are spoofs of the songs from that movie. But if you have seen it, the puns will constantly crack you up. The 50 minutes of this episode go by much too fast. They even introduce a few potential new characters.

Over the years since the first release, the animation has gotten better. Here, they go for some artistic effects. When we first arrive in Kansas, the animation has some color, but it is muted with sepia tones that make it appear black and white, or at least slightly tannish. Once we arrive in Ha's, the color becomes much brighter and stays that way even when we return to Kansas.

Even with the spoof of Oz, the story also tells the story of the Prodigal Son. Not sure how that works? Trust me, the two actually work very well together. And the ultimate moral is that God loves us very much. Nothing new for the Veggies, but a great new way to remind us.

Now, as much as I love this, there are a few complaints. While the songs are great as spoofs of the famous songs from Wizard of Oz, they don't work well on their own. I miss some of the great songs from the older shows. Obviously, that doesn't apply to the silly song. Additionally, Darby's dog Tutu is really a pig. Yet later, we see real puppies when they cross a field of puppies.

These are minor issues with an otherwise great release. So if you are a VeggieTales fan, rush out and enjoy The Wonderful Wizard of Ha's.