Minnesota Cuke and the Search for Noah's Umbrella Takes Veggie Fans on an Epic Quest

Last year, Indiana Jones fans got a big treat in the form of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. This year, those fans who also happen to like VeggieTales got a golden nugget with Minnesota Cuke and the Search of Noah’s Umbrella, the second Veggie video in which Larry the Cucumber dons the famous fedora in order to go on an epic, cryptic quest.

While the first of these videos, Minnesota Cuke and the Search for Samson’s Hairbrush, includes a shorter story to complement the main adventure, this outing is all Minnesota, except for the countertop framework and the intermission provided by the Silly Song, the somewhat operatic Sippy Cup, which relates especially well to the theme of confidence in the face of being teased by one’s peers. This theme also complements the first installment well, since the focus that time was on bullies.

The issue that prompts Bob to share another Minnesota Cuke story is that Larry is distraught because some strangers ridiculed him for praying before eating lunch at Burger Bell. Like Larry, Minnesota (Minn for short) often does things that result in his getting laughed at, and he’s sick of it. So when an eccentric (read: “loony and rich”) entrepreneur (Mr. Nezzer) comes to him with a task that will help him open a Bible-themed goldfish pond, he wants no part of it… until he learns that his former enemy but current friend, Professor Rattan (Mr. Lunt), has already disappeared in the quest to find Noah’s Ark. Now it’s personal, and with a stop off in Mexico to enlist the aid of his ladylove Julia (Petunia), he sets off on a journey that will require ingenuity, bravery and a willingness to look a little silly.

Like Samson’s Hairbrush, which was also written by Tim Hodge, this is a beautifully detailed mini-movie, a lovingly lavish ode to Indy and his ilk. There are secret codes to crack, globe-trotting to do and perilous situations to narrowly escape, and many of the funniest moments are aimed especially at those familiar with those adventure films. At the same time, it’s a lesson in the story of Noah’s Ark, and to the nostalgic delight or eye-rolling annoyance to anyone who’s ever attended Sunday school, that means hefty doses of the never-ending ballad best known as The Arky Arky Song. Also, I wonder if the way this film’s antagonist, the wily Wicker, ridiculously misreads a top-secret filmstrip is meant as a subtle dig at The Da Vinci Code, or at least those who are obsessed with searching for hidden meanings where none likely exist.

Noah’s Umbrella contains all of the elements important to a Veggie video, most notably a solid message and heaps of humor. It’s slyly self-referential, especially during one conversation about the legitimacy of cartoons as a source of information, and the visual gags are fantastic, particularly in the movie theater scene, which has all the slapsticky brilliance of a British three-door farce. Wicker gets in some devious tongue twisters, Minn’s assistant Martin (Bob) inspires a groan-worthy pun and Minn and Julia share a catchy, albeit only semi-comprehensible, Spanish song about ice cream.

If you love VeggieTales, if you love Indiana Jones, and especially if you love them both, you really must have a look at Minnesota Cuke and the Search for Noah’s Umbrella as well as its predecessor. The two fit together as flawlessly as a fedora on the shiny bald head of a cucumber.