This was one of those movies that I watched literally countless times when I was a kid and just about remember every line from it. After finding it on DVD about a year ago and revisiting it for the first time in years, I have since rewatched it a number of times because I can safely say that it still holds up tremendously. This movie has everything you could want out of a "Veggietales" adventure and more.The retelling of the Jonah story is really well done here. It's messages about compassion, mercy, and not running away from God when He has called you to do something really shine through. Like most "Veggietales" productions, it manages to sell its message in a fun way that doesn't feel overly preachy.The characters are fun to go along with and play off each other really well. Archibald playing Jonah was a great choice, and seeing the pirates who don't do anything is always a treat. I also loved Khalil in his first appearance ever.16 years after its release, the animation still holds up really well and is pretty to look at. The music numbers are expertly handled as well. Every single song is memorable and fits well with the theme and flow of the movie.There are certain things you never grow out of, and for me, "Jonah: A Veggietales Movie" is one of those. It might possibly be my favorite adventure to come out of this series. Check it out if you haven't already, as kids and adults alike can find a lot to enjoy out of it.RATING: A+

I am a very big fan of Veggie Tales. But hearing they had a motion picture, I had some doubts. Sometimes movies based on TV or video series feel like just one long episode. And that is what I did feel was the case with Jonah. The animation has improved (though nowhere near Pixar level of course), song writing is just as great as ever, and the editing is all fine, but it was a story that could have been greatly shortened to have made standard video show length. And that's the problem with Jonah: pacing. It feels long even though it has a modest running time. Sideral elements have obviously been added to pad out the time (side characters and plots) to feature length, and so everything feels forced. Kahleel (spelling?) is one of the most annoying side characters I have met mostly because he rarely adds anything to the movie. Random side comments from characters for laughs are all fine and well, but they shouldn't distract from the flow of the movie. The scriptwriters threw in large jokes that took a long time to set up, but left us with lame pay off lines. Some of the plot transitions to get us from one scene in the movie to the next are also heavy handed.That being said, it is a movie that will delight children; it's principle target audience. It's message is easy to understand and it contains enough goofiness and action to keep them riveted (as it did with my boys). My critiques are mainly geared towards the adult viewers, whose tastes are more refined. But Jonah is a children's movie with pop culture in jokes for adults. And that is very refreshing considering that many animated features these days can't make up their minds if they are for children or adults (Dreamworks studios being the biggest culprit). If you have kids, definitely let them see this. If you are an adult, look elsewhere.

All in all a good movie for those who like to lie to their kids. The fact that "veggies" like to watch god destroy people for these sins is complete bunk. God destroys without discrimination. Very hard to watch if you find the hole god thing very tiresome. I only wish the "God" people would make something that shows how much god loves us and not bore us to death with mindless dribble and silly cartoons that even kids think is stupid. Only when they understand that fact can they begin to make entertaining movies for the youth of America and the world. Yes they look cute but what does talking vegetables teach them other than adults lie to them

I bought this movie before I ever even bothered watching it because I figured, hey, it's Veggie Tales. How can you go wrong, right? Well, I don't regret buying it, but it's not quite as good as most of the regular Veggie stuff.Most of us have a pretty good grasp on the Jonah story right? Well, just as always with Veggie Tales, the heart of the story is there with the most important details, and then everything else gets mixed up and screwed around with. It starts off with Dad Asparagus and Bob the Tomato driving a bunch of the little veggies to a Twippo concert. Then they encounter some difficulties on the road and find themselves with two flat tires and crashed into a tree stump.They get out and head for the nearest building, a seafood restaurant. When Junior Asparagus sits down at the table, he hears some people talking on the other side of the glass. It's the pirates who don't do anything! I don't remember what they ask Junior, but they eventually strike up a conversation, and the pirates tell Junior the story of that one time when they met Jonah and had a little adventure… Jonah was a prophet who traveled across Israel delivering God's messages to His people. Then Jonah gets a call from God to deliver a "turn and repent" message to Ninevah. But why Ninevah? The Israelites and the Ninevites don't get along, and Jonah would rather die than go there. So he decides to go against God's orders and sail as far as possible in the opposite direction, to Tarshish. He hires the pirates who don't do anything to take him out there, and so the four of them set sail for Tarshish.Just like in the Bible story, there's a big storm because of Jonah, and after they cast lots to determine who is responsible (done quite ingeniously in the movie I think), they throw Jonah into the ocean. The storm goes away when they throw him in, and a whale (not a big fish like the story) comes along and swallows Jonah up. There Jonah has a little encounter with a choir of asparagus angels, and then the whale barfs him up on the shore, and he heads out for Ninevah.I think the hilarious thing is how the pirates end the story. Just like in the Bible story, at the end, Jonah is wailing and mourning and whining and crying and there's no real conclusion, and that's how it ends in the movie. The pirates just say "the end" and that's pretty much it. Of course, there's still some other stuff that happens outside of the story segment of the movie.Overall it's done pretty cleverly, but it doesn't quite have the same Veggie Tales zip that it should. The special features on the DVD and certainly worth the cost though.Bottom Line: 3 out of 4 (worth watching)