Jonah: A VeggieTales Movie
Artisan Entertainment | Release Date: October 4, 2002 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
58
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 20 Critic Reviews
Positive:
12
Mixed:
5
Negative:
3
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
90
Los Angeles TimesKenneth Turan
This animated retelling of the familiar Old Testament story is playful, high-spirited and unmistakably amusing. It's nice to see that a sense of humor and a sense of values don't inevitably have to cancel each other out. Read full review
75
Baltimore SunChris Kaltenbach
Veggie Tales is one amusing salad.
70
Washington PostCurt Fields
There are entertaining little anachronisms, amusing lines and enough wacky frenzy to please the little ones. The movie clearly comes from a Christian perspective, but without being overly preachy. Read full review
70
The A.V. ClubKeith Phipps
Mike Nawrocki and Phil Vischer, who co-write, co-direct, and supply much of the voice talent, soft-pedal the proselytizing and explicitly Christian elements in favor of gags and gentle lessons, keeping the pace fast and the scenery colorful. Read full review
70
VarietyJoe Leydon
Uses humor and high spirits to entertain while spreading the Good Word. Much of this slick and sprightly CGI feature is sufficiently funny to amuse even the most resolutely unreligious parents who escort their little ones to megaplex screenings. Read full review
70
L.A. WeeklyPaul Malcolm
Whether on the high seas or in the Holy Land, the film exhibits a colorful, bouncy sense of the epic (the whale's Jaws-inspired arrival even elicits a few chills), while its saving grace is a consistent sense of its own absurdity. Read full review
67
Entertainment WeeklyBruce Fretts
Bouncy animation and catchy songs keep the film from tasting too much like spinach. Read full review
63
Boston GlobeJanice Page
The movie's heart is in the right place, but all its messages of tolerance might resonate better if the Spanish-accented pirate didn't get drawn with a gold tooth and the turban-wearing Khalil wasn't an opportunistic rug merchant. Read full review
63
New York Daily NewsElizabeth Weitzman
Young kids will be so distracted by the silly songs and clever contemporary references that they won't even realize they're sitting through cinematic Sunday school. Read full review
63
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Liam Lacey
Spiritual V-8 juice. Read full review
63
USA TodayClaudia Puig
The main lessons Jonah attempts to teach are compassion and mercy. That's an unusual -- and welcome -- message these days. Read full review
63
New York PostMegan Lehmann
Enough SpongeBob-meets-Monty-Python silliness to give adults a kick as well. Read full review
60
Chicago ReaderJ.R. Jones
Though it's aimed at preschoolers, it's tuneful and funny enough to amuse any adult. Read full review
50
The New York TimesDave Kehr
The animation is competent, and some of the gags are quite funny, but Jonah never shakes the oppressive, morally superior good-for-you quality that almost automatically accompanies didactic entertainment. Read full review
50
Chicago TribuneMark Caro
Jonah may resemble an 83-minute Sunday school lesson, but at least it's a playful, colorful one, with spunky peas and tomatoes, chirpy kids' tune-- and bright animation that may not rival "Monsters, Inc." or "Shrek" but gets its points across. Read full review
50
San Francisco ChronicleC.W. Nevius
Kids will enjoy the wisecracks and foolishness, and the big musical production numbers are toe-tappers -- or would be if the veggies had feet. Read full review
40
Austin ChronicleMarc Savlov
Bottom line: Jonah is strictly for kids suffering from rescinded television privileges or adults seeking a nap in a cool, dark environment that reeks of stale popcorn. Read full review
30
TV Guide MagazineSteve Simels
Even generally sympathetic adults may eventually find their minds wandering, if only because of the characters' continual, annoying hopping; being vegetables, they have no legs, you see. Read full review
25
Seattle Post-IntelligencerPaul West
In the annals of insufferable family entertainment, the VeggieTales set a new standard. Read full review
25
Miami HeraldChris Hewitt
I'm not big on getting lectures from produce, and the Jonah story is not exactly fresh from the crisper, but Jonah is engaging enough for parents looking to introduce their kids to the veggiest story ever told. Read full review
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