Veggie Tales: Lord of the Beans (2005)

Argh, I've lost my Veggie Tales virginity! I've resisted my son's chattering about them and still refuse to buy or rent any, but when he wanted to watch one on Father's Day weekend, I couldn't escape. These-- things-- are-- so-- DOPEY! That said, however, they are well-drawn, creatively scripted, and professionally produced for a moral-of-story kind of production. (We've come a long way since Davey and Goliath from Clockey Productions.) This title is a semi-lame (tries and more often than not succeeds) animated spoof of my all-time favorite epic film, Lord of the Rings. Toto Baggypants does sort of look like a greenish, mawk-eyed Elijah Wood; the Other Elf is Keebleresque with a few funny pratfalls; Grumpy the dwarf is a hoot if there is one at all; and the two-dimensional villains are the Sporks. Bonus features include the song "It's All About Love" sung by Wynonna, and an animated music video within the movie with a Presleyesque "Elvish impersonator." Three stars.