VeggieTales Review: Veggie in Space - The Fennel Frontier

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Good moral and great laughs for all ages

Cons: None I could find

The Bottom Line:

Space exploration

A challenge that needs sharing

Sit back, laugh, enjoy

"In Space, No One Can Hear You Scream Excessively Loud."

It’s been quite a few years since we have Veggies in space, so when I saw the newest episode in the long running VeggieTales series would be Veggies in Space: The Fennel Frontier, I was excited.  I was hoping it would prove plenty of laughs, and it did.

As the episode opens, Larry the Cucumber is hanging from a rope over the countertop.  Despite his requests for help getting down or getting warm or getting something to eat, all his friends aren’t willing to share what they have with him.  That reminds Bob the Tomato of an e-mail asking about sharing, and it sends us off to space.

We join the crew of the USS Applepie as they get involved in a dispute over some newly discovered mewantium.  But that’s just a precursor (I suspect really a time filler) to the main story in which Captain Cuke (Larry) and his first mate Mr. Spork (Bob) set off to discover why the planet Fennel is stealing all power from anything that comes close to it.  When they arrive, they find that the planet is not the resort community it once was and it appears that it's ruler, Luntar the Looter (Mr. Lunt) has turned into a space pirate.  Why is he stealing all the power?  And can sharing really help solve the problem?

It’s been a while since there was an episode that had humor clearly geared for the parents in the audience.  Don’t misunderstand, the video is still completely clean and appropriate for all ages.  But being a scifi spoof (Star Trek most prominently, but there are plenty of other references), there are spoof jokes that the kids won’t get but will crack up their parents.  I know I was laughing at quite a bit of the show.

At times, the lessons in these shorts can be pretty heavy handed these days.  While it is obvious here that sharing is good, it is worked into the show in such a way that I didn’t feel preached at.  And there is certainly nothing wrong with teaching kids that sharing is a good thing.

The new silly song is “Asteroid Cowboys,” with original verses and a chorus inspired by “Home on the Range.”  It’s pretty amusing if not quite a silly song classic.

All told, Veggies in Space: The Fennel Frontier is a great addition to the VeggieTales series.  You’ll laugh and be reminded that God wants us to share.