Lyle the Kindly Viking (2001)

by Tristi Pinkston | More from this Blogger

30 Jan 2007 11:52 AM

Archibald Asparagus is a bit of a loner on the VeggieTales set. It seems that he is the only vegetable with a strong sense of the aesthetic, that no one else can understand art and literature. It's his cross to bear. In an attempt to inject some culture into the Veggietales video series, he asks for permission to be in charge of just one episode, which Bob grants him, but not without misgivings.

Archibald immediately redecorates the set to look like an old English library, and settles down in an easy chair to narrate the first tale, which was supposed to be "Hamlet." However, he has enlisted the help of the French peas, and they weren't able to find a script for "Hamlet," and brought one called "Omelet" instead. Archibald decides that the show must go on, and they proceed to perform.

The Prince of Denmark, Omelet by name, is troubled. There are no more eggs in the land, and he must have his eggs cooked light and fluffy every morning. It's of little consequence to him that his people are starving; if he can't have his eggs, what is he to do? With a bit of help from the (ahem) fair maiden Ophelia, he comes to understand that he needs to share what he has with others. The puns on famous Shakespearean quotes in this episode are hysterical, but you have to be listening for them.

Archibald isn't terribly happy. That didn't go at all as he planned! But the French peas assure him, they got it right the second time around. They found a Gilbert and Sullivan that had never been performed! It's called "Lyle, the Kindly Viking," and those ambitious vegetables set out to perform it for us.

It seems that the Vikings enjoy pillaging and plundering a bit too much. Lyle, the littlest Viking, can't stand to think of others suffering, so he goes to visit the decimated villages to take them presents of potholders he made himself. Because he shares, he makes a lot of friends, and those friendships come in handy when he gets into trouble.

Our "Silly Song with Larry" is "Larry's High Silk Hat," a slightly confusing number until you really listen to it. Larry doesn't want to share his chocolate, and he doesn't want his hat to get smashed. Because he acts selfishly, he loses his chocolate and his hat. It was done very artistically.

I've read reviews for this video on both Amazon and IMDb, and for some reason, the viewers didn't take to it very well. I struggle to see why that is - this is one of my favorite VeggieTales. It goes to prove that I say po-tay-to and you say po-tah-to. To each his own. But I do encourage you to give this one a try and decide for yourself.

Related Blogs:

Dave and the Giant Pickle

Larry Boy and the Fib from Outer Space

Josh and the Big Wall

Learn more about Tristi Pinkston

I've been a blogger for Families.com since August of 2006.

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