My Movie Review on The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything: A VeggieTales Movie (Plus, a Bonus) · 12:23am Oct 31st, 2022
Ahoy, Mateys!
This be yer jolly film, TV show, and episode reportin' buccaneer here with another shillin' of an analysis.
Today, for the 4th and final installment of this year's "Spook Spectacular", I be givin' ye scalawags me 2nd take on an installment of the VeggieTales Franchise: "The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything: A VeggieTales Movie".
Here be the rundown of this here tale *clears throat to stop talking like a pirate*:
George, Elliot, and Sedgewick are three cabin boys at a dinner theater who each have their personal struggles. Elliot is scared of just about everything, Sedgewick tends to be a slacker, and George is a pushover who rarely attempts anything big but really wants to.
However, when the trio discovers a device called the Helpseeker, they get taken back in time to the 17th century! There, they're recruited by a princess to help rescue her older brother from a malicious pirate: Robert the Terrible.
Will George, Elliot, and Sedgewick be the heroes of the hour? Or will the task at hand prove to be too much for them?
In all honesty, this movie wasn't something I was originally going to review, but...I later decided to do so because I felt like reviewing an animated film that was relatively smaller in scale. "The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything: A VeggieTales Movie" pretty much came to my mind the most in that regard, that's for sure.
In terms of my overall relationship with this movie, I saw it maybe two or three times as a child. I remember enjoying it too.
Now that I saw The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything again recently, I will say this:
The one thing that saddens me is that the film wasn't exactly clear on the Christian themes and morals compared to previous VeggieTales productions. And when I saw the movie with my parents, nieces, and nephew, I had to talk to my parents and ask them if they saw something that I couldn't. My mother said that the overall themes and morals reminded her of Hebrews 13: 20-21, and one of the dialogue pieces was based on it as well.
Here's what the verse says:
"Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen."
Hebrews 13: 20-21
Nevertheless, I didn't think the Christian aspect was coming across very clearly. The movie itself never even mentioned God or took the time to genuinely quote the Hebrews verse, which would've given a better understanding of the King's character and Robert's antagonism towards him.
Speaking of the King and Robert, my parents commented that they saw the two characters as representations of God and Satan. It was a prospect that I myself wasn't able to see until they pointed it out once the movie was over.
Because of these representations not fully making themselves known to me, though, the King, Robert, and their rivalry reminded me more of Mufasa and Scar from "The Lion King". Robert in particular was one of the least engaging antagonists I've ever seen, because even with his intimidating personality and demeanor, I couldn't see him or his intentions without thinking of Scar.
Outside of these nitpicks, though, I still found the movie to be immensely enjoyable.
For instance, the direction by Mike Nawrocki, and the story by Phil Vischer, were very well-done.
Character-building stories certainly aren't uncommon, but everything about how Nawrocki and Vischer handled and executed the concept was marvelous. They created a story that had genuine meaning, and they clearly gave the whole thing a lot of thought. The morals it had about doing what's right and conquering your insecurities were meaningful ones to live by, and the adventure aspect was engaging beyond compare. The film as a whole wasn't without emotion and heart. Plus, while the humor may not get people rolling on the ground with laughter, it still carried an innocence that made the jokes deeply amusing.
On top of this, the animation was astonishing.
The overall visualization may not be strong enough to give Pixar and Dreamworks a run for their money, but for an animated film made under a $15 million budget, Nawrocki and the animators did a wonderful job bringing this movie to life. It was amazing to see how they remained faithful to the style of the VeggieTales franchise's direct-to-video installments while improving and going bigger with it, because it really showed that they wanted to make a good impression and strike a nice balance in the process.
The voice acting, characters, and character development were excellent as well.
When it comes to which of the film's characters I've enjoyed the most, George, Elliot, and Sedgewick were the ones whom I believed to be the best of them. Not only were the trio an undeniably engaging focus, but their struggles were relatable and they had the strongest developments out of everyone. Their chemistry as a trio was fun to watch, they had personalities that made them both lovable and memorable, and I found myself eager to see how they'd overcome whatever obstacles and dangers were thrown at them. Plus, Phil Vischer did an awesome job portraying both George and Sedgewick, and Mike Nawrocki rocked the house with his performance as Elliot.
In conclusion, "The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything: A VeggieTales Movie" certainly isn't one of the very best members of the VeggieTales franchise, but it's still a fun movie to watch. For me, the film's a definite guilty pleasure, but I highly recommend it for kids to check out, and the parents could totally join them if they want to.
So, I rate "The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything: A VeggieTales Movie" 4 out of 5 stars.
Before I conclude this post, I'd like to share with you guys an original painting I made a while back:
I was inspired to make this piece because I wanted to create something in honor of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. It was my mother who gave me the idea of making the three crosses on the hill, and I thought it'd be cool to give each cross a different shade of brown.
So, what do you guys think? Of this review? And my art piece?
The film that spawned an entire Trope over on TVTropes...
Oh you're a Christian too? Then nice! So am I
I'm of the personal opinion that a movie doesn't have to have to reference bible verses to promote good morals, so I was kinda surprised that you listed that as one of the downsides of the movie. The point is to teach people how to live happily, and whether you use your own words or those of an ancient prophet I don't think it matters as long as it's true.
Am I missing something here?
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What I was trying to say in regards to the whole thing was this:
Normally, the VeggieTales filmmakers would incorporate a word of praise and acknowledgment for God, as well as a verse that the overall morals are specifically based on. It baffled me that they hardly did so with “The Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything”.