| Josh and the Big Wall! | |
|---|---|
DVD cover |
|
| Directed by | Phil Vischer Chris Olsen |
| Produced by | Chris Olsen |
| Written by | Phil Vischer |
| Starring | Phil Vischer Mike Nawrocki Lisa Vischer Jim Poole |
| Music by | Kurt Heinecke |
| Editing by | Mike Nawrocki |
| Studio | Big Idea Productions |
| Distributed by | Lyrick Studios |
| Release date(s) | October 1997 |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Josh and the Big Wall! is the ninth episode of the VeggieTales animated series. It was released in October 1997 on VHS. It is subtitled "A Lesson in Obedience". The story follows the plight of the Israelites and the Battle of Jericho.
Contents |
The opening countertop finds Junior Asparagus filling in for Larry the Cucumber, who is sleeping in today (he was tired after the last show). Junior and Bob the Tomato field a question for Victor from Sausalito, California about obedience. Using their imaginations, Bob and Junior are transported to the Holy Land so that they can tell the show's story.
Bob acts as narrator and provides Junior with some background information. The Israelites, having been held as slaves in Egypt, are liberated by Moses (played by Mr. Nezzer) and led to the Promised Land. However, they question God's methods and are banished from Israel for forty years. Upon the completion of their exile, Moses has already died, and Joshua (played by Larry) has become leader of the Israelites. With everybody eager to finally reach the Promised Land after four decades of waiting, Joshua leads the Israelites to their new home, but are halted in their tracks by one big obstacle — the city of Jericho.
The story is interrupted here for Silly Songs with Larry. "Song of the Cebu", introduced as a "sequential image, stereophonic, multimedia event", finds Larry on the countertop with a slide projector and a captive audience (Jimmy Gourd, Jerry Gourd, and Junior Asparagus). The song, about a boy and three cebus (and a hippo) frequently goes off track and is interrupted several times by Archibald Asparagus. When the song ends abruptly and without any sort of conclusion, Archibald is furious and threatens to inform Bob about this utter failure of a song (foreshadowing the events of the next episode).
When the story resumes, the Israelites are confronted by the defenders of Jericho (the French Peas), who taunt them from atop the city's great wall. Joshua explains that God has given this land to the Israelites and that therefore the defenders will have to step aside. They are met by more insults and smug jeering. When a slushy drink accidentally falls and hits Jimmy, they fall back and regroup.
That night, the Israelites argue about what to do. Pa Grape wants to go back to Egypt, while Jimmy and Jerry are convinced that they need heavy firepower to destroy the wall and run off to construct their weapon. Trying to escape the arguing, Joshua wanders off in hopes that he can hear God for advice. During his solitude, Joshua meets the Commander of the Army of the Lord (played by Archibald Asparagus), who tells him how the Israelites are to take Jericho: they must march around the city once a day for six days, then on the seventh day they are to march around it seven times, blow their horns, and all yell at the same time. At this point, the messenger states, the walls of Jericho will fall.
Joshua reports the plan to the rest of the Israelites the next morning. Naturally, this plan leads to some serious doubts. Jimmy and Jerry then show off their alternate plan: a giant rocket named "The Wallminator 3000" which the Israelites applaude (despite not having hands). Joshua, however, insists that they agree to try it God's way, and they all proceed to Jericho.
As the Israelites march around the wall, the city's defenders insult them all the more, turning their taunts into a choreographed musical number while the Israelites try to ignore them. However, the taunting turns to semi-frozen carnage when the Jericho defenders bombard the Israelites with slushy drinks.
The end of the day finds Joshua facing the threat of mutiny from the slushy-soaked Israelites, with some ready to fire up the Wallminator and others ready to run back to Egypt. At this point, Junior intervenes and convinces them to continue with the plan God laid out. He explains that God's way doesn't always make sense, but provides examples of how it always works out in the end.
Inspired by Junior's example, the Israelites agree to stick with the plan and, in spite of renewed and constant counter-attacks, march around the city for seven days as specified. On the seventh day they blow their horns and scream: at first nothing happens, but then cracks appear and the walls crashes down, just as God said it would. Joshua claims the land for his people, the defenders run away in panic, and the Israelites are finally allowed into the Promised Land.
Bob and Junior wrap up on the closing countertop, reiterating the lesson in the film in that though God's way may not always make sense, His way of doing things is always the best way. As Bob and Junior leave, Larry arrives in his pajamas to start to show but learns too late that it's already over.
In addition to the ubiquitous "VeggieTales Theme" and "What We Have Learned," this episode contains the following songs:
Old 1997 Release
1.What's The Big Idea? Commercial
2.FBI Warning Screen
3.Big Idea Logo
4.1993 Veggietales Intro
5. Closing Credits
6. Big Idea Logo
7. Interview with Dad
That's All.
1. Lyrick Studios FBI Warning
2. Lyrick Studios Interpol Warning
3. Lyrick Studios Logo
4. Larry Boy and the Rumor weed Trailer
5. Big Idea Presents Logo
5. Opening Titles
6. Closing Credits and Big Idea Logo
7. Interview with Dad
| Preceded by Larry-Boy! And the Fib from Outer Space! |
VeggieTales episodes | Succeeded by Madame Blueberry |