LHartness

Years ago I read the book "Once Upon a Prince" by Rachel Hauck. It was not a classic by any means, but it was enjoyable, clean fun. I gave it a positive review. The movie adaptation (like most derived-from-novels films) falls far short of its source material, merely in the execution of it. The writing is poor, the set dressings are awful, and the acting is terrible. I tried to merely enjoy it as a puff piece, but it was just too painful. Yes, it's quaint, chaste and appeals to the demographic of the original novel, but I just can't recommend this one. Don't waste your time-- go watch a documentary about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle instead.

From VeggieTales creator Phil Vischer comes the fourth volume in the What's in the Bible? series of DVDs from Tyndale Kids, "Battle for the Promised Land". Each volume presents different segments of the Bible, making the history and wisdom within God's word easier to understand for children and their families.

While Phil's VeggieTales (VT) relied primarily on animation to share their stories and lessons, What's in the Bible? uses several mediums in which to engage children. There is some animation, but there are also live actors, and most prominently, hand puppets. There is more of a variety show feel than one individualized story. VT fans will recognize many of the voices and accents from years before, and they are once again very funny and entertaining.

I must admit, when first exposed to this series, I was very skeptical about the use of hand puppets. I just didn't think they could be as witty as VT. But like the other volumes in this series, "Battle for the Promised Land" pulls it off. While they're dealing with important spiritual lessons, they're still a lot of fun and bring plenty of laughs. There are several in-jokes that some may miss, but adults and VT fans will catch them. My personal favorite is a wall clock with a unique time zone location.

This particular DVD in the series deals with issues surrounding Israel's Promised Land. We learn about the Old Testament books Joshua, Judges and Ruth. It would be an impossible task to cover all of the material in these books within the confines of the DVD. Phil Vischer (who makes frequent appearances on camera) and his team chose some important topics and characters to introduce to the viewer, allowing us to learn the general theme of the scriptures. Some of the material isn't as riveting as a Larry Boy episode, but it covers Biblical events that children typically aren't exposed to until later in life. Questions such as "Why is there so much fighting in the Old Testament?" and "Did God want people to die?" are addressed. Vischer and his team make it understandable for their audience.

The disc also comes with some fun extras. There's a bonus animated short with Quacky the Duck that addresses loving others, especially our enemies. This short will especially appeal to younger viewers. The Show Outtakes track is hysterical, and there's a "deleted scene" from the minivan-riding boy Michael that has a bit of Monty Python-esquire humor.

I watched this DVD with my two boys, ages 10 and 5. Both of them loved it, asking to repeat certain scenes because they enjoyed them so much. This is not only an entertaining program, but it really would be a great series to watch as a whole family. As an adult, I didn't find the childish humor annoying--rather, I found myself laughing along with the kids. And I personally learned a few things about God's word, which of course was beneficial to me as well. This is a wonderful series, and I look forward to the upcoming Volumes 5 - 13.