‘The Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything: A VeggieTales Movie’

Rating: 6/10

Starring

Phil Vischer, Mike Nawrocki, Cam Clarke (voices)

The Plot

When a prince is kidnapped, a cucumber, a grape and a squash are swept through time to the 17th-century high seas to rescue him. If the vegetables can overcome their fears and rise to the occasion, they’ll prove that anyone can become a hero, and you don’t always need hands or feet to do it.

The Good

Clean, robust animation and simple-but-clever character designs have been staples of the “VeggieTales” franchise since its inception. They are just abundant in “The Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything.”

Nawrocki and Vischer deliver their lines humbly, while the standout performance comes from Clarke, whose exhaustive credits read like a geeky Christmas list (Leonardo from the original “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” cartoon and Liquid Snake from the video game “Metal Gear Solid” are just two of his previous roles). Clarke doesn’t rest on his laurels in “Pirates,” though, and the benefit of his experience is present throughout.

The Bad

Big Idea, the team behind “VeggieTales,” claims to create media for a spiritual, moral audience. In the past, it managed to overcome the hokeyness and predictability sometimes associated with faith-involved productions, using silliness to attract to viewers young and old (a rock ballad for a cheeseburger comes to mind). Unfortunately, much of this has been removed in “Pirates,” and the result is a much more serious, moral-heavy film.

The Lowdown

For the most part, “Pirates” will probably only appeal to a younger audience. Despite the film’s toned-down feel, it does have moments of the cleverness fans have come to expect. Fortunately, the most outstanding of these, a rendition of the B-52s’ “Rock Lobster,” is available on the VeggieTales Web site.