Toy That Saved Christmas

The video is sadly the first misstep from the Christian-lite VeggieTale folks. The tale, about the true meaning of Christmas, seems like a rip-off of the Grinch and the splendid Charlie Brown Christmas. The VeggieTale stalwarts--Bob the Tomato and Larry the Cucumber--don't even show until the tale is half over (not even the catchy theme is used here). In an echo of their own chocolate bunny show (Rack, Shack, and Benny), another Mr. Nezzer wants to sell over the airwaves his Buzz-Saw Louis doll that delivers this Christmas message: "Christmas Is When You Get Stuff." One Buzz doll that believes that is wrong sets off to find the true meaning of Christmas and finds some friends to spread the word. Pretty flat all around (though the cute penguins are a plus) and, like the worst of Hollywood, gives us an action sequence instead of the goods. Even, heaven forbid, the Silly Songs with Larry segment ("Oh, Santa") is stale. --Doug Thomas