VeggieTales: Saint Nicholas: A Story of Joyful Giving

Price : $9.49

Product Description

A Story of Joyful Giving! Find out as the Veggies discover the true joy of giving to others -- at Christmas time and throughout the year! Also includes I Can Be Your Friend Sing Along! 10 Great Silly Songs presented karaoke style.

• Starring: Gigi Abraham, Amy Grant
• Directed by: Brian K. Roberts
• Runtime: 47 minutes
• Studio: Big Idea

Product Details

• Synopsis: A Story of Joyful Giving! Find out as the Veggies discover the true joy of giving to others -- at Christmas time and throughout the year! Also includes I Can Be Your Friend Sing Along! 10 Great Silly Songs presented karaoke style.
• Starring: Gigi Abraham, Amy Grant
• Supporting actors: Bryce Hitchcock, Megan Murphy, Mike Nawrocki, Anna Grace Stewart, Phil Vischer, Matthew West
• Directed by: Brian Roberts
• Genre: Animation
• Runtime: 47 minutes
• Studio: Big Idea
• ASIN: B004EDS93E (Rental) and B004EDS7RC (Purchase)
• Rights ; Requirements
• Rental rights: 48 hour viewing period Details
• Purchase rights: Stream instantly and download to 2 locations. Details
• Compatible with: Mac and Windows PC online viewing, compatible instant streaming devices, TiVo DVRs. System requirements
• Format: Amazon Instant Video (streaming online video and digital download)
• Theatrical Release Information
• Production Company: Big Idea Productions

Technical Details

• Production Company: Big Idea Productions

 

VeggieTales: Saint Nicholas: A Story of Joyful Giving

 

Customer Reviews

First, let me say we are big Veggie Tales fans, or perhaps I should say Classic Veggie Tales fans, as more and more of their more recent offerings have fallen flat for us.
We were hopeful for this latest Veggie Tale, especially since it started off with the premise that Bob the Tomato and Larry the Cucumber would explain who Saint Nicholas really was. In the beginning, the story does just that, showing Nicholas' life as a young boy in ancient Greece, and is in fact fairly accurate through Nicholas becoming an orphan.
It is Nicholas' (young) adult life that the Veggie Tales team takes creative license with. Had this not been a story about an actual historical figure AND one that was claiming to set history straight, I would have had no problem with the ensuing silliness. But instead of sharing the story of how Nicholas helped 3 daughters with no dowry money by throwing sacks of coins through their window late at night, the V.T. team puts Nicholas in ridiculous disguises, the last looking basically like a modern day Santa Claus. Not only do they manage to get a red fur-trimmed suit into the ancient Greece setting, but they also add snow, trips down chimneys, and a "sleigh" and "reindeer" into the story. Granted, Larry the Cucumber is trying to make it more "Christmasy" but in doing so, he's gone right back to confusing children as to who St. Nicholas actually was.
So once again, I can only recommend a book instead of a video. If your children are ready to hear the true story of St. Nicholas (as my 6 and 4 year old were), then I can only suggest Santa, Are You For Real? by Harold Myra.
I certainly hope the V.T. team can return to their roots. This video (even its "silly" song) left us sorely disappointed. Here's hoping I can return it to my local Christian bookstore...

Everyone's favorite vegetables are back with their third Christmas DVD. And they've really knocked it out of the park.
Skipping the countertop scenario, our story opens in a small town on Christmas Eve. The kids are excited about all the presents they will get the next day, until Laura Carrot's dad has trouble with his car that may cost him his job. In the quiet that follows, Bob decides telling the story of Nicholas should help.
And so we travel back to Greece in the third century. Aided by Larry (who tries to move the story forward and make it more festive), Bob tell us about a young boy named Nicholas. His family is well off, but he can't understand why his parents spend so much time giving. After their early death, he sets out to find happiness again. Can he do it? What might he learn from his search?
This is a bit more of a serious story than you might normally expect. They do a fairly decent job of retelling the legend of St. Nicholas without getting into the ramifications of the modern day legend.
But this video is still funny. Most of the humor comes from Larry, who keeps exasperating Bob by trying to fit the story into the Santa legend. Of course, the costumes Mr. Lunt wears as he helps Nicholas in the second half are laugh out loud funny as well. Especially the second one.
Speaking of whom, Mr. Lunt does the silly song this go around. "Donuts for Benny" starts out fun but gets super silly at the end. I loved it! I swear the music reminded me of a classic Christian song, but I couldn't place which one it was.
The music is great on this video as a whole. There are several original songs, but they also parody Christmas classics like "Deck the Halls" and "Jingle Bells."
While a tad more on the serious side, this is a real gem. Get this now, and your family will enjoy it for years to come.