Here we have "George and the Ducky", a VeggieTale from the very beginning of the new millennium. It runs for 33 minutes overall and is like all the others animated of course. You will find many familiar names from the long-running series if you take a look at who made this and who (voice-) acted in it. The focus this time is on the story of greed vs sharing, one that our world can really make some use of these days. We have a king (how fitting) who loves his rubber ducky, but who when he realizes that there are other rubber duckies out there is not satisfied anymore with possessing only one. This is the main plot and it is shown from the 10-minute mark onward as there is early on some comedic misunderstanding about who hosts the show and the lackluster costumes were maybe the best thing about. I think this was one of the better VeggieTales I have seen so far. Not sure if one of the best. The lesson is a really important one. The music is good too ("Manatee the one for me" is very catchy). Maybe it should have been five minutes shorter, slightly under instead of over half an hour, but it's all good. This episode is another piece of evidence how easy it can be to get important religious messages about humanity mostly on to the next generation if the talent is there in terms of the execution. For Nawrocki and Vischer, it is without a doubt. I give this one a thumbs-up of course and recommend checking it out. To the young, but also to adults and you certainly don't need the religious background to go for it and have a good time watching.
5 Reviews
A more serious VeggieTale
Acolyte-228 May 2003
Warning: Spoilers
Many spoilers herein, but I'm intending this more as a parents' guide rather than a review as such.
It's never said explicitly that I noticed, but "King George and the Ducky" is loosely based on 2 Samuel 11:1-12:13. The remainder of the Biblical account, 2 Samuel 12:14-25, is excluded since, unlike King David, George suffers no lasting consequences for his sin. As Bible adaptations go in VeggieTales, this one's far more subtle than the earlier "Rack, Shack and Benny", "Dave and the Giant Pickle", or "Josh and the Big Wall" as one may well expect: The nature of David's sin is not really suitable for a children's video and is not immediately applicable to their own situations. Here, it's handled in the context of selfishness.
King George is played by Larry the Cucumber. Uriah the Hittite is transformed into Junior Asparagus' "Thomas"; David's general Joab becomes "Cedric", played by Scallion #1; Nathan the Prophet becomes Pa Grape as "Melvin"; and the eponymous ducky, a tub toy, is the stand-in for Bathsheba. Bob the Tomato returns after a hiatus as "Louis", King George's prime minister, who has no Biblical equivalent but makes a useful foil for King George.
This is a lighthearted story rather than one that's outright funny. It's not actually bad: it's well written enough, the graphics represent a quantum leap over earlier efforts, and the songs are entertaining and catchy. I won't bother to detail which elements from the Bible story are presented more or less intact; anyone familiar with it can pick them out easily enough. Some things are altered so as to be not so disturbing to children. For example, wars in this story are fought with pies rather than more lethal weapons, and Thomas therefore suffers nothing worse than a temporary -- and easily cured -- loss of sanity.
King George is enamored of his bathtub and, in particular, his rubber ducky to the point of neglecting state affairs and the progress of the ongoing Pie Wars. But one day he sees Thomas taking a bath on his balcony, and is overcome with desire for *his* ducky despite the fact that he has a whole cabinet full of very nice duckies available to him. Over Louis' objections he drafts Thomas and orders Cedric to place him alone on the front lines. While he's gone, George and Louis stage a nighttime raid on Thomas' house and make off with his ducky. That very night Thomas returns. Cedric reports that he single-handedly held off the enemy's advance, but the trauma has shattered his mind. As George privately rejoices over not having to account for the missing ducky, Melvin arrives to bring him to face his sin. King George repents, cures Thomas with a soak in his royal bathtub, and asks everyone's forgiveness.
The ending's a little pat, but I suppose that's more suitable for the target audience. The lasting consequences suffered by King David and his house would have lent a far more serious tone to the video; it would not have been possible to present this material lightly. Although there are few out-and-out laughs to be had here, there's a lot of subtle humor that's easy to miss if you're not paying close attention. The ending number where King George celebrates the lesson he learned is much less impressive than the song King David actually composed on this occasion, but that's not too surprising: Psalm 51 is perhaps the most beautiful expression of repentance to ever have been written. All in all, this is an enjoyable and effective presentation on the 10th Commandment.
There's an opening short by Jimmy and Jerry Gourd on the same subject, and I have to wonder if this is a bit of self-parody of some of the earlier, more ham-handed VeggieTales such as "God Wants Me to Forgive *Them*?" The Silly Song, "Endangered Love", is absolutely hilarious, but may go over the heads of younger viewers.
It's never said explicitly that I noticed, but "King George and the Ducky" is loosely based on 2 Samuel 11:1-12:13. The remainder of the Biblical account, 2 Samuel 12:14-25, is excluded since, unlike King David, George suffers no lasting consequences for his sin. As Bible adaptations go in VeggieTales, this one's far more subtle than the earlier "Rack, Shack and Benny", "Dave and the Giant Pickle", or "Josh and the Big Wall" as one may well expect: The nature of David's sin is not really suitable for a children's video and is not immediately applicable to their own situations. Here, it's handled in the context of selfishness.
King George is played by Larry the Cucumber. Uriah the Hittite is transformed into Junior Asparagus' "Thomas"; David's general Joab becomes "Cedric", played by Scallion #1; Nathan the Prophet becomes Pa Grape as "Melvin"; and the eponymous ducky, a tub toy, is the stand-in for Bathsheba. Bob the Tomato returns after a hiatus as "Louis", King George's prime minister, who has no Biblical equivalent but makes a useful foil for King George.
This is a lighthearted story rather than one that's outright funny. It's not actually bad: it's well written enough, the graphics represent a quantum leap over earlier efforts, and the songs are entertaining and catchy. I won't bother to detail which elements from the Bible story are presented more or less intact; anyone familiar with it can pick them out easily enough. Some things are altered so as to be not so disturbing to children. For example, wars in this story are fought with pies rather than more lethal weapons, and Thomas therefore suffers nothing worse than a temporary -- and easily cured -- loss of sanity.
King George is enamored of his bathtub and, in particular, his rubber ducky to the point of neglecting state affairs and the progress of the ongoing Pie Wars. But one day he sees Thomas taking a bath on his balcony, and is overcome with desire for *his* ducky despite the fact that he has a whole cabinet full of very nice duckies available to him. Over Louis' objections he drafts Thomas and orders Cedric to place him alone on the front lines. While he's gone, George and Louis stage a nighttime raid on Thomas' house and make off with his ducky. That very night Thomas returns. Cedric reports that he single-handedly held off the enemy's advance, but the trauma has shattered his mind. As George privately rejoices over not having to account for the missing ducky, Melvin arrives to bring him to face his sin. King George repents, cures Thomas with a soak in his royal bathtub, and asks everyone's forgiveness.
The ending's a little pat, but I suppose that's more suitable for the target audience. The lasting consequences suffered by King David and his house would have lent a far more serious tone to the video; it would not have been possible to present this material lightly. Although there are few out-and-out laughs to be had here, there's a lot of subtle humor that's easy to miss if you're not paying close attention. The ending number where King George celebrates the lesson he learned is much less impressive than the song King David actually composed on this occasion, but that's not too surprising: Psalm 51 is perhaps the most beautiful expression of repentance to ever have been written. All in all, this is an enjoyable and effective presentation on the 10th Commandment.
There's an opening short by Jimmy and Jerry Gourd on the same subject, and I have to wonder if this is a bit of self-parody of some of the earlier, more ham-handed VeggieTales such as "God Wants Me to Forgive *Them*?" The Silly Song, "Endangered Love", is absolutely hilarious, but may go over the heads of younger viewers.
David and Bathsheba... for kids
veggiejakerman21 May 2022
Warning: Spoilers
This episode does something that is considered daring if you know the Bible well: tell a PG-13 story to children! But, they tell it in a way that it is entertaining and, most Importantly, appropriate.
Obviously, kids are going to want to see a lot of things, even things that may not be right for them. That was a big issue when it came with the Batman movies. When the sequel came out, there was a controversy claiming that a dark and violent film was being marketed to kids through McDonalds toys (meanwhile Terminator and Alien toys were getting a free pass). But, again, the way they tell the story works.
For context, David and Bathsheba is a story found in the book of 2 Samual. The story involves King David finding a woman, Bathsheba, and taking her as his own, while killing her husband by sending him out to war. Yikes. In this version, the King, played by Larry the Cucumber, loves rubber duckies. And when he finds a young boy with his "perfect" rubber ducky, he sends him out to a pie war and takes his duck.
Of course, for a first viewer, the connections would be coincidental. However, the scenes that take place afterwards give the viewer who knows the story the idea of "oh, they're telling that story". The scene in question has a messenger go to the king and tell him a story about a man who had a lot who toke from another who had very little. The story infuriates the king and he demands to know who the man is, leading to the most poignant quote "YOU are that man". This is an important moment in both versions, as this leads to the redemption of our main character.
Redemption can happen to anyone. In fact, so many well known stories feature a redemption of a major character. The classic story of How the Grinch Stole Christmas starts with the Grinch hating Christmas, until he realizes the true spirit of Christmas after stealing it. A Christmas Carol, which was spoofed in a later episode of VeggieTales, features the redemption of a grumpy old man, realizing that there's more to life than what it seems. And, of course, many people today do find themselves to redeem themselves from sin.
Of course, there are some differences between the original and this version. First off, it's a musical. The songs are entertaining and catchy, which is what VeggieTales is known for. Second of all, the outcomes are different. Obviously the husband was sent to the war and dies, but when you compare it to sending a child to the front of a pie war and seeing the outcome, it's still pretty bad. Thomas, played by Junior Aspragus, was basically acting like he had PTSD (but, to be fair, the "hit the deck" bit was pretty funny). And finally, the resolution. This version had King George return the duck to Thomas and is forgiven. But, in the original, David was punished for his deeds. I get it, you want your kids film to have a happy ending, so, I'll forgive the last part.
While, yes, there is more to the episode, and entertaining premise for the countertop segments, and a hilarious silly song, this episode did tell an adult story to kids in an entertaining way that does teach them something valuable: being selfish. Check it out if you're okay with the things you just learned.
Obviously, kids are going to want to see a lot of things, even things that may not be right for them. That was a big issue when it came with the Batman movies. When the sequel came out, there was a controversy claiming that a dark and violent film was being marketed to kids through McDonalds toys (meanwhile Terminator and Alien toys were getting a free pass). But, again, the way they tell the story works.
For context, David and Bathsheba is a story found in the book of 2 Samual. The story involves King David finding a woman, Bathsheba, and taking her as his own, while killing her husband by sending him out to war. Yikes. In this version, the King, played by Larry the Cucumber, loves rubber duckies. And when he finds a young boy with his "perfect" rubber ducky, he sends him out to a pie war and takes his duck.
Of course, for a first viewer, the connections would be coincidental. However, the scenes that take place afterwards give the viewer who knows the story the idea of "oh, they're telling that story". The scene in question has a messenger go to the king and tell him a story about a man who had a lot who toke from another who had very little. The story infuriates the king and he demands to know who the man is, leading to the most poignant quote "YOU are that man". This is an important moment in both versions, as this leads to the redemption of our main character.
Redemption can happen to anyone. In fact, so many well known stories feature a redemption of a major character. The classic story of How the Grinch Stole Christmas starts with the Grinch hating Christmas, until he realizes the true spirit of Christmas after stealing it. A Christmas Carol, which was spoofed in a later episode of VeggieTales, features the redemption of a grumpy old man, realizing that there's more to life than what it seems. And, of course, many people today do find themselves to redeem themselves from sin.
Of course, there are some differences between the original and this version. First off, it's a musical. The songs are entertaining and catchy, which is what VeggieTales is known for. Second of all, the outcomes are different. Obviously the husband was sent to the war and dies, but when you compare it to sending a child to the front of a pie war and seeing the outcome, it's still pretty bad. Thomas, played by Junior Aspragus, was basically acting like he had PTSD (but, to be fair, the "hit the deck" bit was pretty funny). And finally, the resolution. This version had King George return the duck to Thomas and is forgiven. But, in the original, David was punished for his deeds. I get it, you want your kids film to have a happy ending, so, I'll forgive the last part.
While, yes, there is more to the episode, and entertaining premise for the countertop segments, and a hilarious silly song, this episode did tell an adult story to kids in an entertaining way that does teach them something valuable: being selfish. Check it out if you're okay with the things you just learned.
G-Rated David and Bathsheba.
filmbuff-0570614 September 2022
Warning: Spoilers
One of my very first reviews on my page reviews the very first episode of VeggieTales- Where's God When I'm S-Scared?!? In that review, I discuss why this animated series is so meaningful for me.
King George and the Ducky, which I revisited last night, is another prime example of why VeggieTales is, in my view, the best cartoon of all time.
VeggieTales is best known for re-creating Bible stories. (Witness Rack, Shack, and Benny, Dave and the Giant Pickle, and Josh and the Big Wall- all episodes that pre-date this one.) They are also great at censoring the rough stuff. For example, weapons thrown in the story of Joshua are replaced with slushies in Josh and the Big Wall.
King George and the Ducky, by creator Phil Vischer, has been called "The riskiest video they have ever done." This is because this movie is based on 2 Samuel 11-12- the story of David and Bathsheba.
King David, years after killing Goliath, saw his neighbor's wife take a bath. This leads to a story of adultery and murder. Super kid-friendly, right?
Phil Vischer and co-creater Mike Nawrocki wanted to tell this R-Rated story to small kids. No one thought they could do it, but one of their friends helped them come up with the king coveting his neighbor's rubber ducky, rather than his wife.
This makes David and Bathsheba suitable for kids, and teaches them the moral more than just the story.
If you have really small kids, maybe don't tell your child that this is a Bible story. If they ask, tell them it's a big boy/girl story about King David. Or, say David had a crush on a married woman, and don't mention the sex part.
King George and the Ducky is one of the best VeggieTales videos, not just for it's fun and entertaining storytelling, but for wonderfully handling one of the most grown up parts of The Bible.
Kids should know at a young age that even people like David committed sins, and how VeggieTales handles that makes King George and the Ducky another prime example of why VeggieTales, the series, is worth seeing, regardless of your age.
PS: Also see this video for the Silly Song Endangered Love and a silly 2 minute short about an Englishman and a Swede.
King George and the Ducky, which I revisited last night, is another prime example of why VeggieTales is, in my view, the best cartoon of all time.
VeggieTales is best known for re-creating Bible stories. (Witness Rack, Shack, and Benny, Dave and the Giant Pickle, and Josh and the Big Wall- all episodes that pre-date this one.) They are also great at censoring the rough stuff. For example, weapons thrown in the story of Joshua are replaced with slushies in Josh and the Big Wall.
King George and the Ducky, by creator Phil Vischer, has been called "The riskiest video they have ever done." This is because this movie is based on 2 Samuel 11-12- the story of David and Bathsheba.
King David, years after killing Goliath, saw his neighbor's wife take a bath. This leads to a story of adultery and murder. Super kid-friendly, right?
Phil Vischer and co-creater Mike Nawrocki wanted to tell this R-Rated story to small kids. No one thought they could do it, but one of their friends helped them come up with the king coveting his neighbor's rubber ducky, rather than his wife.
This makes David and Bathsheba suitable for kids, and teaches them the moral more than just the story.
If you have really small kids, maybe don't tell your child that this is a Bible story. If they ask, tell them it's a big boy/girl story about King David. Or, say David had a crush on a married woman, and don't mention the sex part.
King George and the Ducky is one of the best VeggieTales videos, not just for it's fun and entertaining storytelling, but for wonderfully handling one of the most grown up parts of The Bible.
Kids should know at a young age that even people like David committed sins, and how VeggieTales handles that makes King George and the Ducky another prime example of why VeggieTales, the series, is worth seeing, regardless of your age.
PS: Also see this video for the Silly Song Endangered Love and a silly 2 minute short about an Englishman and a Swede.
Second to Worst Veggie Tales short...
MovieAddict201622 November 2002
One notch up from Lyle the Friendly Viking, this Veggie Tale also fell a bit short on the laughs and outrageous, original humor associated with the past and future Veggie Tales videos. It's still worth seeing, just not the best.
John
John
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