The last time Big Idea released a DVD, it was the long-awaited Lord of the Beans, an offering of epic proportions. I don't see much chance of VeggieTales producing something that will impress me more than that one, at least not any time soon. But the show must go on, and the source material for the latest Veggie offering, Sheerluck Holmes and the Golden Ruler, is certainly illustrious. The main story, in case you haven't guessed, dips into the lore of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's legendary detective, Sherlock Holmes, and his faithful sidekick, Dr. Watson. Earlier in the DVD, we're also treated to a tale inspired by Cervantes' Don Quixote. Both of these, plus the silly song, endeavor to impart the message that we should treat our friends and neighbors the way we want to be treated.

As is generally the case, the stories are presented as a means of answering a question sent in by a young viewer. Here, the question is, "What does it take to be a good friend?" Larry, it seems, could use a lesson on that himself after he inadvertently insults the entire state of South Dakota, much to Bob's aggravation. It's nice to get back to the kitchen sink after Lord of the Beans strayed from tradition.

The lesson begins with The Asparagus of La Mancha, where we open on an eerie, Dali-esque landscape of breadstick cacti and egg clouds. Don (Archibald Asparagus, sporting suit of armor, a sword, and a stylish curlicued beard and mustache) rides through this strange scene on his noble steed, a wooden horse on wheels, which doesn't allow for a great deal of control. When he wakes with a start, he declares to his faithful waiter Poncho (Mr. Lunt) that he has just had "the impossible dream." While Don is eccentric awake or asleep, his knightly activities take place only at night within the relatively safe confines of his own dreams.

By day, he heads up a restaurant that is now threatened by the massive Food Factory that has moved in across the street. While this shiny new competitor is unrepentantly anachronistic, I appreciated the fact that one of its prominent fixtures is a windmill. While Don's dreams are visually arresting and boast a delightful Spanish-flavored, guitar-rich score with haunting vocals, Don has all the oddity of the character on which he's based but little of the nobility. Archibald almost always is a whiner, and here as elsewhere he wallows in self-pity when he thinks his restaurant is failing and his longtime employee - and friend - abandoning him. But Mr. Lunt plays against character as a true blue best buddy, demonstrating how we should support our friends during their times of need.

The silly song often ties in with the show's central theme, and that is the case here. We open on Larry, looking a bit silly in a colorful baseball cap, gazing wistfully through the bars around the gated community within which his ball has landed. While the iron fence is computer animated - perhaps to emphasize the Us and Them notion that "good fences make good neighbors" - the buildings have a flat, simplistic look to them, which makes for an interesting visual. The song is a back-and-forth between Larry and three self-satisfied, polo-sporting men who, a la the mayor and doctor in The Story of Flibber-o-loo, would rather sing about how important they are than take two seconds to help somebody out. It's an amusing little number with a barbershop quartet feel to it. The men's voices blend beautifully, and Larry's plaintive tones ring out among them as he grows ever more urgent.

The title story plays on Sherlock Holmes' celebrated self-assurance, giving us an anti-hero who is full of bluster, arrogant but completely inept. To borrow a line from Tim Rice: "Not only is he tactless, but he's also rather dim." Holmes takes credit for everything, yet he has no comprehension of complex vocabulary - a specialty of the ever-present Dr. Watson - and little deductive prowess - not to mention an utter inability to understand a Scottish accent. It's impossible to dislike him too much; after all, it's Sherlock Holmes, and it's Larry. But his attitude is aggravating, and Bob's Dr. Watson is immediately a sympathetic character - though a word might be said about all his bitter grumbling, too. As Holmes' faithful sidekick - and the real brains behind the operation - he's tired of listening to his friend brag about his own exploits while leaving his round red pal out of it.

The look of this portion of the DVD is very smooth, and I especially like the Sheerluck costume and Dr. Watson's mustache. In addition to the obvious throwbacks to Doyle, there are nods to several detective shows, both classic and contemporary. Mr. Nezzer and Mr. Lunt are amusing as members of a meddlesome crime scene team who are fond of hanging yellow tape and informing spectators that there's "nothing to see here." Madame Blueberry and Pa Grape put in brief appearances as well, and the French peas serve as palace guards (in London...). Curiously, Junior Asparagus never shows up at all, which is quite a rare occurrence. There's one song in this segment, a bouncy, piano-driven number filled with complicated words. Sheerluck and Dr. Watson sing it together, and upon the reprise they are much more evenly matched. Their favorite hang-out, by the way, is a pub, which has a friendly Cheers-like quality to it, with Jimmy and Jerry serving as Cliff and Norm. The mop-topped pea and perky waitress round out the ensemble. Keep an eye out for the maids in this one; they steal the show in one hilarious scene.

We wind up back at the counter-top again, of course, though oddly enough, there is no What We Have Learned song - especially strange, given that the song is mentioned in the credits. In fact, as far as I could tell, the only specifically Christian thing about this episode - aside from the phrase "the golden rule" - was the Bible verse that appeared on Qwerty at the end (only after a commercial praising the virtues of South Dakota) and the concluding "God made you special, and he loves you very much." This strikes me as rather curious, but it didn't detract from my enjoyment. Nonetheless, while I found the DVD perfectly entertaining, there were fewer than usual laugh-out-loud moments for me, and I would like to have seen at least one more song, in the La Mancha segment. Aside from those small issues, this latest Veggie offering, which hits stores next month, is a worthy installment of my favorite direct-to-video series that draws on a couple of treasured literary classics in order to impart a valuable lesson to youngsters. They hit their mark as always, and I'm already looking forward to the next one.

Where's God When I'm Sca-a-ared?
God Wants Me to Forgive Them?!
Are You My Neighbor?
Josh and the Big Wall
Very Silly Songs!
The End of Silliness?
Rack, Shack, and Benny
Madame Blueberry
The Toy That Saved Christmas
Dave and the Giant Pickle
Larry Boy! & the Fib from Outer Space
Larry Boy! & the Rumor Weed
Lyle the Kindly Viking
Esther - The Girl Who Became Queen
King George and the Ducky
The Ballad of Little Joe
An Easter Carol
The Wonderful World of Auto-Tainment
A Snoodle's Tale
Sumo of the Opera
Duke and the Great Pie War
Minnesota Cuke and the Search for Samson's Hairbrush
Veggie Tunes
Veggie Tunes 2
Veggiecational Book
Junior Glow Light
Dress-Up Mix-Up Larry

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD