Editorial: Is Veggietales Listening to Us Now?

Hi, I'm the Whatsoever Critic. I review just about anything.

Remember my video on the survey that the Veggietales email newsletter that was recently released? 

Is Veggietales Listening to Us Now? video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QA-KrpzWL0I

In the video, I said I was going to do an editorial on the subject matter: Is Veggietales listening to us now?

Now the show that's under fire here is the Netflix series Veggietales In The House. Ever since the show came out this past November (2014), there has been so much debate about the show's choices and its style among the Veggietales fan community.

-And trust me, I'm part of that fan community.

And the series in question was featured in the survey that came out via email on Apr. 10, 2015. Now I don't think I'm giving anything away here when I say that the gist of the survey is that Big Idea is asking: Are the new character designs okay? Why or why not?

Now my question is: Why did it take Big Idea this long to make that inquiry to us?

-I mean, really? They had to wait at least three or four months to ask us whether the new designs suck or not? They had to wait until they released a line of episodes and a DVD to ask us this?

However, there's always a method to one's madness.

Maybe it took this long for Big Idea to ask us what we thought, because some of us are  still trying to adjust to the change...

-...like ME.

Also, there's only a handful of episodes of Veggietales In The House on Netflix, and still in its first season. And only one DVD has featured this change so far in the originalVeggietales series. 

Now let's talk about the survey itself. If you're subscribed to Veggietales' email newsletters, you may have gotten the survey already. The idea of a survey to beg the issue that was discussed earlier was very ballsy of Big Idea. However, a survey that's linked on an email isn't enough to speak to the entire fanbase for the following reasons:

1. Not everyone in the fanbase is subscribed to the newsletter.

2. A survey in an email was the only medium used to make the inquiry, instead of doing that AND also reaching out on social media.

3. It's been at least two weeks since the survey came out. So what now? There's no set deadline to the survey. So are they expecting survey-takers to trickle in and take it?

So, is Veggietales listening to us now? Well, yes and no.

The reason why I say yes is because Big Idea was brave enough to send us a survey, because of the fan community reacting to the changes, as proven in one Youtube video:

Why Veggietales In The House Doesn't Work

Original Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYP65equA-w&index=28&list=WL

Even I mentioned the changes over and over in my previous editorials on Veggietales In The House:

Part 1: http://ama-critic32.blogspot.com/2014/12/editorial-is-veggietales-in-house-hit.html

Part 2: http://ama-critic32.blogspot.com/2014/12/editorial-is-veggietales-in-house-hit_66.html

Part 3: http://ama-critic32.blogspot.com/2014/12/editorial-is-veggietales-in-house-hit_31.html

However, I also disagree, because I don't feel that anything's been done about it. The only semi-response to our questioning of the changes made in the series was the new intro to Veggietales, as featured in the recent DVD release "Noah's Ark":

Original Video Uploaded by Veggietales Official Youtube channel:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zyb5qkXgqcc

So what do you guys think? Do you think they're listening to us? Let me know in the comments section below. 

But either way, I'm still going to go back to Veggietales, even though I may or may not agree with some of the choices its made. And besides, LarryBoy and I go a long way back; so there's no way I hate him now, even though his costume design was tinkered and altered.

Whatsoever Critic
Sources:
Veggietales In The House
Veggietales email newsletter

Courtesy: Big Idea Entertainment/DreamWorks

"A.D. The Bible Continues" Ep. 2 Review (4/12/15)

Hi, I'm the Whatsoever Critic. I review just about anything.

Sorry for the huge delay on this review. I had a heavy workload in school. So with that said, let's jump right in.

Where we last left off...

The tomb is opened by a divine force. Caiaphas tries to hide this discovery from Pilate, but Pilate eventually finds out a few minutes later...
-That didn't take long.
This, of course, pisses off Pilate, and he confronts Caiaphas in a bathing(?) area and tells him (basically) to not go behind his back again.
And later on, one of the assistants of Caiaphas suggests showing another man's corpse to the public and claim that it's Jesus, but Caiaphas warns against it, because he sticks to his ways of being truthful...
-...which is ironic, because he already lied to Pilate about the tomb once and got bashed for it.

Meanwhile, Mary Magdeline...

-Yeah, I already figured out who she is (what she looks like). I feel pretty bad not knowing what she looked like in the premiere episode.
...sees the tomb open, and then she meets Jesus and realizes that he has risen from the dead. She tries to tell this to the disciples, but when some of them go to the tomb themselves, they suspect foul play.

It's not until later when the disciples see Jesus for themselves appear in their room.

-Now in the two scenes with the disciples and Thomas, they were pretty emotional for me, because I remember Simon Peter saying before Jesus appeared (somewhere along the lines of): "I wish I could tell him I'm sorry."

While that's going on, the rebellion is going stronger. There's a point where Pilate has the city sealed, where go one can either enter or leave. The disciples are helped by some of the rebels to leave the city, because the disciples were told by Jesus to meet him at Galilee.
-Now, for what it's worth: I kind of liked the chase scene. It was compelling, and it had you on the edge of your seat.

Later on...
-I think I might be telling this out of order, but...
There's a scene where Pilate invites Caiaphas over to his establishment... only to have him witness the bloody execution of the guards that were supposed to have guarded Jesus' tomb.
-Talk about throwing your crew under the bus.
So why is Pilate hell-bent on destruction. Well... listen to this: he doesn't want anything to disrupt his beach vacation with his wife.
-Talk about a whiny character! It's like: I'm going to the beach with my woman. So I want everything to be perfect! If no one will please this wish, I will be mad. That is all.

In Galilee...
Simon Peter has to answer Jesus' question three times:
Jesus: "Do you love me?"
-This is because if you remember from the previous episode (or if you read the Bible), Simon Peter denied Jesus three times. So here, it's fitting that he answer the question three times.

Later on, Jesus makes Peter his successor, and then he tells the disciples to spread the word about him. After, Jesus disappears back to heaven.
-And yes, the CG effects are top-notch. It's like Disney meets The Ten Commandments.

Review:
Now in this episode, we get a semi-full appearance of Jesus (but at least he got more screen time here than in the premiere episode). Also, we start to see some of the characters for who they are, whether you're new to the Biblical accounts or if you came already knowing the story.
For me, I can't wait to see what else is in store for this series, because it's that good. And plus, the first two episodes have already made it clear that this isn't over, because from what was teased at the end credits, Peter now has healing abilities like Jesus.
-I didn't mean to throw in that spoiler, but it was teased at the end, I promise you.

Whatsoever Critic
Source: A.D. The Bible Continues

Courtesy: NBC/Lightworkers Media

Is Veggietales Listening to Us Now?

Veggietales newsletter recently released its survey to its subscribers. What does it mean?



Source: Veggietales

Courtesy: Big Idea Entertainment



My editorials on Veggietales In The House



Part 1: http://ama-critic32.blogspot.com/2014/12/editorial-is-veggietales-in-house-hit.html



Part 2: http://ama-critic32.blogspot.com/2014/12/editorial-is-veggietales-in-house-hit_66.html



Part 3: http://ama-critic32.blogspot.com/2014/12/editorial-is-veggietales-in-house-hit_31.html

Mystery Review #3...

Hi, I'm the Whatsoever Critic. I review just about anything.

Say, remember my four clues for my mystery review that I'm going to have here? You know...
1. A person with an inanimate object
2. Expecting the unexpected, but getting something else...
3. S***'s going down!
4. Guy in yellow

Well, today those things will be present in this review. You'll see, because they'll be italicized and bold in the text. However, I will confess about one of the hints...

Guy in yellow... AND PURPLE!

Let's dive into the LarryBoy vs. the Milk Money Bandit scene from LarryBoy and the Rumor Weed!

DISCLAIMER: I already a review of this movie, so if you haven't read it yet, feel free to check that out before or after reading his blog post.

Beginning of the Scene:
Here we have two peas walking home from a movie theater.

Pea #1: "That was a lousy movie!"
-By the way, this scene had to be recycled from the opening scene from LarryBoy and the Fib from Outer Space, because both opening scenes are identical, except that this time around, the film at the theater sucked big time for the peas. Yeah, that would be my reaction too when I finished seeing a bad movie at a theater. Taken 3, Tammy... they were shit.

Anyway, all is okay, sort of... as the peas talk about the movie they just saw. But a shadow stalks them at every corner (almost).

-I mean, this dude isn't even trying to look like he's stalking these two kids.

Sure, he may be lurking in the shadows, but come on. I betcha one of the kids may have still seen him from their peripheral vision at some point! Then again, the kids aren't paying attention to their surroundings.
The pair then stops and one of them makes a reference to the Fib from Outer Space video:

Pea #2: "Hey, do you remember what we saw the last time we were here?"
-(mimicking that Pea) Yeah, we got to make a reference to the Fib incident, because... it's been about a year or so since that shit went down.

The two kids stare at the night sky momentarily, until their stalker comes out of nowhere and asks for money.
-This is a moment of expecting the unexpected, but getting something else. You know... the kids thought they were remembering the Fib incident (thanks to the movie's idea of recycling plots from past videos), but instead of an alien falling from the sky, they get a bandit demanding for spare change of all things.
Pea #2: (by the way, this is Percy Pea. I looked it up) "We're not supposed to talk to strangers. And no, I don't have any extra money."
But the bandit doesn't buy it, but instead intimidates the kids.
Milk Money Bandit: "Oh, really? Well how about... a dollar and twenty-eight cents?"
Percy Pea: "Wha...? How did you know I had that?"
-Now for the next part of this scene, how much you want to bet that this is considered stalking of a child?

Milk Money Bandit: "I've been watching you, kid! Every Monday morning, your mom gives you a dollar and twenty-eight cents... and I want it!"
-So, not only was he stalking these kids, but he's just a lazy bastard that he chooses to steal $1.28 over a gaming console or whatever else is expensive. What a prick! Preying on people smaller than him...

So the bandit steals the money...
-...uh... he steals the money off-screen...
...and he taunts the kids from the rooftop.

Milk Money Bandit: "Ha ha! See you later, boys! I hope you like water with your lunches!"
-This guy shouldn't live. He's that bad, guys.
-But don't worry, guys. Things get interesting...

Suddenly, we see the bandit see something emerge from a billboard.
: )

-Even the shadows on LarryBoy's face look pretty awesome. Good job, Big Idea.
LarryBoy: "I believe you have something that belongs to those boys."
-S***'s going down! (Told ya!)

Milk Money Bandit: "Who are you?"
LarryBoy: "I'm LarryBoy."
-Now this part was the most anticipating. Now I know that this is like a LarryBoy alternative to Batman saying his name to a crook, but it definitely fits the atmosphere of this scene. There's so much emotion put into this scene that I wouldn't be doing this review if there was none.
-True story: I remember when I was eleven, and I used to watch this movie over and over. One of the reasons why is because I looked forward to this scene with LarryBoy and the Milk Money Bandit. It was that good.

So LarryBoy attacks the Milk Money Bandit with one plunger ear, and has the bad guy dangle from the edge of the rooftop.

-Now one pretty interesting thing about this scene was something that I've found when pausing it at one point, when LarryBoy is about to attack with his plunger ear. Yeah, this was something that I came across and didn't expect something like that/ It's like his eyes were missing pupils for a second. But, I won't go too deep into this absurdity just yet; that would be for another blog post.

-Next, there's one second in the attack bit where it looks like the Milk Money Bandit was fighting back, but gives in. The bandit can be seen kicking LarryBoy in the chest until he's being dangled from the rooftop.

Milk Money Bandit: "What are you gonna do?"
LarryBoy: "It's not nice to take people's milk money."
-You hear that, bandit? You shouldn't have been a pussy by stealing from people that are smaller than you.

Then LarryBoy turns the Milk Money Bandit upside-down, and...

-...is it me, or is that bandit getting some strain in his head. If you were to time how long it takes from the moment LarryBoy turns him upside-down to when he turns him right-side-up again, you can see that it took 22.90 seconds that bandit was upside-down that whole time. That's a huge headache, but he deserved it.

The kids are looking up at the rooftop to see what is going on.

Milk Money Bandit: "Take it easy! Don't get crazy!"
-Um, crazy is stealing from a pair of kids, asshole.
-And plus, LarryBoy doesn't need to "take it easy," because he's bringing you to justice... asshole.

Eventually, LarryBoy shakes the bad guy, until the kids' money falls out of his pockets and onto the ground.

LarryBoy turns him right-side-up afterwards.
Milk Money Bandit: "I ain't feelin' so good..."

-No shit, Sherlock.

LarryBoy then takes him behind a billboard to drop him off into a police car, startling Officer Scooter.

-By the way... A person with an inanimate object. An anthropomorphic gourd holding a flower. Ha! All of my hints revealed!
-And plus, this is a good angle to shoot this bit. The billboard. The setup. Awesome.
Officer Scooter: "It's the Milk Money Bandit. We've been looking for you for months."

-How is this bandit that hard to capture? He steals the lamest things. He stalks children. And the movie itself makes him too obvious a bad guy. How can authorities miss somebody like him for that long? You'd think the police would have wanted posters for this guy!
Officer Scooter: "Thanks, LarryBoy!"
The scene ends with the officer thanking LarryBoy, even though the superhero isn't around anymore.

And that was one of the most epic scenes of the LarryBoy universe.
I think Big Idea outdid himself in 1999. I think they did a bang-up job on the animation, the music, and the theatrics. Sure, some of the stuff may seem like a parody of superheroes like Batman, but hey! LarryBoy is much more enjoyable to watch than Batman.
-And I'm not lying when I say that LarryBoy is my all-time favorite superhero. Enough said.

Whatsoever Critic
Source: LarryBoy and the Rumor Weed

Courtesy: Big Idea Entertainment