Ever since day one when I launched this blog, I promised myself that I would only review LarryBoy episodes from Veggietales. However, most recently, I came across "Rack, Shack, and Benny" from Veggietales.
Imagine taking the Biblical story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (from the Book of Daniel), the one that exhibited a Christian taboo in the storyline, and updating it with modern storytelling... and adding a hint of insanity to the mix. Well, that's this video. In fact, this video comes pretty close to the original story: here, the story takes place in a chocolate factory where the boss wants his employees to bow down to a giant bunny inspired by the product they're making, whereas the main threesome refuse, and they get their salads tossed.
How would one describe this video? I don't know. Well, I haven't seen this video in a long time. I just remember that it was weird and... kinda different of Veggietales. Well, it wasn't as suspenseful as the LarryBoy movies, but almost.
So why do I find this Veggietales video review-worthy? Well, let's dive into "Rack, Shack, and Benny."
Opening Scene:
We start off with... Larry wearing an oven mitt and wanting to be cool?
-We'll skip that.
Now, onto the real story, we hear our narrator who's...
-Well, first we get this strange opening where we're passing gate rails and the gates themselves. Really, guys? Is this the creative story that y'all are wanting to tell? Just show railings and gates in the beginning.
Then we finally meet our narrator named George... who's only occupations are guarding the factory gate and telling the story.
-We'll skip that.
Now, onto the real story, we hear our narrator who's...
-Well, first we get this strange opening where we're passing gate rails and the gates themselves. Really, guys? Is this the creative story that y'all are wanting to tell? Just show railings and gates in the beginning.
Then we finally meet our narrator named George... who's only occupations are guarding the factory gate and telling the story.
-Is it fair to say that he has little to no character in this video?
-Plus, what's with the hokey-pokey country-western accent of his?
George: "...and speaking of which, it's almost eight o'clock. Time for the morning milk delivery. Here comes Laura now."
And may I remind you that I've been taking country-western accent lessons from Sandy Cheeks from SpongeBob Squarepants.
-Plus, what's with the hokey-pokey country-western accent of his?
George: "...and speaking of which, it's almost eight o'clock. Time for the morning milk delivery. Here comes Laura now."
And may I remind you that I've been taking country-western accent lessons from Sandy Cheeks from SpongeBob Squarepants.
Anyway, George tells the audience about Nezzer's Chocolate Factory, where the employees work around the clock on making chocolate bunnies...
-...or as the opening song "Good Morning, George" suggests.
During the musical number, we see how flat-out sadist that Nezzer's right-hand man, Mr. Lunt, can possibly be to the employees.
Then among the works in the assembly line, we see our heroes Rack, Shack, and Benny.
Then among the works in the assembly line, we see our heroes Rack, Shack, and Benny.
-Wow. The three guys from that Biblical story have nicknames? But don't you worry: the video tries to make up for that later on...
We see that Bob the Tomato is Shadrach "Rack," Junior Asparagus is Meshach "Shack," and Larry the Cucumber is Abednego "Benny." We also see that Laura Carrot is the factory's delivery girl.
Employees(singing): "We all need a vacation. Our schedule is severe. We're getting very tired..."
Employees(singing): "We all need a vacation. Our schedule is severe. We're getting very tired..."
-My God, are they still singing? Tell the story already!!
After Song:
After the song is over, George officially starts the story by talking about the boss, Nebby K. Nezzer. George: "Now Mr. Nezzer is not a bad man. He just gets confused sometimes."
Yeah, Nezzer paid me to say this line, because he threatened to kill my whole family if I told the truth about his checkered past.
Then George announces an announcement.
Yeah, Nezzer paid me to say this line, because he threatened to kill my whole family if I told the truth about his checkered past.
Then George announces an announcement.
-Try saying those last three words three times fast.
Inside the Factory:
Inside the Factory:
And so, everyone stops working to see Mr. Nezzer announce that the factory had just sold its 2,000,000th chocolate bunny of the day. And how does he reward his workforce?: by letting them eat as many bunnies as they can for thirty minutes.
-Really? Why not give your employees a raise?
So, while everyone else is eating away at the products that they've been slaving over all day...
-...which doesn't make sense, seeing that they worked around the clock making the stuff, and they're surrounded by all of it.
...while everyone else is eating the chocolate, Shack reminds his buddies not to eat too much chocolate. Rack and Benny don't see anything wrong with eating the chocolate, because they say that "everyone else is doing it."
But Shack clarifies by reciting a lullaby that his mother used to sing to him, which best supports the idea that even though their parents aren't around anymore that they should still respect what they've taught them as kids.
So the trio stops eating the chocolate, while being teary-eyed from the lullaby simply known as "Think of Me."
-It seems kind of innocent, until you remember the fact that this video is supposed to turn insane later on.
"Appreciation" Scene:
Moments later, Mr. Nezzer and his sidekick Mr. Lunt decide to check on the employees.
-And I must say that Mr. Nezzer may have introduced a new rule to this game of "How Long Does It Take For The Bad Guy To Go Insane": try to look directly into the camera as many times as you can in this video.
So Mr. Nezzer and Mr. Lunt come out of the office to see how appreciative the employees, but... what was surprise: everyone is sick from eating too much chocolate.
-Next time, give your employees a raise, you dumbasses!
Fortunately, Mr. Nezzer sees Rack, Shack, and Benny still feeling alive and well.
But wait, no. Mr. Lunt insists that Rack is sitting not standing, and then it's this back-and-forth BS about what sitting and standing is.
-Well, to be fair, Mr. Lunt made a good point. We never know whether Bob the Tomato is sitting or standing in any of the Veggietales videos. Well, if he's in a chair, then it's obvious that he's sitting, but at other times, we all have to assume that he's standing, I guess... but it's still a mystery.
Anyway, Mr. Nezzer decides to promote the trio by making them junior executives. So Nezzer ends up inviting them to his office the next day.
Then our narrator George...
-Seriously, do we really need a narrator for this story? The story is self-explanatory.
Office Scene:
So the next day (as George suggests), Rack, Shack, and Benny are greeted by the swinging doors of the office (literally), and Nezzer shows them his model of the finished product of a giant bunny as soon as the construction outside is over.
-I guess he settled for Jenga blocks and a chocolate bunny, because he was too good to buy Legos.
It's revealed that Nezzer wants to make the bunny "important;" so if he built a giant bunny, then everyone will think of the bunny as "important."
-Starting to see the false-idol angle here?
And to make matters worse, Nezzer wrote a song that the employees must sing to this giant bunny that's going to be the false idol.
-Are Benny and Nezzer Eskimo-kissing here?
The song is called... "The Bunny Song."
-I promise you, once he starts singing the song... it will never go away. I mean, that song is so catchy, that it's making Metallica's "Judas Kiss" look and sound good!
-Plus, what would best describe the scenery during this song? It looks as if Easter bunny symbols and Christmas lighting are duking it out with each other, trying to get the audience to look at them. I'm tempted to call this scene a "Drug-Induced Trance Moment," because, I mean, no sober person could've come up with this. If there was, then they seriously need to work on the lighting, because it's like walking into a night club with little to no lights, except the ones dancing around like a neon lights commercial. But I'll pass...
-Furthermore, the song itself has been edited so many times. (You can imagine why.) The original version contained lyrics like "I don't love my mom or my dad" and "I won't go to church, and I won't go to school," which spawned some letters from parents saying that their kids are learning and singing this song- that was the controversy of this song, if you didn't know that. So, Big Idea writers had to quickly make some changes to perfect "The Bunny Song," but even when they did perfect it, there were still some controversy over it, because the tune is so catchy. Again... it will never go away!!!
After the song, the trio feels uncomfortable about the song's subject matter. They don't say out loud that they don't like the lyrics. However, Rack bravely asks the question on what if someone refuses to bow down to the giant bunny and sing "The Bunny Song." Nezzer shows the trio the furnace (where all the rejected bunnies go to from the assembly line) and warn that in his mind...
Nezzer: "...if you don't bow down and sing the song, you're a bad bunny!"
-Well, nothing offsets the happy theme of Veggietales, with a deranged thought about murder.
The trio freeze with fear about the thought of getting murdered if they don't worship a bunny that's apparently the size of a kingdom. Then our narrator steps in...
-Now, where do you really give a crap about the narrator? He has little to no character in his story... other than narrating!
George: "What would you do if you were them?"
Hello? Are you still there, audience? I know you think country-western accent seems kinda goofy at this point, but I'm at least trying to help y'all strike up a discussion time with your mom and dad... but y'all aren't, are y'all? Well, back to the story...
George: "I'd better hold that thought. The ceremony is starting..."
-Okay, we don't need you to tell us when events are starting, Mr. Narrator. Can you piss off?
Outside:
Mr. Nezzer announces the completion of the giant bunny. As soon as the giant bunny gets in place, Mr. Nezzer orders everyone to bow down and sing "The Bunny Song." Everyone does this... except for Rack, Shack, and Benny.
Nezzer and Mr. Lunt see this and they literally transport themselves over to them and order them to sing.
-So Nezzer can afford laziness-promoting technology, but not Legos for his bunny model?
Nezzer: "I said, it's time to sing 'The Bunny Song.'"
-I said, it's time to back the hell off, big man... (That would be my response to him).
But Rack, Shack, and Benny stand their ground.
Nezzer: "Sing the song!"
-Here's my other thought whenever I watch this scene: Very stupid, Nezzer...
Nezzer: "SING!"
-Man, I wish I can choke this Nezzer jerk-off with magical breath like the Grand Duke of Owls would from that movie Rock-A-Doodle. It works so well... but anyway...
Shack starts singing his mother's lullaby, and then Rack and Benny join him. At first, it seems like Nezzer has a change of heart... but no. (He's the friggin' villain, that's why!) Nezzer orders his guards to capture Rack, Shack, and Benny and take them to the furnace.
Laura sees the trio in trouble and decides to risk her delivery job by using the delivery truck.
Back Inside The Factory:
Rack, Shack, and Benny are tied up and placed on the assembly line that's heading for the furnace.
-Since when did a chocolate factory become a place to burn hostages? Eww! We could be eating burnt body parts in our chocolate bars and not even know it!!!
Benny: "Rack, I can move my arms!"
Rack: "Uh, Benny? You don't have any arms."
(mimicking Benny and Rack)
Benny: Hey, come on! I was just trying to create comedy relief before we go.
Rack: Well, it's kinda pointless, Benny.
Mr. Nezzer begins intimidating our trio by doing so many diabolical things to them: by singing extra lyrics to "The Bunny Song"...
questioning his road to insanity directly to them...
standing on the assembly line with them...
and spinning on some of his equipment...
-Yeah, this is the evil Mr. Nezzer that we've been waiting for, for twenty minutes of the video.
Nezzer: "...your fate is sealed. You're payin' for your crime..."
-(sarcasm) Yeah, riveting.
Then Nezzer gives them one last chance to sing "The Bunny Song."
-Kinda reminds me of the "Choose Me or The Fire Scene" from Disney's The Hunchback of Notre Dame. I don't know... just a thought.
Rack, Shack, and Benny explain to Nezzer that their parents taught them to be good and to stand up for what's right. They even say that "The Bunny Song" has bad stuff in it. So, you'd think Mr. Nezzer would have a change of heart this time...
-(pause) You know where this is going!
So Nezzer sends the trio down to their fiery grave, but Laura flies by and saves them.
-Oh wow! Game over for you, Nezzer!
But no. Nezzer ends up sending his guards to go after the heroes, and...
-Is it me, or does the graphics seem kinda slow. This is supposed to be an action scene, but I keep finding myself wondering why half the shots are fast and exhilarating...
while the other half is slow and fake.
The foursome manage to escape the guards.
-I could care less about the camera getting a shot of Nezzer's eyes.
Laura: "Which way do I go?!"
Shack: "Go up! Go up!"
(the delivery truck flies downward)
Shack: "Or down..."
----------
Shack: "I knew this was the way!"
Laura: (unsure) "I don't think this is the way..."
(pause)
Shack: "This ain't the way..."
-Okay, guys. Are we not aware that Nezzer wants to kill us... or really not aware that Nezzer wants to kill us? I mean, this isn't a road trip where you get lost and argue about the directions... unless you're talking about the plot that brought us here...
It turns out that the group really did go the wrong way, because they find themselves back inside the factory.
-I guess Nezzer was also too cheap to buy GPS systems for his delivery trucks.
Nezzer finds the group, and has Mr. Lunt catch the delivery truck with mechanical arms. Laura escapes by jumping safely off the truck, and... leaving Rack, Shack, and Benny to fend for themselves?!
-Geez! You could've at least untied them, you moron!
Rack, Shack, and Benny find themselves staring down at the furnace below them, which looks like Bowser's leftover lava from his Enchanted Inferno from Mario Party 7... or a bowl of blended Spaghetti-O's... (I don't care which).
Shack: "Remember how our parents said that God is always watching over us?"
Rack: "Yeah?"
Shack: "I sure hope they were right!"
-Are you suggesting that you faith in your parents' wisdom has abandoned you at this point? What the heck happened? You were doing pretty good with standing up for what you believed in until now!
But before the delivery truck could tilt anymore, Laura pulls the plug to the machine, shutting it down.
Laura: "I said, nobody bakes my bunnies!"
-Take that, Nezzer! How dare you try to kill people in a Veggietales episode, let alone threaten their lives!
You'd think this would come to some relief to Rack, Shack, and Benny... but their weight breaks the nails underneath them...
opening the door beneath them, and letting them fall into the furnace.
-So, I guess pulling-the-plug logic doesn't save the day this time...
It looks like Nezzer won...
-Okay, now he's insane!! Plus, don't you mean like Ratigan said in that rainy Big Ben scene from The Great Mouse Detective?: "I won!! (Evil laughter)" Oh wait. He has more to say:
Nezzer: "Nobody's ever gonna stand up to me again!"
But his celebration is brief, because white light starts to flood the place, and even the furnace.
Mr. Lunt inspects the furnace and claims to see that the three guys aren't burning up, and that a fourth person is inside, which is revealed to be an angel because of Mr. Lunt's comment:
Mr. Lunt: "Well, it looks like four guys are in there now, and one of them is real shiny."
-So I guess the "shiny" characteristic proves that the fourth person is, in fact, an angel. Kinda symbolism, if you're a Christian.
Nezzer is amazed by the three guys not burning up, so he calls to them... saying the "magic words":
Nezzer: "Rack! Shack! Benny! Come out of there!"
...and presto! Rack, Shack, and Benny come out of the furnace alive... just like in the Biblical story.
-But still, kids. Don't try this at home.
So finally, at long last, Mr. Nezzer realizes that God has saved Rack, Shack, and Benny from the furnace, and then he tries to make up for this wickness and insanity.
-So, what are Rack, Shack, and Benny going to do now? Offer him counseling, or take him to an asylum? (Not really.)
The trio forgive him, and they sing him a song about... well, the song is called "Stand Up."
-I gotta admit that this song is just as catchy as "The Bunny Song," but this "Stand Up" isn't as offensive and controversial as Nezzer's song.
And hey! Even the other workers join in the song.
-Not that they did anything in this video aside from working and being quick cameos in musical numbers...
Well, the story ends with everyone in the factory being happy and... the factory shaking its booty to the music?
-I never understood that part...
And plus, George is there...
-(mimicking George) Hey y'all! I did absolutely nothing, but try to narrate this story that was already self-explanatory to begin with!
So the moral of this story was... well, as Qwerty puts it from the Bible: "Stand firm, and hold to the teachings we passed on to you." (2nd Thessalonians 2:15)
-That's a pretty good moral. I'd give the video credit for that.
And that was Rack, Shack, and Benny. Well... (pause) what can I say? Well, how about this? I love Veggietales, but this was insane!
Of all the Veggietales videos so far, this one had to be the most controversial... well, aside from the interpretation of temptation in LarryBoy and the Bad Apple. Well, for a controversial episode, the moral of the story was tolerable, because it fit the story great; but all of that just gets lost in the insanity of the main antagonist.
Furthermore, the songs were unforgettable, because of the fact that they were so catchy, including "The Bunny Song," which either worked to the viewers' liking or didn't: in the case of "The Bunny Song," it didn't work well.
And plus, what's with the brush with death in this video? I know that Big Idea wanted to reinvent the retelling of the Biblical story that this was based on, but why scare the kids? Why make a kid-friendly version of a Biblical story that pointed out religious taboos like worshipping a false idol? And why scare the kids with a character that was just bat-shit insane at the beginning?
And don't think Mr. Nezzer will turn out nicer in the Veggietales series. Just see him in "Lyle The Kindly Viking"!
Amateur Critic
Sources: Veggietales: "Rack, Shack, and Benny"
All rights go to Big Idea Entertainment
But Shack clarifies by reciting a lullaby that his mother used to sing to him, which best supports the idea that even though their parents aren't around anymore that they should still respect what they've taught them as kids.
So the trio stops eating the chocolate, while being teary-eyed from the lullaby simply known as "Think of Me."
-It seems kind of innocent, until you remember the fact that this video is supposed to turn insane later on.
"Appreciation" Scene:
Moments later, Mr. Nezzer and his sidekick Mr. Lunt decide to check on the employees.
-And I must say that Mr. Nezzer may have introduced a new rule to this game of "How Long Does It Take For The Bad Guy To Go Insane": try to look directly into the camera as many times as you can in this video.
So Mr. Nezzer and Mr. Lunt come out of the office to see how appreciative the employees, but... what was surprise: everyone is sick from eating too much chocolate.
-Next time, give your employees a raise, you dumbasses!
Fortunately, Mr. Nezzer sees Rack, Shack, and Benny still feeling alive and well.
But wait, no. Mr. Lunt insists that Rack is sitting not standing, and then it's this back-and-forth BS about what sitting and standing is.
-Well, to be fair, Mr. Lunt made a good point. We never know whether Bob the Tomato is sitting or standing in any of the Veggietales videos. Well, if he's in a chair, then it's obvious that he's sitting, but at other times, we all have to assume that he's standing, I guess... but it's still a mystery.
Anyway, Mr. Nezzer decides to promote the trio by making them junior executives. So Nezzer ends up inviting them to his office the next day.
Then our narrator George...
-Seriously, do we really need a narrator for this story? The story is self-explanatory.
Office Scene:
So the next day (as George suggests), Rack, Shack, and Benny are greeted by the swinging doors of the office (literally), and Nezzer shows them his model of the finished product of a giant bunny as soon as the construction outside is over.
-I guess he settled for Jenga blocks and a chocolate bunny, because he was too good to buy Legos.
It's revealed that Nezzer wants to make the bunny "important;" so if he built a giant bunny, then everyone will think of the bunny as "important."
-Starting to see the false-idol angle here?
And to make matters worse, Nezzer wrote a song that the employees must sing to this giant bunny that's going to be the false idol.
-Are Benny and Nezzer Eskimo-kissing here?
The song is called... "The Bunny Song."
-I promise you, once he starts singing the song... it will never go away. I mean, that song is so catchy, that it's making Metallica's "Judas Kiss" look and sound good!
-Plus, what would best describe the scenery during this song? It looks as if Easter bunny symbols and Christmas lighting are duking it out with each other, trying to get the audience to look at them. I'm tempted to call this scene a "Drug-Induced Trance Moment," because, I mean, no sober person could've come up with this. If there was, then they seriously need to work on the lighting, because it's like walking into a night club with little to no lights, except the ones dancing around like a neon lights commercial. But I'll pass...
-Furthermore, the song itself has been edited so many times. (You can imagine why.) The original version contained lyrics like "I don't love my mom or my dad" and "I won't go to church, and I won't go to school," which spawned some letters from parents saying that their kids are learning and singing this song- that was the controversy of this song, if you didn't know that. So, Big Idea writers had to quickly make some changes to perfect "The Bunny Song," but even when they did perfect it, there were still some controversy over it, because the tune is so catchy. Again... it will never go away!!!
After the song, the trio feels uncomfortable about the song's subject matter. They don't say out loud that they don't like the lyrics. However, Rack bravely asks the question on what if someone refuses to bow down to the giant bunny and sing "The Bunny Song." Nezzer shows the trio the furnace (where all the rejected bunnies go to from the assembly line) and warn that in his mind...
Nezzer: "...if you don't bow down and sing the song, you're a bad bunny!"
-Well, nothing offsets the happy theme of Veggietales, with a deranged thought about murder.
The trio freeze with fear about the thought of getting murdered if they don't worship a bunny that's apparently the size of a kingdom. Then our narrator steps in...
-Now, where do you really give a crap about the narrator? He has little to no character in his story... other than narrating!
George: "What would you do if you were them?"
Hello? Are you still there, audience? I know you think country-western accent seems kinda goofy at this point, but I'm at least trying to help y'all strike up a discussion time with your mom and dad... but y'all aren't, are y'all? Well, back to the story...
George: "I'd better hold that thought. The ceremony is starting..."
-Okay, we don't need you to tell us when events are starting, Mr. Narrator. Can you piss off?
Outside:
Mr. Nezzer announces the completion of the giant bunny. As soon as the giant bunny gets in place, Mr. Nezzer orders everyone to bow down and sing "The Bunny Song." Everyone does this... except for Rack, Shack, and Benny.
Nezzer and Mr. Lunt see this and they literally transport themselves over to them and order them to sing.
-So Nezzer can afford laziness-promoting technology, but not Legos for his bunny model?
Nezzer: "I said, it's time to sing 'The Bunny Song.'"
-I said, it's time to back the hell off, big man... (That would be my response to him).
But Rack, Shack, and Benny stand their ground.
Nezzer: "Sing the song!"
-Here's my other thought whenever I watch this scene: Very stupid, Nezzer...
Nezzer: "SING!"
-Man, I wish I can choke this Nezzer jerk-off with magical breath like the Grand Duke of Owls would from that movie Rock-A-Doodle. It works so well... but anyway...
Shack starts singing his mother's lullaby, and then Rack and Benny join him. At first, it seems like Nezzer has a change of heart... but no. (He's the friggin' villain, that's why!) Nezzer orders his guards to capture Rack, Shack, and Benny and take them to the furnace.
Laura sees the trio in trouble and decides to risk her delivery job by using the delivery truck.
Back Inside The Factory:
Rack, Shack, and Benny are tied up and placed on the assembly line that's heading for the furnace.
-Since when did a chocolate factory become a place to burn hostages? Eww! We could be eating burnt body parts in our chocolate bars and not even know it!!!
Benny: "Rack, I can move my arms!"
Rack: "Uh, Benny? You don't have any arms."
(mimicking Benny and Rack)
Benny: Hey, come on! I was just trying to create comedy relief before we go.
Rack: Well, it's kinda pointless, Benny.
Mr. Nezzer begins intimidating our trio by doing so many diabolical things to them: by singing extra lyrics to "The Bunny Song"...
questioning his road to insanity directly to them...
standing on the assembly line with them...
and spinning on some of his equipment...
-Yeah, this is the evil Mr. Nezzer that we've been waiting for, for twenty minutes of the video.
Nezzer: "...your fate is sealed. You're payin' for your crime..."
-(sarcasm) Yeah, riveting.
Then Nezzer gives them one last chance to sing "The Bunny Song."
-Kinda reminds me of the "Choose Me or The Fire Scene" from Disney's The Hunchback of Notre Dame. I don't know... just a thought.
Rack, Shack, and Benny explain to Nezzer that their parents taught them to be good and to stand up for what's right. They even say that "The Bunny Song" has bad stuff in it. So, you'd think Mr. Nezzer would have a change of heart this time...
-(pause) You know where this is going!
So Nezzer sends the trio down to their fiery grave, but Laura flies by and saves them.
-Oh wow! Game over for you, Nezzer!
But no. Nezzer ends up sending his guards to go after the heroes, and...
-Is it me, or does the graphics seem kinda slow. This is supposed to be an action scene, but I keep finding myself wondering why half the shots are fast and exhilarating...
while the other half is slow and fake.
The foursome manage to escape the guards.
-I could care less about the camera getting a shot of Nezzer's eyes.
Laura: "Which way do I go?!"
Shack: "Go up! Go up!"
(the delivery truck flies downward)
Shack: "Or down..."
----------
Shack: "I knew this was the way!"
Laura: (unsure) "I don't think this is the way..."
(pause)
Shack: "This ain't the way..."
-Okay, guys. Are we not aware that Nezzer wants to kill us... or really not aware that Nezzer wants to kill us? I mean, this isn't a road trip where you get lost and argue about the directions... unless you're talking about the plot that brought us here...
It turns out that the group really did go the wrong way, because they find themselves back inside the factory.
-I guess Nezzer was also too cheap to buy GPS systems for his delivery trucks.
Nezzer finds the group, and has Mr. Lunt catch the delivery truck with mechanical arms. Laura escapes by jumping safely off the truck, and... leaving Rack, Shack, and Benny to fend for themselves?!
-Geez! You could've at least untied them, you moron!
Rack, Shack, and Benny find themselves staring down at the furnace below them, which looks like Bowser's leftover lava from his Enchanted Inferno from Mario Party 7... or a bowl of blended Spaghetti-O's... (I don't care which).
Shack: "Remember how our parents said that God is always watching over us?"
Rack: "Yeah?"
Shack: "I sure hope they were right!"
-Are you suggesting that you faith in your parents' wisdom has abandoned you at this point? What the heck happened? You were doing pretty good with standing up for what you believed in until now!
But before the delivery truck could tilt anymore, Laura pulls the plug to the machine, shutting it down.
Laura: "I said, nobody bakes my bunnies!"
-Take that, Nezzer! How dare you try to kill people in a Veggietales episode, let alone threaten their lives!
You'd think this would come to some relief to Rack, Shack, and Benny... but their weight breaks the nails underneath them...
opening the door beneath them, and letting them fall into the furnace.
-So, I guess pulling-the-plug logic doesn't save the day this time...
It looks like Nezzer won...
-Okay, now he's insane!! Plus, don't you mean like Ratigan said in that rainy Big Ben scene from The Great Mouse Detective?: "I won!! (Evil laughter)" Oh wait. He has more to say:
Nezzer: "Nobody's ever gonna stand up to me again!"
But his celebration is brief, because white light starts to flood the place, and even the furnace.
Mr. Lunt inspects the furnace and claims to see that the three guys aren't burning up, and that a fourth person is inside, which is revealed to be an angel because of Mr. Lunt's comment:
Mr. Lunt: "Well, it looks like four guys are in there now, and one of them is real shiny."
-So I guess the "shiny" characteristic proves that the fourth person is, in fact, an angel. Kinda symbolism, if you're a Christian.
Nezzer is amazed by the three guys not burning up, so he calls to them... saying the "magic words":
Nezzer: "Rack! Shack! Benny! Come out of there!"
...and presto! Rack, Shack, and Benny come out of the furnace alive... just like in the Biblical story.
-But still, kids. Don't try this at home.
So finally, at long last, Mr. Nezzer realizes that God has saved Rack, Shack, and Benny from the furnace, and then he tries to make up for this wickness and insanity.
-So, what are Rack, Shack, and Benny going to do now? Offer him counseling, or take him to an asylum? (Not really.)
The trio forgive him, and they sing him a song about... well, the song is called "Stand Up."
-I gotta admit that this song is just as catchy as "The Bunny Song," but this "Stand Up" isn't as offensive and controversial as Nezzer's song.
And hey! Even the other workers join in the song.
-Not that they did anything in this video aside from working and being quick cameos in musical numbers...
Well, the story ends with everyone in the factory being happy and... the factory shaking its booty to the music?
-I never understood that part...
And plus, George is there...
-(mimicking George) Hey y'all! I did absolutely nothing, but try to narrate this story that was already self-explanatory to begin with!
So the moral of this story was... well, as Qwerty puts it from the Bible: "Stand firm, and hold to the teachings we passed on to you." (2nd Thessalonians 2:15)
-That's a pretty good moral. I'd give the video credit for that.
And that was Rack, Shack, and Benny. Well... (pause) what can I say? Well, how about this? I love Veggietales, but this was insane!
Of all the Veggietales videos so far, this one had to be the most controversial... well, aside from the interpretation of temptation in LarryBoy and the Bad Apple. Well, for a controversial episode, the moral of the story was tolerable, because it fit the story great; but all of that just gets lost in the insanity of the main antagonist.
Furthermore, the songs were unforgettable, because of the fact that they were so catchy, including "The Bunny Song," which either worked to the viewers' liking or didn't: in the case of "The Bunny Song," it didn't work well.
And plus, what's with the brush with death in this video? I know that Big Idea wanted to reinvent the retelling of the Biblical story that this was based on, but why scare the kids? Why make a kid-friendly version of a Biblical story that pointed out religious taboos like worshipping a false idol? And why scare the kids with a character that was just bat-shit insane at the beginning?
And don't think Mr. Nezzer will turn out nicer in the Veggietales series. Just see him in "Lyle The Kindly Viking"!
Amateur Critic
Sources: Veggietales: "Rack, Shack, and Benny"
All rights go to Big Idea Entertainment
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