VeggieTales Review: The Yodel Napper - The Cartoon Adventures of Larry-Boy

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Lots of funny parts

Cons: Heavy handed with the moral

The Bottom Line: More laughs than the first

But lesson still preachy.  Best

Cartoon Larry-Boy

"I Don't Care How Bad He Is, We Do Not Throw Tomatoes in This Town."

When Big Idea started doing 2D animation of their popular character Larry-Boy, I had a hard time making the transition.  Maybe if I'd just gone a little further down the line I would have given the others a better chance.  The Yodel Napper was the second in the Cartoon Adventures series, and it is actually surprisingly funny.

What am I talking about?  Big Idea is the company behind VeggieTales.  And after two successful videos in their regular line that featured series regular Larry the Cucumber as a Batman inspired superhero, they spun him off into four traditionally animated shorts.  I only watched one when they were first released about a decade ago, but I've decided it was time to correct that oversight.

This video finds the town of Bumblyburg excited to be welcoming the world famous yodelers as part of a festival to celebrate this musical style.  But just as the first night is kicking off, the yodeler is taken right from the stage.

The next day finds Larry's trusted butler working at the Larry-computer.  He discovers that other yodelers have been kidnapped as well.  And it appears to be the work of one Greta Von Gruesome, a woman who has decided she won't be happy until she has all the yodelers in the world to sing for her whenever she wants.

There's only one way to stop her.  Larry-boy goes undercover as yodeler Noodle Blabberbop in an attempt to be kidnapped himself to rescue the yodelers.  Will his plan succeed?

The message about greed and materialism is a bit heavy handed here.  Or maybe it just hit a little too close to home since I am a collector, so wanting to get the last part of a collection hit a little too close to home.  Okay, obviously Greta's scheme is wrong, but there is a sub-plot with Larry trying to get the newest Hula doll to complete his collection.  As I say, maybe it just hit a little too close to home.

Anyway, this adventure is very silly.  Greta might frighten a few kids, but most will find her over the top antics more funny than frightening.  They've got lots of puns and silliness through the whole thing.  I especially loved it when Larry was on the stage trying to yodel, the crowd starts to boo, and suddenly Bob the Tomato is thrown at him.  Great bit of fun.

As with the first one, they use the superhero class that Larry-Boy is taking to teach the moral part of the lesson.  It was funnier this time around, although I still wish they'd actually provide the Biblical reference instead of pretending it is from a superhero handbook.

As with the first one, the 30 minute DVD is rounded out by an 8 minute short.  This one is "The Polar Pickle" and finds Larry-boy trying to rescue a child's fish toy that has fallen in the penguin enclosure.  I don't see it tying into the theme of greed, but it's pretty funny.

Overall, The Yodel Napper is a step up for The Cartoon Adventures of Larry-boy franchise.  Maybe I gave up on these too quickly.