A trio of busboys from "The Pieces of Ate," a pirate-themed dinner theater, get the chance to experience the swashbuckling lifestyle firsthand in "The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything: A VeggieTales Movie" (Universal). The result is a breezy, computer-animated children's adventure that promotes positive values.
The three anthropomorphized vegetable friends, timorous Elliot (voiced by Mike Nawrocki), feckless Sedgewick and insecure George (both voiced by Phil Vischer), all long for glory as they observe the hardy adventures enacted on stage. But all remain convinced that they lack the right stuff to become heroes, an assessment reinforced by their disastrous audition.
Things change quite suddenly, however, when an unusual instrument mysteriously appears in their midst. This is a "Helpseeker," sent out by a 17th-century king in need of courageous assistance from across time. Once this device transports them to the past, the aspiring pirates find themselves swept up in an exciting but challenging exploit, one that will test their mettle.
In the temporary absence of the good king who summoned them, his evil, power-hungry brother, Robert the Terrible (voice of Cam Clarke), is bidding for control. He has kidnapped his nephew, Prince Alexander (voice of Yuri Lowenthal) and now hopes to ensnare his niece, Princess Eloise (voice of Laura Gerow). Will three gallant but hapless garden products prove a match for this schemer? Will the good king return in time to set things right?
Nawrocki, who also directed, creates a wholesome, thoroughly enjoyable film. The animation sometimes lacks the depth of field of the best computer-generated offerings and there are a few inconsistencies, such as characters who manage to wield swords without having arms. But the movie conveys its message about true heroism quite effectively.
There is also a subtle but welcome Christian subtext to the film. This is made most apparent during the plot's climax, which we will refrain from spoiling. But parents of faith will appreciate both the story line and the moral values. As for the kids, this is one serving of vegetables they're likely to relish.
The film contains some mild bathroom references. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-I -- general patronage. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is G -- general audiences. All ages admitted.
One Missed Call (Warner Bros.)
By-the-numbers (literally) remake of the 2003 Japanese film "Chakushin Ari," without either the satire or the gore of the original, involving an evil spirit that leaves messages for its victims on their cell phones. Director Eric Valette and screenwriter Andrew Klavan transfer the action to an American college town, where plucky coed Shannyn Sossamon and inept police detective Edward Burns try to figure out why ring tones are becoming death knells. Rough and profane language, a half-dozen deaths involving varying degrees of violence, scenes of intense terror, an instance of nonexplicit mother-daughter child abuse, another instance of a little girl physically abusing her sister, a couple of gory corpses, and a sacrilegious image of a leering crucifix during an attempted exorcism by a nondenominational evangelist. (O, PG-13)
John Mulderig is on the staff of the Office for Film & Broadcasting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. More reviews are available online at www.usccb.org/movies.
Office for Film & Broadcasting classifications: A-I -- general patronage; A-II -- adults and adolescents; A-III -- adults; L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling; O -- morally offensive.
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