The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything: A VeggieTales Movie
Encyclopedia
The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything: A VeggieTales Movie is a 2008 American animated feature-length family adventure film directed by Mike Nawrocki
and written by Phil Vischer
. Produced through Big Idea Productions animation studio and the animation by Starz Animation
, it is the second film featuring characters from the VeggieTales
video series. The VeggieTales Pirates movie was also the first theatrically released computer-animated
film distributed by Universal Studios
.
The film jumps to the present where George (Pa Grape), Sedgewick (Mr. Lunt), and Elliot (Larry the Cucumber) are working at a pirate-themed dinner theater. Sedgewick, who is very lazy, has invented a remote-controlled toy truck with a claw arm ("It's not a toy! It's a labor-saving device") to help him do things he doesn't feel like doing - though when his girlfriend Ellen asks him to get her some barbecue sauce, it is out of range of his toy and he refuses to make the effort himself. Elliot has a list of things he's afraid of, and when his girlfriend Bernadette asks him to get the barbecue sauce, he says the back room is dark and therefore "on his list." George, who lacks self-respect, does what everyone tells him; his children, George Jr and Lucy, idolize the star of the show, Sir Frederick.
Elliot, Sedgewick, and George want to be seen as heroes by their loved ones, but since they're only cabin boys, they think that their dream is unattainable. After the show, while they are cleaning up, an old blind man
appears out of nowhere, prophesying that an adventure awaits for them and that "the stage is set for the heroes at hand." Elliot thinks this means that if they all audition, they'll be cast in the show. After their disastrous audition (in which they destroy half the stage), they are fired and thrown into the alley, where they find the Helpseeker and are teleported to the 17th century.
Meeting Eloise and Willory, they set off to Jolly Joe's, a known pirate hang-out, where they learn it was Robert who kidnapped the prince in the hopes of exacting revenge on the king, Robert's brother. They also learn that the clues to find Robert's fortress are hidden in a cave past the Rocks of Malabar. They do find the clues there, but Sedgewick happens across what appears to be a pool of cheese curls, his favorite snack, and decides to stay on the island and relax instead of pursuing Robert. When George and Elliot return to the beach, they discover that Robert's men have taken their boat and captured Eloise and Willory. They head out to follow the clues: go east to the isle of walking rocks, and through the clapping pass.
Back in the cave, the cheese curls turn out to be alive - and vicious. Sedgewick is attacked and, in his desperation to escape being eaten by his own favorite food, discovers he can do anything without giving up. When George and Elliot get to the isle, the rocks, which are really large rock-monsters (albeit friendly ones), start to surround them, but then Sedgewick arrives, having now swum across the ocean followed by the cheese curls. The rocks find the curls amusing and start to interact with them.
The pass opens and one of the rock-monsters helps them get through it. Within the hidden bay, they quickly find Robert's fortress, which is apparently unguarded, but a giant serpent attacks their ship. George and Sedgewick are terrified, but Elliot, overcoming his fear, realizes the guardian is actually just a mechanical device; when it "eats him," he is able to shut the machine down from inside and save his friends.
They rescue the prince and princess, with the help of Sedgewick's "labor-saving device," only to be stopped by Robert. Finding his self-respect at last, George uses a chandelier to knock Robert down. They escape through the fortress's cistern, with Robert in hot pursuit. Back in the bay, Robert's ship opens fire on the heroes, but the king shows up just in time, and Robert goes down with his ship.
The king gives them medals for their good work, reminding them that heroes aren't necessarily strong or handsome or dashing, but in fact anyone who does what's right. The Helpseeker returns them to the restaurant, just in time for the Friday night show, but Robert has stowed away on their trip back and attacks Sir Frederick, mistaking him for George. A final showdown with Robert sends him back to his own time. The audience cheers wildly, including their loved ones, and George's children respect him at last. Offered a second chance to be in the show, they refuse, saying that life has plenty of adventure of its own... as the Helpseeker blinks once again.
completed the script for this film in 2002 (before Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
was released). But because of the bankruptcy and buyout of Big Idea Productions, the film wasn't able to start production until late 2005.
The animation was done by Starz Animation
in Canada in associates with Big Idea Productions in America
.
, and on Rotten Tomatoes
, a 44% rating on overall, a 55% rating from their Cream of The Crop critics. The consensus on Rotten Tomatoes said, "This Veggietale should please the youngest crowds, but the silly script will tire the more discerning viewer." Despite the mixed reaction, users on the site were more favorable with a 81% rating. The film earned $12.7 million for Universal Studios
out of an estimated $15 million budget. The film was released on DVD on October 11, 2008.
Mike Nawrocki
Michael Nawrocki is an American voice actor, writer, animator and director. He is the co-founder and Executive Vice President of Big Idea Entertainment, the company best known for bringing computer-animated vegetables to life in the popular VeggieTales series...
and written by Phil Vischer
Phil Vischer
Phillip "Phil" Vischer is an American voice actor, animator, director, writer and puppeteer known for creating the computer-animated video series VeggieTales with partner and friend Mike Nawrocki...
. Produced through Big Idea Productions animation studio and the animation by Starz Animation
Starz Animation
Arc Productions, formerly known as Starz Animation Toronto, is a Canadian animation and visual effects studio based in Toronto, Ontario. It is majority owned by a Canadian investor group, with former owner Starz Media as a minority stakeholder...
, it is the second film featuring characters from the VeggieTales
VeggieTales
VeggieTales is an American series of children's computer animated films featuring anthropomorphic vegetables in stories conveying moral themes based on Christianity...
video series. The VeggieTales Pirates movie was also the first theatrically released computer-animated
Computer animation
Computer animation is the process used for generating animated images by using computer graphics. The more general term computer generated imagery encompasses both static scenes and dynamic images, while computer animation only refers to moving images....
film distributed by Universal Studios
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
.
Plot
The film opens somewhere in the late 17th century with two pirate ships fighting. The prince, Alexander of Monterria, is captured by Robert the Terrible, his ruthless uncle. The other pirates search the ship for the princess, Eloise, but miss her hiding spot and leave. When Eloise and her butler Willory (played by Veggie Tale regular Archibald Asparagus) emerge, she sends a device that her father made, a "Helpseeker," to find heroes to save Alexander. It evades the pirates on the ship and jumps into the sea.The film jumps to the present where George (Pa Grape), Sedgewick (Mr. Lunt), and Elliot (Larry the Cucumber) are working at a pirate-themed dinner theater. Sedgewick, who is very lazy, has invented a remote-controlled toy truck with a claw arm ("It's not a toy! It's a labor-saving device") to help him do things he doesn't feel like doing - though when his girlfriend Ellen asks him to get her some barbecue sauce, it is out of range of his toy and he refuses to make the effort himself. Elliot has a list of things he's afraid of, and when his girlfriend Bernadette asks him to get the barbecue sauce, he says the back room is dark and therefore "on his list." George, who lacks self-respect, does what everyone tells him; his children, George Jr and Lucy, idolize the star of the show, Sir Frederick.
Elliot, Sedgewick, and George want to be seen as heroes by their loved ones, but since they're only cabin boys, they think that their dream is unattainable. After the show, while they are cleaning up, an old blind man
Tiresias
In Greek mythology, Tiresias was a blind prophet of Thebes, famous for clairvoyance and for being transformed into a woman for seven years. He was the son of the shepherd Everes and the nymph Chariclo; Tiresias participated fully in seven generations at Thebes, beginning as advisor to Cadmus...
appears out of nowhere, prophesying that an adventure awaits for them and that "the stage is set for the heroes at hand." Elliot thinks this means that if they all audition, they'll be cast in the show. After their disastrous audition (in which they destroy half the stage), they are fired and thrown into the alley, where they find the Helpseeker and are teleported to the 17th century.
Meeting Eloise and Willory, they set off to Jolly Joe's, a known pirate hang-out, where they learn it was Robert who kidnapped the prince in the hopes of exacting revenge on the king, Robert's brother. They also learn that the clues to find Robert's fortress are hidden in a cave past the Rocks of Malabar. They do find the clues there, but Sedgewick happens across what appears to be a pool of cheese curls, his favorite snack, and decides to stay on the island and relax instead of pursuing Robert. When George and Elliot return to the beach, they discover that Robert's men have taken their boat and captured Eloise and Willory. They head out to follow the clues: go east to the isle of walking rocks, and through the clapping pass.
Back in the cave, the cheese curls turn out to be alive - and vicious. Sedgewick is attacked and, in his desperation to escape being eaten by his own favorite food, discovers he can do anything without giving up. When George and Elliot get to the isle, the rocks, which are really large rock-monsters (albeit friendly ones), start to surround them, but then Sedgewick arrives, having now swum across the ocean followed by the cheese curls. The rocks find the curls amusing and start to interact with them.
The pass opens and one of the rock-monsters helps them get through it. Within the hidden bay, they quickly find Robert's fortress, which is apparently unguarded, but a giant serpent attacks their ship. George and Sedgewick are terrified, but Elliot, overcoming his fear, realizes the guardian is actually just a mechanical device; when it "eats him," he is able to shut the machine down from inside and save his friends.
They rescue the prince and princess, with the help of Sedgewick's "labor-saving device," only to be stopped by Robert. Finding his self-respect at last, George uses a chandelier to knock Robert down. They escape through the fortress's cistern, with Robert in hot pursuit. Back in the bay, Robert's ship opens fire on the heroes, but the king shows up just in time, and Robert goes down with his ship.
The king gives them medals for their good work, reminding them that heroes aren't necessarily strong or handsome or dashing, but in fact anyone who does what's right. The Helpseeker returns them to the restaurant, just in time for the Friday night show, but Robert has stowed away on their trip back and attacks Sir Frederick, mistaking him for George. A final showdown with Robert sends him back to his own time. The audience cheers wildly, including their loved ones, and George's children respect him at last. Offered a second chance to be in the show, they refuse, saying that life has plenty of adventure of its own... as the Helpseeker blinks once again.
Production
Phil VischerPhil Vischer
Phillip "Phil" Vischer is an American voice actor, animator, director, writer and puppeteer known for creating the computer-animated video series VeggieTales with partner and friend Mike Nawrocki...
completed the script for this film in 2002 (before Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl is a 2003 adventure fantasy film based on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disney theme parks. It was directed by Gore Verbinski and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer...
was released). But because of the bankruptcy and buyout of Big Idea Productions, the film wasn't able to start production until late 2005.
The animation was done by Starz Animation
Starz Animation
Arc Productions, formerly known as Starz Animation Toronto, is a Canadian animation and visual effects studio based in Toronto, Ontario. It is majority owned by a Canadian investor group, with former owner Starz Media as a minority stakeholder...
in Canada in associates with Big Idea Productions in America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Reception
Reviews for The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything were generally mixed. It received 49/100 positive reviews by MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, and on Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
, a 44% rating on overall, a 55% rating from their Cream of The Crop critics. The consensus on Rotten Tomatoes said, "This Veggietale should please the youngest crowds, but the silly script will tire the more discerning viewer." Despite the mixed reaction, users on the site were more favorable with a 81% rating. The film earned $12.7 million for Universal Studios
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
out of an estimated $15 million budget. The film was released on DVD on October 11, 2008.
Songs
- VeggieTales Theme Song, theme composed by veggies
- Spanish Gold, sung by veggies on stage
- Jolly Joe's, sung by Jolly Joe pirates at Jolly Joe's
- Yo Ho Hero, sung by NewsboysNewsboysNewsboys are a Christian pop rock band founded in 1985 in Mooloolaba, Australia. They have released 15 studio albums, six of which have been certified gold...
and Steve TaylorSteve TaylorRoland Stephen Taylor , is an American Christian singer, songwriter, record producer and film director.-Early life:Taylor, the eldest of three children, was born in Brawley, California. Taylor's father, Roland Taylor, was a Baptist minister. When Taylor was six years old, the family relocated to...
hosted by The Pirates Who Don't Do AnythingThe Pirates Who Don't Do Anything"The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything" is a single released by Christian rock band Relient K. It is a cover of a song originally performed by the cast of VeggieTales. It was later included in the 2003 compilation album Veggie Rocks!... - Papa's Got a Gumball Nellie, sung by Elliot the Brave (score)
- Walking Rocks, sung by Elliot the Brave (score)
- Spanish Gold Reprise, sung by veggies on stage
- What We Have Learned, sung by Qwerty
- The Pirates Who Don't Do AnythingThe Pirates Who Don't Do Anything"The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything" is a single released by Christian rock band Relient K. It is a cover of a song originally performed by the cast of VeggieTales. It was later included in the 2003 compilation album Veggie Rocks!...
, sung by Relient KRelient KRelient K is an American rock band formed in 1998 in Canton, Ohio by Matt Thiessen, Brian Pittman, and Matt Hoopes during the band's junior year in high school and their time at Malone University...
when the credits are paused - Rock Monster, sung by the Veggies and cheese curls while the credits are paused, is a parody of Rock LobsterRock lobsterJasus edwardsii, the southern rock lobster, red rock lobster, or spiny rock lobster, is a species of spiny lobster found throughout coastal waters of southern Australia and New Zealand including the Chatham Islands. This species is commonly called crayfish or crays in New Zealand and in Māori...
by The B-52'sThe B-52'sThe B-52's are an American rock band, formed in Athens, Georgia in 1976. The original line-up consisted of Fred Schneider , Kate Pierson , Cindy Wilson , Ricky Wilson , and Keith Strickland . Following Ricky Wilson's death in 1985 Strickland switched to guitar... - What We Gonna Do?, sung by TobyMacTobyMacToby McKeehan , better known by his stage name TobyMac , is a Christian recording artist, music producer, hip-hop/pop artist, singer-songwriter, and author....
during the first ending credits - In The Belly Of The Whale, sung by NewsboysNewsboysNewsboys are a Christian pop rock band founded in 1985 in Mooloolaba, Australia. They have released 15 studio albums, six of which have been certified gold...
during the final ending credits - The Right Thing, sung by MandisaMandisaMandisa Hundley is an American gospel singer, who was the ninth-place finalist in the fifth season of American Idol.-Early life:...
only on the soundtrack
Cast
- Phil VischerPhil VischerPhillip "Phil" Vischer is an American voice actor, animator, director, writer and puppeteer known for creating the computer-animated video series VeggieTales with partner and friend Mike Nawrocki...
- George (Pa Grape) / Sedgewick (Mr. Lunt) / Bob / Additional Voices - Mike NawrockiMike NawrockiMichael Nawrocki is an American voice actor, writer, animator and director. He is the co-founder and Executive Vice President of Big Idea Entertainment, the company best known for bringing computer-animated vegetables to life in the popular VeggieTales series...
- Elliott (Larry the Cucumber) / Rock Monster Dad - Cam ClarkeCam ClarkeCameron Arthur "Cam" Clarke is a prolific American voice actor and singer, well known for his work in animation and video games. Clarke is well known for providing the voices of Leonardo in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Shotaro Kaneda in the 1989 original English-dub of Akira. He often voices...
- Robert the Terrible / The King - Yuri LowenthalYuri LowenthalYuri Lowenthal is a voice actor that has voiced several anime and video game characters. He also voiced Kamal for the alternate reality game I Love Bees....
- Prince Alexander - Laura Gerow - Princess Eloise
- Alan Lee - Blind Man / One-Eyed Louie
- Tim HodgeTim HodgeTimothy "Tim" Hodge is an American voice actor, writer and director who works at Big Idea Entertainment in Nashville, Tennessee, where he has worked on the VeggieTales videos as well other projects like 3-2-1 Penguins!....
- Jolly Joe / Kings Ship Officer - Megan Murphy - Madame Blueberry
- Cydney Trent - Bernadette
- Keri Pisapia - Ellen
- Sondra Morton Chaffin - Caroline
- Drake Lyle - George Jr. / Rock Monster Boy
- Ally Nawrocki - Lucy / Rock Monster Girl
- Jim Poole - Pirate Scooter Carrot
- Joe Spadford - Jacob Lewis / Additional Voices
- Brian RobertsBrian K. RobertsBrian K. Roberts is a television director and sometimes an actor. He has been the voice of Gourdon the Bully in the Christian series VeggieTales for Big Idea Productions since 2005...
- Additional Voices - Andy Youssi - Additional Voices
- John Wahba - Additional Voices