"The League of Incredible Vegetables" Veggietales DVD Review

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

Today, we're gonna be looking at a spoof of Marvel's The Avengers... Gee, I wonder why this would be called a spoof in the first place!
Well, when The Avengers were all the raves in 2012, so many shows either parodied and/or just satirized the movie with insults and rude humors. Even so many kids' shows tried to cash in on this popular superhero genre. However, a distinct few were tolerable and/or way better than the others.
However... today's movie was... interesting. By "interesting," I mean I had mixed reviews on this one. What am I talking about? The League of Incredible Vegetables.

Yep, it's the continuing adventures of LarryBoy! Gee, I wonder if this is Avengers-worthy. I wonder if the adventure is going to be action-packed. I wonder if our characters are going to be likable from beginning to end. Well, what?
Okay, I know what you're thinking: This movie doesn't have Loki in it! or This is like watching The Avengers for an hour without the explosions and monsters. Well, at least this spoof is better than Phineas and Ferb's spoof, Mission Marvel. You hear that, Disney Channel? Veggietales beat you to making an Avengers spoof, because Veggietales came out with theirs in October 2012, while you had to wait until August 2013 to release yours. (It pays to be first.)

But with that said, there's just something unbelievably odd about this movie. The movie feels that they have to build up a certain character: Junior Asparagus. That's right; they try to make Junior the real hero of this story. Yeah, they're gonna take a kid that's virtually done nothing but tell lies and rumors (please refer to Fib from Outer Space and Rumor Weed)- get in trouble, for that matter- and make him into superhero material. Are they high?! Look, I know Junior can be a likable character in Veggietales, but stealing LarryBoy's spotlight in a superhero movie... unacceptable!
Anyway, it's my pleasure to review this movie. So, let's cut right into The League of Incredible Vegetables.

Countertop Scene:
(skip it)

Opening Scene:
The story opens with Junior Asparagus, Laura Carrot, and Larry the Cucumber at a science museum. Laura is trying out an anti-gravity device and wants Junior to join her, but Junior tells her that he's afraid of heights.
-Is it fair to say that this is the highlight of the movie? That people are confronting their fears in this movie?
Junior then comes across a glass case holding a gun called the Fear Dar.
-I'm sorry, "Fear Dar" or "Fear Dart"? Might as well say "compute" (for computer) or "printe" (for printer) or "scanne" (for scanner). The possibilities are endless!
So the kids learn that the Fear Dar was invented by a mad scientist who wanted to use it to literally "freeze" people in fear whenever they're confronted by their fears. Oh, wait... this was explained to the kids by Officer Scooter.
Scooter: "Invented by a mad scientist, it detects exactly what someone's afraid of..."
-(mimicking Scooter) And it makes my Scottish accent get sillier.
So the officer assures the kids that nobody will steal the Fear Dar... when a group of penguins steal the Fear Dar.
-Thank God the Penguins of Madagascar aren't doing this robbery; otherwise, that would've been an odd crossover.
But the alarms go off, when a piece of paper falls out of one penguin's cleavage; and this prompts Larry to... go to the elevator.
-You know where this is going with Larry... I mean, it's that obvious that Larry and LarryBoy are the same person.
Obviously, the officer can't do squat about the robbery, so guess who comes to the rescue...

LarryBoy: (in an "intimidating" voice): "The jig is up..."
(stopping to clear his throat)
"The jig is..."
(clearing his throat some more and then saying on the side: "That's better...")
"The jig is up, fish breath!"
-Uh, LarryBoy? You are aware that the place is getting robbed, right? I mean, was trying to sound like Batman more important than bringing criminals to justice? If so, then why don't the Avengers just sit and stuff their faces in a restaurant while Loki takes over Manhattan...

...or Batman just lounge in his self-created exile while Bane enslaves Gotham City?

So LarryBoy finally swings into action and confronts the penguins.

LarryBoy: "You're surrounded. Well, actually, I am. But you get the point."
-Seriously, three against one? Where the hell is the rest of the League?! I mean, come on! You're called The League of Incredible Vegetables!
So an epic battle ensues, and I'm blown out of my ass to see that LarryBoy isn't successful in apprehending the suspects.
-What the hell?! LarryBoy can't stop a bunch of penguins from stealing a gun?! Movie, please tell me that you won't downplay LarryBoy anymore, because this was the hero that took down a Milk Money Bandit in milliseconds in Rumor Weed, and took down a motorcycle duo in Bad Apple. And let me tell you: if LarryBoy keeps getting downplayed, then that's gonna bite this movie in the ass later on.
Anyway, LarryBoy calls for back-up, and Alfred rides over to a special button with his... computer chair?
-I guess Alfred wanted to take his sitting-in-his-computer-chair-the-entire-movie to new heights... (sarcasm) Great call, movie...
Anyways, the rest of the League finally shows up and take on the penguins, while Junior introduces Laura to them...
-Hi, how does Junior know about the other heroes? Did he peek at the movie's script, or did he just pull knowledge out of his ass?
-And while we're at it, let's do a checklist of clichéd superheroes:

1. a laid-back hero (and who looks like a mix between Superman and Wonder Woman) CHECK

2. a fashionista (and named after a fashion magazine) CHECK

3. the leading hero figure (and an obvious Iron Man parody) CHECK
So you'd think that justice has been served... NOPE! The penguins regain the Fear Dar and try to escape by sliding down a hill, with our heroes in pursuit. Junior and Laura decide to follow the chaos. On the way down, the penguins make a switcheroo with the Fear Dar.
-Okay, we must be missing a scene here. How were the penguins able to pull that off? We never saw them plan this with their boss or anything. They just randomly throw that part of the plot into the mix.
Then the penguins start attacking the heroes with a closed gate and snowballs. Alfred rides his LarryCopter to the chaos.

-A helicopter? That's new.
Vogue and Thingamabob get snow in their eyes and are about to crash into the closed gate, but Junior sees this and throws a snowball at the gate to open it, just in time for the heroes to ride by without crashing.
-Is it also fair to point out that snowballs are gonna be the weapon of choice in this movie?
So the penguins are eventually stopped in their tracks by our heroes... and LarryBoy lands head-first in the snow.
-I can see that we're downplaying LarryBoy in this movie. STOP IT!
And it looks like it's jail-time for these jailbirds...
Vogue: "Aren't they adorable when they're surrounded?"
-Yeah, spoken like a true teenage fashionista, Vogue...

Arrest Scene:

So the penguins are marched into the back of a police van. The Fear Dar is secured. And then Junior gets recognition for throwing a snowball to the League's advantage. Uh, no... Alfred recognizes Junior for being brave...
-Tell me if that's weird, because Alfred can be kind and understanding, but... I don't know. We'll have to keep close tabs on him...
Anyway, LarryBoy is asked about Larry from the museum, and...
-Yeah, so basically, it's like every other LarryBoy story (including the Cartoon Adventures): Larry and LarryBoy are the same person; and nobody else knows about his secret identity except for himself and Alfred.
So Laura gets a ride home with Vogue, while Junior stays behind, because...
Alfred: "We'd like to have a little talk."
-Why not have this "talk" with Laura, too? She was the one telling Junior to throw the snowball at the gate so that it would open.

Police Car Ride:
We then cut to Officer Scooter telling some random shit to the jailbirds.
Scooter: "In my day, a penguin was a hard-working law-abiding bird..."
-I can already tell that the penguins are getting bored by this guy's talking. In fact, one of the penguins is banging his head against the wall, as if to say: Shut the fuck up, old man! Just take us to jail already, or let us out of this bucket of bolts!
So, the penguins manage to bust out of the van by creating a hole in the wall.
Scooter: "Am I right?"
-OMG, are you still talking? The penguins just escaped from your custody!

Outside:
The penguin return to the place where they did the Fear Dar.
-Like I said before, this movie goes that route: The real Fear Dar is conveniently hidden in a hiding spot, while our heroes have the decoy. I gotta that that was smart, except for the fact that this was never foreshadowed in the beginning.

LarryCave:

So our heroes invite Junior to the LarryCave to have hot chocolate and cookies.

-I guess this was meant to be a Christmas movie or something. I mean, look at the premise:
There's snow everywhere...

the citizens are in winter attire...

and then we have people enjoying cups of hot chocolate and cookies...

I guess this movie tried to revolve around Christmas time, when in actuality, it's not.
Anyways, the League asks Junior to join them as a junior member.
Thingamabob: "We gotta start raising young heroes that would take our place someday..."
-Wait, what? Heroes to take y'all's place someday? Y'all can't do that to LarryBoy! Y'all will leave that cucumber hero alone! LarryBoy is a Veggietales treasure!
S-Cape: "Our knees can't hold out forever."
-Now y'all are acting and sounding like old people? (pause) Did I get the right DVD?! What the hell's going on here?!
So Junior decides to join the League, but on one condition...
Junior: "Would I get my own supersuit?"
Alfred: "But of course!"
-Now look what you did, Vogue (the heroine in this movie, not the magazine)... You're trying to make fashion the highlight of the movie...

Villains' Lair:
So the penguin minions return to their hide-out, which is an abandoned grocery store (I guess)... and we see our villain in all his convincing... villainy. His name is Dr. Flurry; and wouldn't you know it, he looks as if Jimmy Gourd trying on Ursula's white hair (The Little Mermaid).

And the performance of this crazy white-haired mad scientist...
Dr. Flurry: "Inny, Mini, Michael! (gasp) Just vat I vanted!"
-Okay, is this guy French or German or... what accent is that? Or is it Swedish?
-Plus, one penguin's name is Michael? I guess the movie was running low on cutesy names...
-According to Wikipedia, Dr. Flurry is played by Mark Steele, who co-wrote this movie with Mike Nawrocki, the guy that voices LarryBoy. All I can about that, is that that's a weird partnership, whether hero and villain roles formulate the story for a movie...
Anyway, it's revealed that Dr. Flurry is afraid of the League of Incredible Vegetables, because of a crime that he committed, of which he's on the run for.
Dr. Flurry: "The League of Incredible Vegetables?! No, no! They have arrived too soon!"
-Geez, are you still talking?
And what was his crime that makes him so afraid of the authorities? Stealing ice cream!
Dr. Flurry: "'Grand Theft Gelato.'"
-(sarcasm) Gee, no wonder there's a shortage on ice cream... I mean, the world can't function without ice cream!
Then Dr. Flurry explains that with the Fear Dar, he can take over Bumblyburg by "literally" freezing people in their fears. Oh no... I tell a lie. He sings about planning to "literally" freeze people in their fears.

-You know how with Dr. Blowhole, you can't help but fall in love with his angelic singing instrument? Well, with Dr. Flurry... you might as well have Mr. Nezzer pop the hell out of nowhere and sing the controversial version of "The Bunny Song."
-Plus, is it fair to say that there's another musical number on the way? But don't you worry! The second song in this movie is far different... the second musical number is much more annoying than this one. I mean, you'll be begging to hear Dr. Flurry to sing that "Freeze, freeze, freeze" lyric again...
Anyway, so the mad scientist finally gets going on his... secret egg-shaped database...

LarryCave Scene 2:
Junior tries to interact with the heroes, until they get a call from Officer Scooter saying that the Fear Dar that they have was just a decoy... and that the real Fear Dar is in the wrong hands.
-Yeah, in answer to your question, Scooter, about why the penguins don't plan on abiding to the law like normal citizens... They're animals! And, in a bizarre twist, they work for the bad guy, obviously, with their ninja suits and shit!

Silly Songs with LarryBoy: "Supper Hero":

The movie then cuts to a short break. I'm not sure if making fun of a silly song seems fair for this review, but I'm doing it anyway.
The segment starts with the heroes at dinner time, and I'm blown out of my mind to see that everyone is being served normal food... except for LarryBoy, who's being served Brussels sprouts and sauerkraut.
-WTF! This movie can't even serve LarryBoy a decent meal! While everyone else has mouthwatering delights, Larry gets served... whatever the hell those things are!
Anyway, LarryBoy doesn't want to eat what's being served to him. But then a superhero... or Supper Hero, if you will... comes in and takes the dishes from him, eating the foods that LarryBoy doesn't like.
This seems great, until Supper Hero goes berserk and eats everyone else's food, and... OMG! The guy even eats their dessert!

-Wow, what a jerk.
And then Supper Hero asks to join the League, in which everyone wisely say "No."
-Yeah, if I saw Jimmy Gourd in a ridiculous superhero costume, a pot on his head, and him eating everything in sight... I wouldn't let him join the League either.

Back at the Museum:
LarryBoy and Thingamabob investigate the crime scene and spot a piece of paper from the penguin bandits. It turns out to be a shopping list from a grocery store.
-But that's nothing: the more exciting stuff happens when:
1. We cut back to Alfred riding his chair to a testing room
2. Junior trying out supersuits, while performing needless slap-stick...
3. Junior finally choosing to be in a suit that let's him bounce off the walls.
4. Alfred warning Junior that the suit hasn't been waterproofed yet...

-Really, guys? Y'all trying to build up this kid? Junior isn't superhero material! Junior should've left this movie scenes ago!
Then the LarryCave gets a call from Thingamabob saying that...
Thingamabob: "Downtown Bumblyburg is under attack!"
-I was gonna say that, but we already get the idea.
LarryBoy: "We'll meet you there! (gag) Shouldn't have had those nachos..."
-Like I said before, this movie couldn't give LarryBoy at least one decent meal. Doesn't this movie have any shame?

Downtown:
So the giant egg-looking ship arrives in Bumblyburg, striking fear into the citizens, which fuels the Fear Dar. And, in a bizarre twist, the Fear Dar reveals that Officer Scooter's biggest fear is... the dark!
-Wow, was the character developer of this movie asleep that day? That's like the dumbest fear for an adult, especially for a cop!
So the League finally arrives and confronts...

Dr. Flurry: "Welcome, League of Incredible Vegetables! It is I... Dr. Flurry!"
-I thought your name was already established in this movie...
Dr. Flurry: "I'm about to freeze all of Bumblyburg with fear. Unless, of course, you find a way to stop me..."
-That was lame. I like Dr. Blowhole's speech way better:

Dr. Blowhole: "Without you peng-you-ins around to foil my plans, I will unleash..." (pressing a button)
Computer voice: "CHROME CLAW."
Dr. Blowhole: "...on an unsuspecting world!"
Yeah, why doesn't Dr. Blowhole take over the villain role? (sarcasm) Well, I guess he wouldn't be as funny as Dr. Flurry's forced-French-or-German accent and his ridiculous fear of getting caught by authorities!
So the villain starts attacking, and our heroes race into action.

-Now, for the most part, this is a really good action scene. It's engaging, and it'll have people on the edge of their seats.
But hey! What can offset such an engaging scene with people fleeing in fear, heroes being shown their fears left and right, and heroes saving each other left and right? Guess what route this movie goes next...
That's right! It turns out that LarryBoy's biggest fear is popping balloons.

-So, we can definitely confirm that the movie's character developer was either asleep or away from work that day. OMG! This movie couldn't even give LarryBoy a decent fear, could they?! Balloons, really?! What's next, is Pennywise the Clown gonna show up out of nowhere and brag about how things float?!
So LarryBoy manages to escape his "fear." Then Junior finds it in his heart to join the action, despite Alfred's objections.

-Believe me; that is one reckless kid.
And his reckless shows when (get a load of this) Junior steps into a puddle of water, and his suit doesn't work anymore.

-That is a stupid kid who should never have been in this movie to begin with...

And, to make matters worse, the Fear Dar reveals that Junior is afraid of...

Computer Voice: "... pretty much everything."

-Another reason why this kid is stupid for jumping into action...

Now this next part will totally blow you away. Get close to the TV screen and see what's gonna happen next...

LarryBoy rushes to Junior's aid, and... you're not gonna believe this. Are you ready? Are you sure? You can back out right out. Okay, listen: 

LARRYBOY GETS HIT BY THE FEAR DAR, AND DR. FLURRY CAPTURES HIM IN FRONT OF EVERYONE!!!!

-Yep, this movie goes that route. They actually make LarryBoy the victim. Okay, since when did LarryBoy need saving?! What hack-writers come up with this shit?! Oh yeah, Mike Nawrocki and Mark Steele. Well, you can't blame Nawrocki for this, because Mark Steele (the guy that plays Dr. Flurry) co-wrote this, and Nawrocki was a sucker to buy into Steele's crap.

LarryCave Scene 3:

So the League decides to regroup to come up with a way to save LarryBoy.

-Gee, since LarryBoy isn't here, guess who takes the spotlight!

That's right! It's the non-superhero-worthy-pipsqueak himself! Fuckin' spaz! This movie couldn't keep from building this kid up! 

So, as you can imagine, Junior feels that being a superhero isn't what it's cracked up to be...

-Hey! Now's your chance, movie! Give the rest of the movie to LarryBoy! To hell with this kid! Let him go!

But Alfred steps in and becomes the "voice of reason."

-Dude, the kid doesn't need a talk-to. His mind is made up. He's scared of everything.

So Alfred tells Junior that they have to put their trust in God whenever they feel afraid. Fair enough.

-Gee, I feel another song coming up...

Alfred: (singing) "Trust in God."

Junior: "Not in my super suit?"

Alfred: "Nope."

Him and Junior: (singing in unison) "Trust in God..."

-By now, you'll be begging to hear Dr. Flurry's song again. Why? Because this song has all the cliches:

1. a person singing while wearing a top hat and carrying a cane

2. a duet with an unlikable character (pick one)

3. a silly-as-hell exit at the end

-Telling by this song, we must have slipped into another movie.

-This song seems pointless, you know why? Because you can say it in 5 words: "TRUST IN GOD OR QUIT!" How hard is it to say that? Well, it's obvious that part of this movie was written by monkeys...

Outside Old Grocery Store:

The League come across the old grocery store where they think Dr. Flurry is hiding with LarryBoy. S-Cape suggests a costume idea for Vogue, but...

Vogue: "I can't. It's after Labor Day."

-Who cares?! Y'all are here to save LarryBoy, not to talk about fashion! Get over yourself, Vogue!

But their super suits don't do much, as Dr. Flurry's egg ship suddenly transforms into a giant penguin bot...

-Okay, no. No. You can't get away with that, Flurry. At least Dr. Blowhole had an excuse in why his submarine base and attack pod looked like beach ball (because duh, he's a dolphin); but you... how did you come up with a penguin for your database ship?! Did one of your penguin minions beg you to build a giant version of them in place of a paycheck?

Later on...:

So the League gets attacked, and they too get captured...

-Wait, what?! You gotta be kidding me, movie! A whole league of heroes captured by one crazy old fart in a lab coat... who has a penguin fetish?! The whole league captured?!

Junior: "He's frozen almost the entire League. There's one more!"

-Oh, right. I forgot. This movie decided to make Junior the star... 

So Junior and Alfred come up with a way to save the League and apprehend Dr. Flurry. Junior decides to distract the penguin ship, while Alfred sneaks on board to free our heroes. 

But two things happen that'll fire most people's asses up...

1. Junior gets his suit wet... AGAIN, and can't operate it.

2. Alfred turns the heating up, only to get caught and have his ass handed to him by three penguins...

-Again, three against one?

-Well, out of those two dumb twists, Alfred's has to be the dumbest.

LarryBoy: "Alfred?"

Alfred: "Not now, LarryBoy. Your plan is foiled, Dr. Flurry!"

Thingamabob: "Alfred."

Alfred: "Because it takes more than a little ice to stop the League!"

League: "ALFRED!"

-Just turn around and look who's talking to you, you moron!

So, Junior, now in deep shit, figures out how to stop Dr. Flurry. He decides to not be afraid, which weakens the Fear Dar's power. And, as mentioned earlier, a snowball is the weapon of choice in this movie, as Junior throws one at the giant penguin, destroying the Fear Dar. 

Inside the penguin ship, the other heroes manage to break free from their icy prisons and escape before the ship falls to the ground... but not without taking the penguins with them.

-So, I guess Dr. Flurry is gonna pay the ultimate price for all the crimes he has done...

Wait... LarryBoy saves him?! Well, I can totally see why LarryBoy wouldn't let the villain die... In fact, I would even write an editorial about this scene.

Anyway, so the penguin ship is defeated, as well as Dr. Flurry, who graciously thanks LarryBoy for saving him and for getting rid of his fear of superheroes out to get him.

And then, LarryBoy says the most epic line in this movie that blows off all superhero zingers:

Dr. Flurry: "Can we hang out some now?"

LarryBoy: "Uh... you're kinda going to jail."

-Whoa! Dr. Flurry so got pwned! That's destined to become a classic superhero saying. I mean, Batman himself couldn't come up with anything better than that!

Initiation scene:

So Junior finally becomes an official member of the League.

-That may seem innocent and stuff, until you realize: WHERE THE FUCK IS LARRYBOY'S RECOGNITION FOR NOT LETTING THE VILLAIN DIE IN HIS OWN CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR?!

And then the movie ends with the League riding off into the distance to go save the day elsewhere.

-Hey! WTF! Don't get a close-up on Junior! He never should've been the lead hero to begin with!

And that was The League of Incredible Vegetables. Now, I have some good news and bad news. Which do you want to hear first? Okay, the bad news is... this movie didn't seem to be interested in LarryBoy. If it was, then it wasn't enough.

I don't know; I expected to see LarryBoy as the main hero of this story; but instead, this movie paid most of its attention to Junior- a kid who's literally done nothing the entire franchise. I mean, Junior is not superhero material. Who's bright idea was that?! How are we supposed to be invested by Junior as a superhero? Seriously?! After this?!:

Junior: (singing) "It's Laura's fault. She broke the plate. It's true. And that's the tale I have to tell to you."

... and this?!

Junior: "We think that Mr. Alfred..."

Rumor Weed: "Yeah?"

Junior: "... is a robot!"

Another problem I had with this movie is that it deprived LarryBoy of his own talent. It's sad to see such a memorable character be downplayed like this. Yeah, when you watch this movie all the way through, you get the idea that LarryBoy was downplayed. And hell, they even throw in some bullshit twist when LarryBoy gets captured by the bad guy! That never should've happened! Know why? Because that was committing the biggest crime against LarryBoy fans: downplaying LarryBoy to the point where he falls victim to the movie's villain. And, just a testament of how fuckin' wrong this movie was to downplay LarryBoy: even when LarryBoy goes out of his way to save the villain from dying, this movie still makes it a point to glorify Junior some more and make him the star!
Okay, that was my rant on this movie. Now, the good news is, most of this movie was pretty awesome. Well, to be fair, of all the bad LarryBoy movies, this one was the least bad. Sure, some of the stuff may seem corny and cliched, but they seem to work to the movie's advantage. And sure, this movie may have disappointing payoffs, but for what it is, it's not so bad.
But what made this movie incredible are the action scene- this movie was action-packed. Plus, the animation was great: the colors, the shadows, and the lighting made the animation hardcore. This was an impressive achievement when comparing this movie to the other LarryBoy movies.
But to be honest, I guess this movie was for the Avengers fans or for the Veggietales fan; so, LarryBoy fans, be aware that this movie may or may not be what you've expected it to be. Yeah, when you watch it all the way through, you'll be surprised and/or shocked about LarryBoy's role in this movie.

But you know, what I can't get over is that there's some false advertising to this movie. I mean, the movie is entitled The League of Incredible Vegetables- so if that's the case, then this was who we were supposed to see as the movie's lead hero:

Then that would've made this movie look and feel incredible!
And plus, the villain wasn't so bad ass. May I suggest another villain like...

That crossover would've made the movie a bigger hit.

Whatsoever Critic
Sources:
Dark Knight Rises
The Avengers
The League of Incredible Vegetables
Penguins of Madagascar
LarryBoy and the Fib from Outer Space
LarryBoy and the Rumor Weed

All rights go to Warner Bros., Marvel, Big Idea Entertainment and DreamWorks Animation.

"Barney's Imagination Island" Video Review

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

I have a craving to make fun of a video that I liked as a kid. Don't know which video I'm talking about? Here's a hint: Barney.
Yep, seeing how I was and still am (somewhat) a Barney the Dinosaur fan, Barney was every imagination-seekers dream come true. He seemed like a close friend for me. But, unlike LarryBoy, Barney had his flaws. Everything about his character is one-dimensional, and he never confronts real-life issues. What he's really good at is letting kids forget their problems for a day by taking them on adventures or just being someone to hang with. Case in point: Barney's Imagination Island.

Well, people remember this special or forgot it. This special first aired on NBC on April 24, 1994 during prime-time (Don't believe me? Look it up on Wikipedia). For those of you that do remember this special, either you loved it or hated it. But for me, this was one of my favorite Barney videos when I was a kid. But now that I'm an adult, seeing this special again seemed... I don't know. Does it still hold up?
Well, today, we're going to find out. So, sit back as we dive into Barney's Imagination Island.

Intro:
We see the special start with the "Bedtime with Barney" title card.

-Eh?
-Why is that even there? Was this special shown around nighttime?
Then Barney tells the audience how "fun" the special is gonna be.
-Got it... Can we get to the real special now?

Opening Scene:

The special (officially) starts with two girls, Min and Tosha, listening to Tosha's mother read them a bedtime story that's obviously foreshadowing what'll happen later on in the special.
The story is interrupted when Tosha's starts crying in the hallway. And, despite Tosha's dad offering to take care of the little ones that are crying, Tosha's mom, for some reason, still thinks that she can put the bedtime story on hold.
-Geez! At least finish the bedtime story, lady! Well, then again, the book was just the special's foreshadowing device. So, don't spoil it.
Anyway, Tosha wants to show Min her new necklace...

-(mimicking Tosha's mom) That I'm gonna allow; but finishing your bedtime story isn't gonna happen.
So Tosha's mom gets going, but not before she tells the girls that they'll have 5 more minutes of playtime until they have to go to bed.
-Trust me; that 5-minute warning is gonna bite this special in the rear later on.
So... what will these girls do to pass the time? Pillow fight, of course!

But they accidentally hit their Barney doll with a pillow, causing them to stop and tuck the doll into bed. Plus, they decide to read him their bedtime story... since Tosha's mom was too dang lazy to finish the job for them.

More of the Bedtime Scene: (45 seconds in on their "playtime." Thank you, Tosha's mom.)
So the girls read more of the story, reading about a storm that threatens the story's ship, when suddenly, an actual flash of lightning and actual clang of thunder strike outside their window, causing the Barney doll to come to life.
-Oh no! It's Godzilla in your bed! Hide your family! Call the police!

So Barney comes to life (obviously breaking the laws of reality, just like in most viewings of his videos) and says hi to the girls, saying that he enjoyed the story that was being read to him. He also explains that... but it's self-explanatory with what he says next:
Barney: "You can do anything, if you just imagine."
And this leads to the special's first song, "Just Imagine."
-Yeah, we're in 5 minutes of the special, and also nearly 2 minutes of the girls' issued "playtime," and already we have our first musical number. Okay, fair enough.
-You know, whenever I hear this song mashed up with such a whimsical premise, I think of the "Make Believe" song from the Lamb Chop in the Haunted Studio special. But it's hard to tell which special came out first.

After 1st Song: (1 minute left until the girls must "go to bed," because Tosha's mom said so)
So the girls decide to give their imaginations a try, and they're blown away to see a flash of light come from out of their storybook and fly into their closet, in which the light turns into a magic portal.
-Yeah, that was 100% radiation. Or... did the girls get into the Vicodin?
-Plus, look at Tosha's face when she reacts to the storybook lighting up.

It's like Hush Puppy's reaction from Shari's Passover Surprise, when he learns the truth about chicken soup.

Barney: "Twinkle, twinkle, little stairs. Up you go to who... knows... where..."

-Um...
One, two,
Freddy's comin' for you.
Except that it's actually Barney,
'cuz Freddy Krueger couldn't get away with a G-rating.
So Barney goes up the stairs first, and the girls are delighted to follow him up.
-Some kids may find this charming... while some adults may find this creepy in today's standards-You'd pull those girls the fuck away!
-Besides, where's that mom from earlier that said that the girls had 5 more minutes until bedtime? It's obvious that their playtime is up!

On the Ship:
The girls find themselves on the ship now dressed in... pirate attire? The ship is sailing in the ocean...

-Geez! A toy boat in a bathtub is more exciting than this cheaply-animated ship in the sea!
Tosha then remembers that she needed to put away her necklace, so she and Min try to get back to their bedroom, but find out that they can't go back.
Min: "You know, this isn't the way to your bedroom anymore."

-Well, no shit! Y'all followed the dinosaur during such a time of whimsy. Clearly, you two didn't give this a second thought!
But that's nothing, 'cuz Barney wants to sing another song.
-Yeah, trying to go back home can wait, because it's Barney's time, not yours!
And during this song, we're introduced to Shawn, Derek, Baby Bop, and BJ- together at last!

After That Song:
-Wow, that was enough song. Let's go back to talking!
Derek: "So Barney, what are we all doing here?"
-Did you even read your own script? You're called Barney's Imagination Island. That should've been a dead giveaway!
Barney: "Well, thanks to Tosha and Min, we're on a sailing adventure to find Imagination Island..."

-(mimicking Barney): So if anyone get hurt or dies on this trip, please feel free to sue these girls for compensation.
BJ: "Wow. What kind of surprises, Barney?"
-Yeah, enlighten us, Barney, on what to expect on this delightful trip.
Barney: "Oh! Well, uh, first we're gonna go... hey uh... But then after that, there's gonna be, uh... Oh, and, and... And there's a, uh... Uh... Oh gee, uh... I don't know..."
-Well, shit! That's just great! Barney has no clue, whatsoever, on what to expect on this trip! I mean, this was the guy that sincerely said earlier: "You can do anything, if you just imagine." What the hell happened?!
Anyway, Min and Tosha say that this trip is like the story in their storybook, but they only read part of it.
But that's nothing! The more exciting stuff happens when:
1. Everyone finds that no one's manning the steering wheel
2. Baby Bop running to control the wheel
3. Baby Bop losing to the wheel... Seriously?
BJ: "Yep! That's my little sister!"
-(mimicking BJ): Too bad I can't say that with a straight face.
So the kids let Baby Bop steer the ship, after that terrible slap-stick attempt, really?
-What's next? Are they gonna put her in charge of affairs whenever they're attacked by pirates?
(pause)
Oh, sorry. Wrong movie...
BJ, on the other hand, goes back up to the crow's nest to be the "look-out." This pays off, when he announces that he's spotted Imagination Island.

-Really, guys? This "island" is just a green rock sticking out of the ocean! Apparently, the budget for this production was so cheap, that it resulted to cheap animation. Or... are we to assume that that's...

(pause)
Kinda, sort of?
The gang is so excited to finally make it to Imagination Island, but there's just one problem: the storm from the book comes to (literally) rain on their fun.
-(mimicking our main characters) Help! We're badly reenacting Titanic!

To make matters worse, Baby Bop abandons the wheel and (literally) speeds off into her hiding place with her blanky.

-(sarcasm) Yeah, vote Baby Bop for this year's Captain of the Steering Wheel Award.
Shawn: "This is fun! It's like a roller coaster ride!"
Tosha: "It sure is! I'm not scared!"
-Wanna know what they're actually thinking?

But oh no! A giant wave is coming their way. What's a dinosaur to do?
Barney: "Okay, there's just one thing to worry about. Hold on, everybody!"
So the gang gets attacked by the cheaply-animated wave...

-I should be worried about the well-being of Barney and the gang, but I'm too busy laughing my ass off at the crappy animation to even care!

After the Storm...:
It looks like everyone is okay, as they survey the damage. They see that they're on the island, but there' s a twist: their ship is stuck in the palm trees.

-Yeah, this is why you don't let your three-year-old model some of the storyline.
So what's the gang gonna down to get down? They let Baby Bop do some more slap-stick by pulling a rope ladder out of the storage.
-Well, at least she's making herself useful, because all she's done so far on this trip is spin out of control on a steering wheel and hide from the storm.

On the Island:
After another quick costume change...

Barney: (singing) "Very far away from the homes we know..."
-Oh good! Another song! Rescuing the ship from out of the trees can wait. Let's have our next song here!
-The island is a great place, next!
So the gang finally think about their ship being stuck, so Barney and the kids go into the jungle to find help, while BJ and Baby Bop stay behind to look after the ship.

Jungle:
They sing another song... let's cut back to BJ and Baby Bop!

Ship Scene:

BJ is frustrated by Baby Bop's obsessive bell-ringing... let's cut back to Barney!

Meanwhile:

Barney and friends come across... the Between the Lions house and knock-I mean- ring the doorbell to the place.
Barney: "I guess it's one of those do-it-yourself things..."
-Ain't that obvious?
So they get greeted by a guy named Professor Tinkerputt (played by Barry Pearl), who loves saying obnoxious hellos rather than just saying hi.
So after that awkward greeting, the professor invites the gang inside his workshop. However, there's a catch:
Professor: "Please don't touch!"
-(sarcasm) Yeah, vote Tinkerputt for the Gracious Party Host Award.
And then the guy pulls out a guest-book and calls Barney and friends that are so racist that you'll wonder how this scene got past the TV-Y rating.

Professor: "Ferdinand (Derek)... Elvira (Min)... Rupert (Sean)... Katrinka (Tosha)... and... Rex (Barney)!"
And you wanna know what makes that seen even more pointless? They tell him that those weren't their real names, and...
Professor: "Of course not! But nobody reads this book away."
-This pointless scene brought to you by Lyrick Studios, dealing with lawsuits for over 15 years.
Now, would you like to hear the professor's full name?
Professor: "Professor Erasmus Q. Tinkerputt!"
-(sarcasm) Yeah, 'cuz every child would remember that name.
Professor: (singing) "These toys are mine, so please don't touch!"
-He won't share his toys, next!
So, when asked if he gets lonely on the island...
Professor: "Maybe... a little... sometimes..."
-Uh... no comment.
So the professor explains that he used an airplane to get to the island. The gang wonders if they could use the plane to fly home, but the dick that he is... the professor says that he used the plane parts to make toys.
-Dang! That plane could've cut the show-time in half. The show would've been over already! The plane would've been Barney's and the kids' salvation, you bastard!
So the gang finally tells Tinkerputt about their ship dilemma.

Barney: "It's sort of a long story, professor..."
-Well, we can sit back and watch Barney explain to the professor their problem in full detail...

Ship Scene (with parrot):

...
-Or... we can quickly cut to Baby Bop having fun with a parrot, and BJ getting bored out of his mind... Um. I'd rather check back with Barney and Tinkerputt...

Back at Tinkerputt's:
Barney: "... the wave was so tall..."
-Still explaining to the guy? Geez! We're in almost a half-hour of the special, and nothing was epic-worthy, except for the giant wave and being stuck in the trees!
So Tinkerputt agrees to help the gang with their problem.
Professor: "I'll help you get it down..."
-Oh boy! What ideas do you have for us, professor? Are you gonna build us another plane or build us something useful...?
Professor: "...or my name isn't... George Washington!"
-So... is that it? Are you just gonna fuck with us or keep hinting out that we're not welcome inside your workshop with all your precious toys?
So seeing his multiple-personality mishap, Tinkerputt corrects himself that he can't help the gang with their dilemma. Why?
Professor: "Because I have a problem of my own to solve."
-Well, that makes sense... Selfish!
So Tinkerputt shows the guests his "problem": a balloon machine that's no more than colorful trash cans. He explains that he doesn't know why it won't work, and he just quits on it and then finally tells the gang to leave.
Professor: "Thank you for coming. Farewell. Au revoir. Auf Wiedersehen. And good luck."
-(mimicking Tinkerputt) Just leave me to my self-created isolation, if you will...

So before the professor could kick them all out, Barney points out Tosha using her necklace to take the place of a missing mechanism on the balloon machine, and... what was surprise! It works, and balloons fly out like hotcakes!

Later on in the workshop:
Having being touched by Tosha sharing her necklace to make the machine work, Tinkerputt decides to give sharing a try.
-And I gotta admit, the toys that he shares with the children are pretty cool.
So... seeing that the sharing "experiment" that he got going was a huge success, Tinkerputt decides to ride in his band-bicycle or bicycle-band, and get everybody into the next song...

Barney: "If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands!"
-Yeah, since this special has like a bajillion songs, we might as well let them get away with this one...
So, after the song, the professor makes an announcement about leaving the island to make more toys to share to the world.
-Yeah, it had to one girl's act of sharing to get him to that proclamation...
But the thing about the ship still being stuck in the trees is in the question. So, what's a professor to do, but put on his thinking cap.

-No, really.
He literally puts on his "thinking cap" and comes up with the brilliant plan of...

Nighttime Ship Scene:
... making balloons to turn the ship into a hot-air ship balloon thing... letting the balloons lift the ship off the trees and into the sky.

-Not a bad idea, come to think of it...
The plan actually works, and the gang is on their way home. And plus, they see the song "Just Imagine."
-We'll let them get away with that song, too, because finally, the plot is going somewhere.

Later on, on the flying ship:

The gang finally spots home. BJ and Baby Bop get going. And Tinkerputt gives Tosha back her necklace, saying that learned so much about sharing, thanks to her.
Barney: "Well, looks like our adventure has come to an end..."
-I remember when I was a kid, I was disappointed when it got to this point of the special. I wanted more adventure, I kept saying. Most kids would think this...
Anyway, before everyone calls it a night, they share on final song...
Barney: "It's good to be home..."
-Our last song. Enjoy it while it lasts.

Back home:

Min and Tosha return to Tosha's bedroom, back in their pajamas, just in time for Tosha's mom to come into the room and say:
Tosha's Mom: "Okay, girls. It's been five minutes."
-That was no five minutes; believe me.

Anyway, the show ends when Min and Tosha say good night to Barney and go to bed, as the Imagination Island ship sails off into the sky outside their window.

End Credits:
As the credits roll, we see that it took 4 people to write this special.

-Seriously? 4 people? I don't know; I always thought that all this corniness and whimsy came from one child-like adult.

And that was Barney's Imagination Island. So, is it still a good special to this day?
I gotta say that out of all the Barney specials, this is one of my all-time favorites. Despite its clichés and corniness, it still holds up. Now I know that this special can be too whimsical at times, but it just adds to the innocence and charm that the characters have.
Yeah, the animation was questionable. Remember, this special came out in the 90s; this was when every animation studio wanted to take down Disney by coming up with CG animation. I don't know; I felt the animation was cheap to contrive that they should've stuck with green-screen effects.
But who cares? I liked the premise; the characters were memorable; the songs were perfectly mashed up with the story (although there were a lot of songs in this special); and the story itself was engaging. Plus, the character-based jokes may be corny, but people get the jokes. Also, have you ever gone on a really cool vacation trip where there was stuff to do and so much to see? That's this special.
The biggest advantage that this special had was that the lesson in sharing was consistent; it wasn't tagged on. All movies and specials must keep their lessons consistent.
Despite its minor flaws here and there, for what it is, this special is worth checking out.

Whatsoever Critic
Sources:
Barney's Imagination Island
Shari's Passover Surprise (that one pic)
Mario Party 7 (that one pic that was photo shopped with Nintendo DSi)
Nintendo DSi

All rights go to HIT Entertainment, Shari Lewis, and Nintendo.