Customer Reviews

Veggietales - An Easter Carol [VHS]

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

There's a lot to love about this DVD - it's got beautiful animation and beautiful music. The angel, voiced by Rebecca St. James, is especially lovely, and her voice is gorgeous. The mechanical chickens and the chicken rap are absolutely hysterical, and the story about Mrs. Nezzer, the Christian grandma, is extremely touching for both young and old.

However, in adapting it from Dickens' "A Christmas Carol," there are times when I thought the story dragged on a bit just for the sake of having "parallels" to the other story. Easter Future was especially convoluted. My 6yo couldn't understand why there could be no Easter just because there wasn't a pretty church nearby ("You don't need a church to believe in Jesus, right, Mommy?") It could have used some serious editing.

This is the most explicitly Christian of all the Veggie Tales videos thus far. The other ones (Jonah, Josh and the Big Wall, The Ballad of Little Joe, Madame Blueberry) all could be said to fall under the general category of "Judeo-Christian values" or Barney-esque "good morality tales," but this one makes explicit to children why belief in Jesus is so important and why Easter is such a joyous occasion. The timing of this video couldn't be better, either. I suspect a lot of little ones will get reminders about Mr. Nezzer when pining after chocolate bunnies this year. =)

Though it has some shortcomings, they are negligible in terms of its overall enjoyability, and it's definitely a beautiful video worth watching.

Yes, there's no silly song :(
Yes, Bob and Larry take a back seat to Nezzar :(

But I must say this is such a solid piece of work for Big Idea, that I really can't complain. The music is excellent. The humor is very witty. The characters are very lovable. The only problem is my son just wants to see it over and over and over.

The best part of this video is that for the first time VeggieTales gives the whole Gospel message for kids. It's all here: Jesus birth, life, death, and resurrection! Unlike other VeggieTales which use Old Testament stories as a means to promote great virtues and morals, this video uses a fun story to promote the story of Jesus and the hope we receive from his victory over death. This video isn't branded "Christian" at the end with a single verse from Qwerty, rather it is thoroughly Christian through and through. The closest Big Idea got to this previously was with its Christmas videos--which rightly only focused on Jesus' birth.

This video truly rounds out the VeggieTales catalog. Neither the animation nor the theology could be any better. Although it coincides with the Star of Christmas video, I strongly disagree with the reviewer who says that you need to see that video first. Both of these videos work well as stand-alones...in fact, if I were to buy only one, this is the one of the two to buy.

p.s. Although the packaging refers to two animated shorts, they are nowhere to be found on the DVD. Since the Big Idea website does not refer to these shorts in their description of the product, I am guessing that they were removed from the DVD at the last minute.

I am compleatly obsessed with VT. And no, I'm not 4. :)

This VT is like the Easter version of "A Christmas Carol". It is also the sequel 2 another VT, "The Star of Christmas". Ebenezer (sp?) Nezzar owns a factory of plastic eggs, which his Grandma started 113 years ago. Mr. Nezzar has the idea that if he keeps making Easter eggs, it's like his Grandma is still alive. So he plans to tear down St. Bart's church nearby, so he can build "EasterLand". The night before Easter, his Grandma apperars out of her portrait and sings a little song telling "Ebby" that he has Easter "all backwards and upside down". Later, an angel appears to Ebeneazer, to tell him what he has wrong.

This VT has great music, a great story, and an awesome silly song! (Not with Larry, but with Mr. Nezzar. See the chapter "Boids")

VT is fun for the whole family. Older kids (like 10 and up) will really appriciate the message, and "Boids"! Younger kids will be cracking up at the funny scenes, and parents will be proud they chose such an awesome DVD 4 their kids!

Until The Passion of the Christ, the VeggieTales Movie was the highest grossing Christian movie. The Veggie tales are fun for kids and do not have that awful, cheap, washed-out look that so many Christian cartoons have. These are fresh fun and this Easter Carol would be a great addition to any home's library. the material is safe, the Easter message (and NOT the Easter BUNNY junk) is clear. Next Easter, play your The Passion DVD and this DVD for the kids and you to lighten things up once again.

First, if you are buying this, you must by The Star of Christmas FIRST! Big Idea designed this to be the sequel because if your a Christian Christmas and Easter go hand and hand! I can't take credit for that because Mr. Vischer and Mr. Hodge said that on the commentary. I should've figured it tou because I am a Christian. Also, you kinda won't get the story without having seen The Star of Christmas first. I loved this. I watched it with my daughter and we laughed, we cried, and had a ball. Bob and Larry are at it again! The animation is phenomenal! WOW! Look out Disney, Here comes BIG IDEA! The story is great. It's perfectly portrayed and gets the biblical message of what Jesus has done for us and how we have hope in Celebrating Easter becaus of Jesus. So thankful that Rebecca St. James was Hope the Angel. She did a great job! I enjoyed the Behind the Scenes as well as previews for Sumo of the Opera and A Snoodle's Tale.
This DVD is well worth the penny! You won't be disappointed!!

Wow!
I didn't think they could top my other favorites. This one is simple and direct about the Christian meaning of Easter. I would say that it explains the true meaning of Christianity (pretty impresive for an animated adventure!). The stained glass panels which tell the story at the end of the movie are well done, and I really enjoyed watching this with my kids. This is the best Veggie Tale in a while. My sincere thanks to the people who produced this movie.

Now here's an interesting take on the Scrooge theme. I really appreciated that they mentioned that there's no such thing as ghosts "You're having a vision!" Pretty funny! Anyway, this video really teaches about what happens when greed overtakes Godliness when they want to destroy the town church to make everything Easter eggs. It's a great video to teach your children about the true meaning of Easter - it's not about bunnies and eggs! Rebecca St. James is a nice addition too - what a beautiful voice!

I just showed this to about 70 1-5 graders and they all loved it. I have been a Veggie Tale fan since the begining and am very familiar with all of the videos. This has the quality story and fun that we have come to trust from Big Idea. I love Rebecca St James, her song was perfect and wonderfully done. Since I have been a fan of Veggie Tales since the begining my wife and I noticed the improvement in the animation not huge changes but subtle improvements that created an even better video. I do agree with another reviewer that the time concept with the past, present and future Easter's was difficult to follow. More time to develop that part of the story could have helped. Theologically it is all good. I liked the correction by Nezzers Grandma that she was a vision and not a ghost. The video does communicate the hope we all have in Christ but is very sensitive to the young audience of Veggie Tales.

This Easter VeggieTales is cute, spunky and full of fun and truth, as are most anything that comes out of the BigIdea team -- they are witty and yet care enough to put some decent meaning into their work and onto the market for our kids to enjoy and grow on. The only thing to watch out for on behalf of our very little ones is the slightly startling scene where the Grama is talking to her Scrooge-like grandson in his dream (since this tale IS in fact based on Dicken's "Scrooge") -- my three year old got a bit of a fright out of that part. But since I'm firmly committed to watching any new movie right beside and with my kids the first time (at least) that they see it, I could hold him on my lap and explain the scene. My three children and my mother in law and I all thoroughly enjoyed the film and felt very warmed by the message and the fun.

Ebenezer Nezzer has finally figured out his life's work. Misinterpreting his grandmother's last words, he decides to destroy the church and build an Easter theme park full of egg hunts and chocolate bunnies in its place to keep Easter, and Grandma's memory, alive all year long. Beside, church is just something that keeps people from buying his eggs on Easter morning.

But the night before Easter, he has a vision. A music box angel named Hope (voiced by Rebecca St. James) shows him Easter past, present, and future. Will it be enough to show him what his grandmother already knew?

This is a companion entry to THE STAR OF CHRISTMAS, using the same characters in the same rolls as before. I've been looking forward to this episode ever since it was announced, and I certainly wasn't disappointed. The story is fun and entertaining. While we see little of Bob and Larry, their sub-plot is hilarious. I especially love the scene with the seesaw. The story goes beyond the true meaning of Easter to touch on what that means in the lives of Christians, something I truly appreciated. At 49 minutes, this is longer then your average episode, but it never drags until after it's reached its explosive climax. Several new songs add greatly to the enjoyment. I especially loved their tribute to "The Music Man" and Rebecca St. James' song.

The DVD is exactly what we've come to expect from Big Idea. The main feature is presented in full frame, with audio in your choice of stereo or full surround. There's an audio commentary, behind the scenes features, and fun games and activities for the kids. They even have a featurette on how real stained glass is made since stained glass windows play such an important part of the film.

Easter specials are not nearly as plentiful as Christmas specials are. This is one that parents will snap up and kids will love. I know I'll be watching it every Easter for a long time to come.