DVD
REVIEW
VeggieTales: The Wonderful Wizard of Ha's
By Belinda Elliott
CBN.com Daily Life Producer
CBN.com
- The veggie characters that we love so much return in one of VeggieTales’ cleverest episodes to date, The Wonderful Wizard of Ha’s. Written by VeggieTales creator Phil Vischer, the show creatively retells the story of the prodigal son within the context of another beloved story, The Wizard of Oz.
The story is introduced by Larry the Cucumber who has a problem. He has broken an item that belongs to his father, and he is scared to tell him about it. Bob the Tomato explains to him that he knows of someone who had a similar problem, and the show begins.
The story follows the adventures of Darby, the son of a Kansas floss farmer (that’s dental floss), who is looking for an escape to his boring life on the farm. When Darby learns about The Wonderful Land of Ha’s through an advertisement, he wants to go visit. There is a mysterious Wizard who lives there that proclaims his land is the most fun place on earth.
Unfortunately, it is harvesting time and Darby’s father needs all the help he can get on the farm. He tells his son that maybe they can go next year.
 Distraught by his dad’s decision, Darby swipes the piggy bank that holds money his dad has been saving for his future education and sets off with Tutu his “dog” (which more closely resembles a pig) in search of The Wonderful Land of Ha’s. But before he gets there he finds himself caught up in a tornado that drops him in Munchieland.
After a short visit with the munchies he heads off on his journey. Along the way he meets a scarecrow, a tin man, and a lion that are also in search of fun and adventure. Together they travel to meet the Wizard.
But once the group reaches The Wonderful Land of Ha’s, they discover that fun comes with a price. Darby finds himself in a bit of trouble and wonders if he can ever return home again. Will his dad ever forgive him for what he’s done?
 Anyone familiar with The Wizard of Oz will love the clever puns and references to the film. When Vischer set out to find a creative way to tell the story, he knew the characters from the yellow brick road were the perfect answer.
“The biblical story of the prodigal son has a lesson every child needs to hear,” Vischer says in press materials about the show. “The Wizard of Oz turned out to be the perfect framework to communicate that message in a really entertaining way.”
The result is a hilarious adventure that will appeal to Veggie fans of all ages. The story teaches kids the importance of forgiveness and explains the unconditional love and forgiveness that our Heavenly Father offers each of us. It also reminds us that there is no place like home.
As with other Veggie Tales episodes, the story features fun music. There is one new Silly Song, “Monkey,” which is performed by Bob and Larry. Other songs include “Somewhere Beyond the Barn” and “Over the Rainbow.”
The DVD also offers several entertaining bonus features including a behind-the-scenes look at making The Land of Ha’s, a studio commentary, music videos, an interactive storybook, video trivia, a discussion guide, and several games.
Purchase your copy of VeggieTales: The Wonderful Wizard of Ha's.
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