Robin Good and His Not so Merry Men: A Review

I was offered to participate in a review of the latest Veggie Tales film, "Robin Hood and His Not so Merry Men." We were lucky enough to have a copy sent to us so Ryan and I could watch it together. The goal of the film is to help children understand and handle hurt. Besides the intermission of "Silly Songs with Larry" (more to follow on that in itself), there are two stories portrayed in the film. One is about Jr, the little asparagus kid, who goes through a long, awful day thinking everyone forgot his birthday. The second features Larry the Cucumber as Robin the Good, who along with his Merry Men try to fund-raise money from the rich to give food to the poor. Both scenarios are designed to help young children understand that not everything will always go their way, but with the help of a loving God they can feel happy and peaceful. I'm kind of a thorough reviewer, so I'm going to break down my thoughts into three sections. 1. Jr.'s very bad day. 2. Silly Songs with Larry, "Bubble Rap."  3. The story of Robin Good.

1. Jr's Very Bad Day
In this story, Jr. wakes up thinking it's March 1st, his birthday. However, it's a leap year so the day is actually February 29th. He goes through the entire day with none of the typical birthday celebrations he was expecting. No breakfast in bed, no presents or party. The story ends with Jr.'s mother explaining to him that his birthday is not until tomorrow, and how everything will be ok because God loves him even when he's hurting.

My only criticism is it has an instant happy ending. I think it's a valuable lesson to teach children that there are some things in life that we can't fix. There are hurts too big for us to handle on our own. Family members die, children get diagnosed with serious illness, pet dogs get hit or put to sleep. These are real struggles and hurtful events in children's lives, and they're not solved as easily as realizing your birthday is in fact, tomorrow. I wish the creators had chosen a more serious subject, because when those sad and hurtful events occur the only place to find real solace and help is from God. Yes, He is there on bad days like Jr.'s, but He's also there when nothing else can make you feel better. A bad day is a bad day. If you want to teach your children about bad days, read them "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day." But if you're looking for a tool to help your child understand why Grandpa passed away, or how to cope with a sibling being diagnosed with Leukemia, I don't think this dvd's going to cut it.

2. Silly Songs with Larry "Bubble Rap"
I usually love Silly Songs with Larry. The songs are cute, simple, and sweet for little children to sing and dance to. This one wasn't. I don't think it's cute for little kids to want to emulate medallion-wearing rap stars and dance around to pop music that isn't appropriate for their age, even if the subject matter is. Maybe they put an intern in charge of this Silly Song, because it wasn't anything like the sweet ones they usually produce. I understand the play on words with "bubble wrap" and "bubble rap," but come on. What's cute about watching your little 4-year-old rapping gangsta-style because Larry the Cucumber does it? I would like a better role model for my little boy than a sideways hat and gold chains. Let him be a kid while he's still a kid. Usually, Veggies Tales is really good about that, but they dropped the ball this time for sure. Ok, enough of that soap box.

3. The Story of Robin Good
As stated earlier, the premise is about Robin losing all his friends, the Merry Men, because they want to steal from the rich instead of fund raise to help the poor. It's a parody on the classic tale of Robin Hood. I do appreciate the concept that Larry did what was right even though it cost him his friends. That is an excellent lesson for children. Sometimes doing the right thing means you do it by yourself, and that can really hurt. I remember what that felt like growing up, and it's hard. When Larry feels completely alone and sad he talks to an elderly lady who explains with God we don't ever have to feel alone. He can take away the hurt, and will always be our friend. That's a great message, and one I'm happy to teach my son. Later Larry's friends realize he was right, and they repent and apologize.

Overall, the movie was sweet. It's important to help children understand not everything is always going to go their way. I just assumed when the movie said it was a "lesson on handling hurt" I thought it would be more about real struggles and intense challenges in life, not just having a bad day or losing a few friends. Not that those things don't cause real sadness for children, but there are larger things in life. I think the earlier you teach children about serious struggles and trials, the more prepared they will be for those types of events in their own lives. Real challenges aren't something to shy away from . They are things that truly teach us to look to our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ for love and support. They are the only source through which true comfort and peace can be found.

So in conclusion, it's a cute a movie with some good points. However, I'd completely skip over Larry's Silly Song this time. What a disappointment. And after it's over, sit down with your child and have a chat about where the best comfort in our lives comes from, our Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ.