"God is Bigger Than the Boogie Man." And the Slime Monster, Too.

Welcome to the video that started it all. Okay, so maybe that's a bit too big a statement. But Where's God when I'm S-Scared? is indeed the first VeggieTales video ever produced. And it shows exactly what the series would be capable of in terms of humor if not animation.

In case you are new to the series, here are the basics. VeggieTales is a series of Christian videos that use computer animation to teach kids truths from the Bible. They star talking vegetables. Bob the Tomato and Larry the Cucumber host the series, and a plethora of other characters come on as needed to act out parts. There are songs and jokes. And the series has a following not only among the pre-school target audience, but also their parents, college students, singles, and anyone else with a taste for fun.

This first entry introduces the format most of the videos will follow. Bob and Larry welcome us to the show and present us with a viewer letter asking a question. This particular question is about dealing with fear. They then proceed to introduce two segments that help us deal with fears.

Up first is "Tales from the Crisper." In it, we meet Jr. Asparagus. He's stayed up late to watch a scary TV show, but then he has trouble getting to sleep. Fortunately, Bob and Larry show up to teach him that things on TV aren't real, and that God is bigger than the Boogie Man. They do that in a fun song with a catchy tune. I bet you'll find yourself humming it after you are done.

At this point they take a break for the first ever "Silly Song with Larry." This favorite segment is introduced with "The Water Buffalo Song." During it, Larry sings that "Everybody's got a water buffalo" until Archibald Asparagus comes in and stops him before people start writing in demanding their water buffalo.

Finally, we get a musical retelling of "Daniel and the Lion's Den" from the Bible. While there is some dialogue, this classic story of God protecting Daniel from hungry lions is told almost completely in song. Again, the tunes are catchy and the lyrics are funny.

In some ways, you can tell the show is already up and running well. The songs are great and the dialogue is funny. I find it hard to believe that people could view this and find nothing to laugh at. My favorite bit is Daniel's chatter as he is carried to the lions. Jr. Asparagus is a great kid's character, and some of his lines about the Slime Monster are funny as well. They introduce Bob's aversion to the "What We Have Learned" song here, too. This is a running gag that they still haven't milked to death yet.

On the other hand, this video is terribly dated. The video was originally released in 1993. That's two years before Toy Story. And, even though the show is only 30 minutes, the budget was very small. Most of the animation consists of the various vegetables bounding as they talk and sing. The backgrounds are simple and the shots are a little crude at times. Their new videos are much better, as you'd expect. But, don't let this discourage you. The animation may show its age, but you can still watch it. It only bothers me for the first minute or two and after that I'm fully engaged in the story.

Yes, this video may be dated, but it is still great. The jokes are funny, and the lesson is still true. So help your kids deal with their fears by getting Where's God When I'm S-Scared?

Other Veggie Tales Reviews:
DVDs
The Ballad of Little Joe
Dave and the Giant Pickle
An Easter Carol
Gideon Tuba Warrior
God Made You Special
Holiday Double Feature
Larry-Boy and the Bad Apple
Lord of the Beans
Minnesota Cuke and the Search for Noah's Umbrella  
Minnesota Cuke and the Search for Samson's Hairbrush
Moe and the Big Exit
The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything
Saint Nicholas: A Story of Joyful Giving     
Sheerluck Holmes and the Golden Ruler
Snoodle's Tale
The Star of Christmas
The Toy that Saved Christmas
Wonderful Wizard of Ha's
CDs
The Incredible Singing Christmas Tree
Pirates Who Don't Do Anything - Soundtrack
Silly Songs with Larry
A Very Veggie Christmas
A Very Veggie Easter
Worship Songs

And don't miss Phil Vischer's autobiography - Me, Myself, and Bob