If you're a die-hard LarryBoy fan like me, then you might've been wondering: Can Big Idea release a LarryBoy show that wasn't as weird and sloppy as the Cartoon Adventures?
Finally! At long last... after a long vacation (not including the spiral fall of sloppy 2-D animation... The Cartoon Adventures...), LarryBoy finds himself in another adventure. On July 2006: Big Idea released the 3rd 3D-animated installment of the LarryBoy series: LarryBoy & the Bad Apple.
What I noticed about the line of LarryBoy movies, was that everything great ended with Rumor Weed, and then things started going bad with Angry Eyebrows. Fortunately the bad stuff ended with The Good, the Bad, and the Eggly, and things started going back to good in The Bad Apple.
Although Big Idea fans were excited to see LarryBoy in his greatness again, there were mixed reviews. According to jesusfreakhideout.com, some people thought this movie was creepy & scary for some kids, because of the bad guy is an apple with spider legs, & she refers to the story of Adam & Eve. So what are they trying to say: temptation is like a psychotic bimbo with a breathy voice? IDK.
I've seen this movie many times, & guess what... It's not scary. Most of the movie doesn't suck, but there were some flaws. With that said, you'll be less afraid of this wanna-be nightmare. So let's take a look.
Countertop scene:
We'll skip that, because that gives the audience to make one more pit stop or to get last-minute snacks. Unless, of course, you want to hear about a girl's letter to LarryBoy, saying how she's always tempted with video games- which ultimately leads to the movie's story.
Opening Scene:
The story begins with 2 kids coming out of a candy store.
-And so ends the usual kids-coming-out-from-seeing-a-movie scene, because Big Idea already knows that their movies are going to be reviewed whether they like it or not...
Then bandits-on-wheels steal their candy bar.
-OMG! You know, every bandit in the LarryBoy series steals the lamest things! First it was a $1.28 (which never made any sense, by the way), & now a candy bar?! Even a kid knows that that's lame...
And our dashing hero swings into action... just like Spiderman!
Now mentioning references... I'm just gonna be pointing out references throughout this whole review.
-For this scene, let's count the references of pop culture we can find:
1. LarryBoy swinging into action-
*Spiderman swinging into action
2. Reporter Petunia reporting while in the crosshairs-
*Lois Lane (from Superman) in the crosshairs
3. Larry hangs upside down, w/ Petunia there (too bad they don't kiss)
*Mary Jane kissing Spiderman while he's hanging upside down
LarryBoy eventually catches the bandits & returns the candy to the kids.
-How the bandits fear him as they get arrested... WTF are they so afraid of? They steal the lamest thing ever: a candy bar (taking the phrase "taking candy from a baby" to a whole new meaning); they try to blind LarryBoy with a strip of ribbon (which actually worked, by the way); & now they're scared of getting caught. LarryBoy better be Pennywise the clown to be that scared of him. I mean, look at their facial expressions!
After Opening Scene:
We then see the (missing worm friend of Oscar the Grouch) pop up from a trash can & shoot a homing device on a passing LarryMobile.
LarryBoy doesn't notice, although his dashboard says "Security Breach."
-I guess he's too busy eating to give a damn... which, by the way, is clouding his attention right now. He's supposed to be driving!
Alfred tries to shy him away from chocolate, but LarryBoy doesn't listen.
Bumblyburg Park:
In Bumblyburg Park (the smallest park ever!), Petunia reports on a recent vandalism on the statue of the town's founder.
-Looks like Spiderman came overnight & vandalized the statue. I guess he didn't like LarryBoy copying his upside down make-out scene...
She interviews Mayor Blueberry, but the mayor's far more focused on her good looks & on trying to control the construction workers.
-What's so important about the clumsy construction workers? They never have any significance in this movie.
-And who knows how many trees died, or how many computers crashed, to give us that bit of this scene?
Villain's Lair Scene:
(Ignoring the silliness in the park...) We're introduced to the Bad Apple played by Cynthia West. Appley was watching the news this whole time.
-Wow! Look at all the TVs. Is she stalking everyone in town?
Her worm sidekick, Curly, arrives & tells her... IDK. The scene cuts to her lair, which is a cabin in the woods.
-Sounds like a horror movie. (refer to the movie Cabin in the Woods)
-Why is Curly a sidekick? I don't know, but almost EVERYONE has a sidekick and/or henchmen in this movie!
1.) Alfred (sidekick)=LarryBoy.
2.) Curly (henchman)= Bad Apple
3.) Cameraman (sidekick)= Petunia
4.) Desk Clerk conveniently next to mayor's office (sidekick)= Mayor
5.) Scallion driving the getaway vehicle (henchman)= the other scallion
???) The kids at the beginning? (Okay, we probably won't count them.)
6.) Mayor's excuse of a workforce (they make funny little sidekicks, although they goof around & laze around)= Mayor
???) Officer Scooter? (Well, he WAS a sidekick to the mayor in the Rumor Weed episode. But this movie doesn't clarify whether or not he's the same here. Well, he still works for her; & like the 1st 2 LarryBoy episodes, he has very little role in this movie.)
-And while we're at it, let's do a checklist on the stereotypes that are in this movie.
1.) LarryBoy: multiple references to DC/Marvel superheroes stereotype
2.) Bad Apple: beautiful yet evil bitch stereotype
3.) Alfred: British yet geeky stereotype
4.) Petunia: wanna-be Lois Lane reporter stereotype
5.) Mayor Blueberry: mayor who always has her hands tied stereotype
6.) Curly: guy with a Brooklyn accent stereotype
7.) Cameraman: guy w/ no importance in this movie stereotype (he shares the same stereotype as Scooter, although Scooter has 2...)
8.) Scooter: clueless authority figure stereotype
9.) TV News Anchor: selfish camera-hogging news anchor stereotype
10.) Construction workers: Stooges stereotypes
LarryCave scene:
Meanwhile, at... a mansion that looks more like an institution now, than it did in the first 2 movies...
Alfred is watching a TV show about a talking banana that does nothing but slip on his own banana peel.
-Is that supposed to be funny? Alfred's laughing at this show like it was fuckin' stand-up comedy!
But a sick LarryBoy arrives.
And what does our dashing hero do? Run to the bathroom. (You heard right!)
Villain's Lair Scene 2:
The scene cuts to the Bad Apple coming up with a plan to take over Bumblyburg... by using temptation. (Neat.)
Bad Apple & Curly stalk 3 people: the mayor, Petunia, & LarryBoy. They learn that the mayor desires beauty, & Petunia loves video games.
-Those 2 people sound a lot like me... weird.
They fail to get the scoop on LarryBoy... which pisses off Appley. So she goes to town to visit the mayor first.
-Geez, it's been about 10 minutes, & already she's being a bitch towards somebody... I mean, that was so subtle. Does she be like that to everyone that works for her?
LarryCave scene 2:
Meanwhile, back at... (Batman's retired lair)... Alfred tries to tell LarryBoy about the recent vandalism, but Larry's still sick from his chocolate addiction.
-See why being an addict is no fun? Fuck PSAs; this would make a perfect PSA!
This has been a message from... whatever addiction prevention institution that's willing to spend their time & $$ to investigate this case of addiction.
Alfred suggests that LarryBoy must "eschew" chocolate... oh, wait. Alfred makes this the perfect time to add some more comedy relief:
Alfred: "What you need... is to eschew chocolate."
LarryBoy: "What's eschew?"
Alfred: "Not much. What's eschew with you?"
Uh... FAIL!
On top of that, Alfred tells LarryBoy to work out, so that he can get over his addiction.
-Oh! So now Alfred is calling him fat?! What a jerk!
While this is going on, the Bad Apple's perverted sidekick places a camera somewhere, so that the Bad Apple can keep tabs on LarryBoy.
The "Temptation" Song:
-Great! Someone breaks the ice! Since this is Veggietales, someone has to sing!
-During this whole scene, I just wondered why Appley's cape doesn't show the rest of her body. Is she a floating ghost or something?
The Mayor's Office:
The Bad Apple arrives in the mayor's office...
...but not after attacking the desk clerk with... help from Spiderman, I guess...
LarryCave Scene 3:
We suddenly cut to Alfred who's... supposedly coaching Larry on some kind of treadmill...
...but it's like Alfred's conducting an orchestra instead of helping Larry train.
-Confusing, right? Alfred, you're like a guy with multiple personality disorder. Part of you does something, but you also do something else.
Ex. I'm reading a book, but I'm listening to music & singing along.Well, after an annoying moment with Alfred, a lame pun, & an exhausted Larry falling off the treadmill...
Mayor's Office Scene 2:
We see Appley tempting the mayor to worry about her good looks.
She creates a portal to trap the mayor in (ripping off Stargate)
LarryCave Scene 4:
Larry is struggling with the bench press; & where's our wise butler while Larry's struggling? Watching TV! Watching that not-so funny banana.
At least Alfred loses to the bench press with more dumbass-humor.
More of the "Temptation" Song:
-(sarcasm) Oh good! The Temptation song is still going.
-You know, Cynthia West's great at singing, but after that, it's back to the apple that everyone must hate but can't, because... I don't know. She's hot... or... I don't know! I don't even like her!
-Blah, blah, blah. The Bad Apple is evil! We get it!
Reporter's Trailer Scene:
After attacking the cameraman by hanging him upside down on a tree off-screen, she finds Petunia playing video games.
-You know, you pick the sorriest times to play video games during your job...
Like the mayor, the Bad Apple comes in, uses her sexy bimbo voice to charm the daylights out of Petunia, creates her portal of temptation, & Petunia goes in because... she thinks it's a video game.
Villain's Lair Scene 3:
We now cut to the news anchor showing off on TV, just as the Bad Apple returns to her lair. Petunia isn't able to report about the vandalism, because guess who came into her trailer to distract her with video games... Appley feels that she'll avenge her great uncle Efraim. (We'll see this guy later, just a head's up...)
-This suggests another bad guy cliche that a baddie either avenges themselves or avenge another person that they know and/or relate to.)
-Speaking of cliches, this movie has lots. I'd say that Appley's the most cliched character. The evil laughter, trickery, the bitchy moments, & every aspect of motivation that good old vengeance has to offer...
-I wish this movie would've told us about Appley's past, instead of just showing her relative's history. But no; they wasted it on characters who don't virtually exist in the story, & on dumbass-humor. I'm not saying that Appley's underdeveloped; I mean, unlike the Fib & Rumor Weed, we KNOW what she is in a logical sense, & we have SOME background history about her.
The Bad Apple lures Petunia into another web portal... which is ripping off Tron. Petunia steps through the portal and ride on their virtual go carts... just like in her video game.
Meanwhile, Curly tells Appley that he knows the temptations of both LarryBoy & Alfred.
-"Two words: bananas and chocolate." (Uh, wouldn't that make it 3?)
LarryCave Scene 5:
The scene makes another sudden cut to Larry & Alfred. Alfred decides to go to the Historical Society to find out more about the recent vandalism... because apparently, this hasn't been the first time a wannabe Spiderman wanted to vandalize something in town.
Alfred rides his scooter to town. He's careful not to run over the Bad Apple, who brings us to our next reference to pop culture.
-"Hey! I'm walkin' here!" (IDK what movie that was from, but I guess Brooklyn accents stereotypes use that phrase.) Wow, Cynthia West must have been a totally different person at the time... but I can speculate.
Alfred yells at her to use the sidewalk.
-Yeah, why DOESN'T she?
LarryCave Scene 6:
Larry answers the door when Appley arrives. Appley lies to him about Alfred sending him a personal training. Larry doesn't know that he's being deceived, because he's too busy looking at the chocolate bar that she has in her purse.
Larry gives her the security clearance protocol: having her promise not to tell anyone about his secret lair.
-Here's what I would've done:
Who is she? I don't know her. Alfred never said anything about sending someone to train me in my exercises. What's that? She wants to tempt me with chocolate? Nope. We can't let her in.
-This would've been another perfect PSA.
This moment has been from some organization that deals with stranger danger. Any kind. Really.
Skipping Alfred seeing the workers lazying around on the job... Alfred arrives at the Historical Society (a.k.a. a library, nothing special about it, except it's the most cluttered library in history...).
He watches an old movie on the reenactment of... what looks like the Thanksgiving story, minus the friendly natives, minus the settlers dying from a harsh winter... & minus the HD on the projector that Alfred is using. The Cauliflower (a.k.a. the Mayflower) arrives in the New World.
A big funhouse opens up, & the colonists start going there. & now it's turning into a haunted house, due to the spider webs on the windows.
So for the library and LarryCave scenes... they're jumping back & forth to create suspense. But we're gonna skip all that crap.
Alfred learns about Appley's great uncle Efraim, who tried to leer colonists into his big house of temptation.
Efraim is defeated by the town's founder with long-winded speeches & contagious quoting.
LarryCave Scene 7:
At the LarryCave, Appley is already getting LarryBoy hooked on his chocolaty fix.
While he's being mesmerized by the... chocolate (that's already bitten into)... the Bad Apple strips down...
-Okay, wait a minute. This movie is supposed to be G-rated! What the heck happened?!
Anyway, the Bad Apple takes off her cape and reveals spider legs, which apparently doesn't take LarryBoy's eyes off of the chocolate bar. Next, she decorates the LarryCave with spider webs...
-...or the left-over Halloween decorations from Halloween... or the rejected spider webbing from the Spiderman movies... I don't care which...
And before you know it, the Bad Apple uses her belt to transform the place into a... really weird knock-off of Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory.
And speaking of Willy Wonka, Appley wears that stupid purple hat from Willy Wonka, as if to have no shame in ripping of another movie!
What's even more weirder is that while LarryBoy is eating away at the chocolate, Appley is reciting a poem that... should've been in The Book of Nightmares poem book... this is also a poem that neither Edgar Allan Poe nor Nathaniel Hawthorne would ever concoct.
-Is it me or does this scene remind you of a drug-induced scenery? Do you think the writers from Rumor Weed thought about the drug-induced-looking scenes that they put into their movies?
Plus, this calls for another segment... besides the Awkward Face Moment... from now on, whenever a scene in a movie seems unintentionally or just there for no apparent reason, then that would be a segment that I like to call... the Self-Induced Trance Moment.
-Plus, tell me if this poem scares the heck out of you:
"Chewing, chewing,
Always brewing,
Never stops until you're stewing,
So much fun to go canoeing,
While your chocolate is accruing,
All consuming,
Hair shampooing,
All my victims fast subduing!"
Check this out! Every word in each single sentence rhymes. But the rhyming part isn't scary. What's questionable about this poem, is that not only is that scene ripping off the scary tunnel scene in Willy Wonka, but it's also going off into randomness... just nonsense off the top of the head and increased volume in tone are what makes this scene go off the deep end of sanity. In fact, who thought this up in Big Idea? My guess is that they brought in the writers of the Saw movies to come up with something this demented... (sarcasm) And while you're at it, Big Idea, why don't you throw the Saw puppet as a quick cameo?
Anyway, during the... I guess, ecstasy-related scene... LarryBoy gets tempted, cracks, and jumps into a pool of chocolate, much to Appley's satisfaction.
LarryCave Scene 8:
Alfred comes home only to find the LarryCave in webbing.
-Oh no! Spiderman has taken over our secret lair!
-And plus, when Alfred crashes his scooter, you could see him fall off and tumble onto the floor. But shortly after that, he's standing up and walking as if he didn't get hurt at all...
How is that evening possible? Unless he had like a stunt double... That would be the only way of explaining this absurdity.
Back to the story, Alfred confronts the Bad Apple...
-About time the voice of reason steps in...
...but he too gets tempted with his favorite TV show, which allows the Bad Apple to tie him up on his recliner with her webbing and escape.
Bumblyburg Park Scene 2:
Appley and Curly set up their new funhouse. While Appley is putting together the place, Curly is advertising it live in the park.
-Petunia's cameraman should've died by now, because he's been hanging upside down for a while.
LarryCave Scene 9:
Alfred, still tied up in his chair, sees the funhouse being advertised, and he tells LarryBoy to snap out of his chocolate temptation, and then help him out of the chair. This results in some slo-mo BS where LarryBoy's plunger ear hits the TV with the bottle of water still on top; the bottle flying in mid-air; and the bottle lands on Alfred, spilling on him and then... dissolving the web that's holding him down.
-Gee, how can all of this be perfectly explained?
Alfred: "Well, what do you know... the potassium... (I didn't catch what else he said)... thus working like an acid..."
Sorry, I must have dozed off for a second... What did he say?
So LarryBoy and Alfred help each other out of their respective traps, while both admitting their mistakes to each other about giving into their temptations. Then, seeing that time is at the essence, they both race to the rescue.
Mayor's Office Scene 3:
LarryBoy and Alfred rush into the Mayor's office, only to find that her beauty temptation wasn't what it was cracked up to be. Then LarryBoy gets the idea of slipping into the web... portal, and carrying her out of there.
Bumblyburg Park Scene 3:
Meanwhile, Curly is still advertising the new funhouse. Everyone at the park is attracted to this so-called "exciting opportunity" and start heading toward the evil establishment.
Reporter's Trailer Scene 2:
Meanwhile, LarryBoy, along with Alfred and the Mayor, head to Petunia's trailer so that she can report about the Bad Apple all over the news. When they're inside her trailer, they find Petunia struggling to survive in her video game-based temptation.
LarryBoy slips through the portal and literally swings into action to save Petunia.
-This raises a question: How can LarryBoy do all that swinging and stuff in that video-game world? Are there any walls in there that I don't know about? Or is this green-scene technology within 3D-animation?
Anyway, LarryBoy catches up with Petunia and carries her out of her temptation.
-(pause) You know what this is? This is an animated version of those fishing games that you would see in school/community carnivals. You know, the ones where you take a fishing pole, put it over a wall, wait for the person behind it to clip something onto the string, and then pull the pole to get the prize.
Bumblyburg Park Scene 4:
Our apple-prone heroes head back outside to confront the funhouse. Curly is captured by LarryBoy's plunger ear, and is charged with... a list of charges... including resisting arrest.
Curly: "Hey! You can't arrest me!"
Mayor Blueberry: "And for resisting arrest."
-Wow. Subtle. Do you think that the police add additional charges like that to all the other criminals? It's like trying to add little bitty things onto a criminal resume...
Okay, so you're under arrest for stealing, lying, hating... and for calling somebody the b-word... and for blowing your nose while being arrested... and for rolling your eyes... and for threatening one's momma... and for resisting arrest. Okay, officers, take him away.
So the heroes split up. The cameraman is finally taken down, and he shoots Petunia as she reports the Bad Apple to everyone in the park.
She tells everyone to not enter the funhouse, for it led to temptation and a "monstrous apple."
Fight Scene:
And then, we have our fight scene. You heard right! It's the battle that we've all been waiting for...
(pause)
-Wait. The Bad Apple has long legs? What's this? And she's got a weapon?
Explain, movie! Well, granted, she is a spider apple... or apple spider... I don't know which, but she's either one of those.
So the battle begins, as the hero and bad guy exchange fighting words... in the form of puns.
-Okay, so this first part of the battle is nothing but a game of which person can outwit each other with silly puns...
LarryBoy: "Bad Apple, you are rotten to the core!"
Bad Apple: "...an apple a day keeps the doctor away!"
Bad Apple: "...apples don't fall far from the tree!"
So far the Bad Apple looks like she's winning this game with two puns. Let's see if LarryBoy can settle the score...
LarryBoy: "An apple in the hand is worth three bushes..."
-I'm sorry, LarryBoy, but that's not a legitimate apple pun.
LarryBoy shoots a plunger ear at her gun, but gets her mouth instead; and then he finds himself swinging for dear life, while avoiding the shooting web.
Then Alfred gets the clever idea of using the bottled water to take down the giant web, because that job worked so well on the recliner back at the LarryCave.
LarryBoy squirts some water onto some web, which apparently prompts everyone else in the park to do the same thing.
While everyone squirts water onto the web, LarryBoy finally takes down the Bad Apple's gun... by head-butting into it.
-Wow. LarryBoy must have a hard head. (Pun intending...?)
Well, it seems like the Bad Apple is defeated, and everyone in town rejoices. But Appley gets upset, and her funhouse... suddenly grows bigger and bigger.
-How is she doing that? Did she put the Fib from Outer Space in there to grow inside the funhouse? (Plot hole)
LarryBoy races to the rescue, because:
1. He doesn't want the funhouse to grow any bigger.
2. A mother and child are standing in the way of the growing funhouse. Move, you idiots!
LarryBoy uses his plunger ears to stick them to the walls on his left and right and... reenact the subway scene from Spiderman 2. The funhouse stops growing when LarryBoy almost gets the statue's shovel to his chest.
-And I know what y'all may be thinking. Are they trying to kill off our hero, or are they just messing with us? 'Cuz that would be really bad if LarryBoy's comeback in the franchise ends tragically...
So the Apple refuses to surrender. This sounds like some good old-fashioned justice: using the slingshot effect on the plunger ears.
-Wow. Slingshot logic saves the day?
As the Bad Apple is literally thrown out of town, the townsfolk rejoices once more.
-So in case you're keeping score at home, kids, that's three people having their brush with death: the butler on his scooter; LarryBoy nearly getting the shovel; and the Bad Apple thrown away like trash in this family movie...
Celebration scene:
The Mayor presents the new-and-improved statue of Obediah Bumbly, and then congratulates LarryBoy for saving the day. The town celebrates with chocolate cake, in which LarryBoy politely shies away from, as he swings off into the sunset... or swings towards off-screen...
-Apparently, the movie wanted to capture his grin, instead of letting him really ride off into the sunset...
And everyone lives happily ever after knowing that temptation can be overcome with the help of friends and family; and knowing that the Bad Apple is long gone...
...or is she?!
(A spider leg turns off the TV)
Ending:
The countertop scene shows LarryBoy and Alfred, along with Bob the Tomato pretending to be a superhero named Red Wonder. They talk about the Bible verse Matthew 26:41, which is what probably sums up the movie.
Music Video:
Finally, Veggietales did away with the boring LarryBoy theme song, and replaced it with "Rock on, LarryBoy" sung by a group of corn called Shux. Nothing much to say about this music video, but that it's creative and pretty cool to look at.
And that was LarryBoy and the Bad Apple. So, did the 3D-animated comeback work?
Well, to be frank, there were only a few plot holes that I was concerned about. Plus, I also had this feeling that this movie dealt with stereotypes fighting off stereotypes. Some of the movie spoofed Spiderman and Willy Wonka, and some other movies that I hadn't mentioned in this review; you can tell that they're not actually stealing from the movies, but the spoofs still seem to make the movie more clichéd than what it already was.
But on the plus side, this movie was successful in bringing back the excitement and awesomeness of LarryBoy, even beating Rumor Weed standards. This movie was a more legit LarryBoy story than any of the LarryBoy Cartoon Adventures episodes. It was that awesome!
But with that said, there were some scenes in this movie that were forced. Of all the LarryBoy movies so far, this one may have most of the no-no's: the trance-like backdrop in the chocolate temptation scene; the brushes with death that were pointed out on this review; and the seductiveness of the Bad Apple (in general). Yeah, we get that temptation is a taboo in the Christian view, but why exaggerate it in a kids' show?
But for what it is, this movie was awesome. If you haven't seen this movie, then check it out at your video store and see why this movie was LarryBoy's comeback episode.
Amateur Critic
Source: LarryBoy and the Bad Apple
All rights go to Big Idea Entertainment
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