Ah, VeggieTales. A Christian-oriented CG series that has a cult following not unlike that of Nickelodeon’s SpongeBob SquarePants. The concept: take a bunch of talking veggies, put them in Biblically-themed adventures, add a healthy dose of puns, slapstick, and moralistic nuance, and you have yourself almost every VeggieTales show ever made.
Onward to Minnesota Cuke and the Search for Noah’s Umbrella, which, as you may have already surmised, is a spoof of Indiana Jones. It’s a little under an hour and tolerable for most adult audiences, but this is clearly aimed at kid audiences and sensibilities.
Parents are encouraged to watch the film and discuss its themes and lessons after its over. There’s a handy guide in the special features section with questions for parents to utilize while talking about the story’s parallels to the Biblical story of Noah’s Ark.
The special features include:
Directors’ Audio Commentary
Sing Along with Larry
He’s the cucumber guy.
How to Draw Minnesota Cuke
How to Draw Julia
Discussion Guide
As mentioned above.
Art Gallery
Information on the VeggieTales store.
Now, can I honestly recommend this for all audiences? No. But I can say that kids will love it, and many college students swear by these films. While there is a Christian element embedded within, since they are Bible stories, they also utilize universal themes that are useful for both the Christian and non-Christian.