VeggieTales Review: Larry-boy and the Angry Eyebrows

Stars: 3 out of 5

Pros: Good lesson on angry mixed with humor

Cons: Several things that don't work for a first in a new series

The Bottom Line: 

Have anger issues?

Larry-Boy fights them off in

This average piece

Change Isn't Always Good, But That's Not Something to Get Angry About

I hadn't been into VeggieTales too long when they started releasing The Cartoon Adventures of Larry-Boy.  I bought the first one and watching it.  Honestly, Larry-Boy and the Angry Eyebrows didn't impress me that much, and I never watched the other three entries.  I've decided to fix this lack in my VeggieTales experience, so I sat down to watch The Angry Eyebrows again.  It's still not that great.

Larry-Boy finds regular cast member Larry the Cucumber taking on the part of the title superhero.  Larry-Boy is fashioned after Batman, although for this short, he also takes on some characteristics from Superman.  He's working at the Bumblyburg newspaper, but he's working as a janitor since that was the only thing he was qualified to do.  So, basically poor Larry has three identities in these stories.

The story features the return of Awful Alvin, a villain we've never heard of before.  He's determined to exact his revenge of Bumblyburg in particular and Larry-Boy in particular.  And how's he going to do that?  He's invented eyebrows that attach to anyone who is angry and keep them from ever letting go of their anger.  Will his dastardly plan work?  Or will Larry-Boy's superhero classes help him defeat this villain?

The first thing to note is that these are traditional, hand-drawn animation and not the computer animated we normally get from Big Idea.  That change right there is enough to keep some people away.  The voice cast is the same, so once you get used to seeing the characters you know and love with a slightly new look, it's easy to enjoy.

Honestly, my biggest problem with this show is that it feels like we are jumping into something in the middle.  We have no clue who Awful Alvin is or why he feels a need for revenge.  If we did, I have a feeling I would care more about the outcome.  I'm sure they were trying to create an arch-nemesis in the great superhero tradition, but the problem is we need some back ground on them before they become an arch-nemesis.

For the first time in Larry-Boy mythology, they've found something for Bob the Tomato to do, he's the editor of the paper.  And Junior Asparagus is a reporter.  Even though these two characters didn't have much to do, it was fun to see these fan favorites here.

Then there's Bok Choy.  He's the teacher of the superhero class that Larry-Boy is taking.  He's quite obviously supposed to be modeled after Far Eastern gurus.  He's also how they work the Bible verse of the story into the episode, although he quotes form the superhero handbook.  Honestly, I would have liked him and that scene more if he had actually quoted from the Bible.

And there's the narrator.  He's obviously an attempt to provide a classic comic book feel, but he's more of a distraction than a help in getting the story.

Those looking for VeggieTales trademark humor will be satisfied.  I loved Larry-Boy's interaction with a fellow superhero and the way he communicates with his butler Alfred while working at the paper.  The way he gets rid of the eyebrows is also brilliant.

The main story is 22 minutes long.  The rest of the half hour is filled out with "Fly by Might," a short that finds Larry-Boy battling a fly that just won't leave him alone.  It reminds me of a classic Donald Duck short.  Even though there is no moral, state or otherwise, it does reinforce the theme.

Maybe The Cartoon Adventures of Larry-Boy get better as they go along.  The Angry Eyebrows is watchable and has moments of fun.  But ultimately it tries too hard and doesn't live up to its full potential.