Silly Sing Along 2: The End of Silliness?
Artist: Veggie Tales
Label: Big Ideas Productions (through Word UK)
Length: About 30 minutes
Format: Video
After the shocking cancellation of the widely acclaimed "Silly Songs
with Larry," which was announced during the Madame Blueberry video,
Larry the Cucumber is not happy. In fact he's taken to sitting alone in
public places, wallowing in his sorrows. And that is where we find him--seated
in Jimmy Gourd's ice cream parlour where not even the promise of free desserts
can draw him out.
The unfolding story of Larry's sorrow is regularly punctuated with
clips from previous episodes, spotlighting the musical numbers which
are one of Veggie Tales's most endearing qualities. It is possible through
watching the clips to see how the animation technology employed has developed,
and the original material in this episode, while not up to the standard
of recent animated movies, is certainly top notch, with more attention
being given to background details than had previously
been possible.
The inclusion of a story on this second sing-along video will certainly
please Veggie Tales fans, but may prove a little confusing to those new
to the series who are not familiar with what has come before. Nevertheless,
for those of the right mental disposition, the humour is certainly infectious.
The quality of the songs does vary somewhat. Personally, I don't much care
for "His Cheeseburger" (Mr. Lunt's love song from the previous release),
but the general quality is, well, Veggie Tales!
With Veggie Tales receiving ever increasing acclaim and publicity,
the future seems bright for Big Ideas. But you'll have to watch the video
to see whether everybody's favourite cucumber has a role in that future.
By James Stewart (3/11/99)
