Spookley the Square Pumpkin Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.0
Audio		2.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.0

Spookley the Square Pumpkin Blu-ray Movie Review

VeggieTales Lite...

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown October 20, 2023

If you like to talk to tomatoes, if a squash can make you smile, if you like to waltz with potatoes... up and down the proooduuuuce aisle... have we got a show for you! If you grew up in a household where VeggieTales was frequently on the menu, whether it was set in front of you as a child or you were the parent doing the setting, then you're probably more than familiar with the odd charm of singing vegetables and bouncing gourds serving up easy-to-digest moral lessons. Enter Spookley the Square Pumpkin, a veggie that's not quite as smart as Bob the Tomato, not quite as silly as Larry the Cucumber, not quite as endearing as your favorite VT all-stars, yet offers plenty of spooooky bursts of bright eye-catching colors, easily remembered sing-along songs, mercifully short toddler-to-preK laughs, and a nice lesson on tolerance and kindness, making it a worthwhile addition to your little one's Halloween holiday watchlist. (So long as It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown is already in your family's yearly rotation.)

If you've never heard of Spookley... surprise! This isn't his first outing. Like SpongeBob, Spookley is, you guessed it, square(ish). Unlike SpongeBob, Spookley won't irritate any of the GenX or Boomers in the room, struggles to feel like he fits in, and wants to be a good friend to everyone he meets. Unfortunately for Spookley, he's teased on the regular. By who? Round pumpkins, of course, who enjoy nothing more than to poke fun at Spookley for being different. Cue wholesome help and encouragement from a ragtag group of Halloween friends -- a scarecrow, two bats and three spiders -- who help the square pumpkin learn to love himself more and recognize his value, no matter what anyone thinks or says.

If that doesn't make you want to snag a copy of Spookley the Square Pumpkin for your 2-7 year old, nothing will. It's sweet, harmless fun with a solid message that could easily inspire a one-of-a-kind conversation between you and your children. Will you enjoy the adventure? Eh, not really. Let's be honest. If it wasn't for the joy on the faces of our kids, would we watch any of this stuff? On the surface it's dull and slowly paced (by kindergarten standards it's a whizbang hayride through a farm) and you'll probably internally roll your mom or dad eyes when junior asks to watch it yet again. But they will probably ask. I can't quite figure out what it is about veggies with no arms or legs, who lift objects through what can only be described as finely honed telekinesis, but it hardly matters. It works, it delights, it brings smiles and its songs aren't too terribly obnoxious. (And will certainly be cuter when sung by your son or daughter, belting out the catchy choruses in the bath.) Mileage will vary, as everything with parenting does, but there aren't very many toothless Halloween specials for kids out there, so this one will is likely to help fill a void. Again, make sure to first go with the far superior It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (available in 4K even). But if the Great Pumpkin already has a home on your shelf, you could do much, much worse than Spookley the Square Pumpkin.

Spookley the Square Pumpkin Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Though the animation is dated (by at least two decades), Spookley's 1.33:1 1080p/AVC-encoded video presentation is serviceable. Artifacting, banding and especially aliasing are all present, enough that eagle-eyed five-year-olds will notice. (I say it's never too early to train 'em properly in the ways of videophiling, mom and dad.) Each traces back to the source and the original CG animation, so it's hardly a concern... though it does make for some rather unsightly stockiness on larger displays. Colors thankfully are vibrant and bold, black levels are inky, and detailing in the animation is decently rendered (despite the flat, soft backgrounds) and fairly well-reproduced. There's nothing to speak of in the way of fine textures but, again, take it up with the animators and their late '90s/early 2000s animation. All told, kids won't care about the presentation's issues. Dated visuals or no, Spookley the Square Pumpkin looks about as good as it could in this Cinedigm Blu-ray release.

Spookley the Square Pumpkin Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

I doubt lossless audio could've aided matters but, hey, it's 2023. Lossy audio just doesn't cut it anymore, and the DTS track included here is a stereo mix at that. (Although imagining this one earning a surround remix is pretty funny.) Voices are clean and clear, prioritization doesn't allow the music and songs to overwhelm dialogue, and... that's about it. No rear speaker engagement, no low-end oomph, nothing really to get excited about. Will kids be disappointed? Probably won't even notice. You will, though I suspect you won't really care either.

Spookley the Square Pumpkin Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Spookley Video Storybooks (SD, 24 minutes) - Five Joe Troiano children's audio books are included: "The Legend of Beacon the Bright Little Firefly", "The Legend of Jellybean and the Unbreakable Egg", "The Legend of Spookley the Square Pumpkin", "The Legend of the Christmas Kittens" and "The Legend of Lyla the Lovesick Ladybug".

Spookley the Square Pumpkin Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

If you have a 2 to 7-year-old (my guestimation as to the age of Spookley's target demographic) and are looking for a cute, wholesome kids' Halloween special, Spookley the Square Pumpkin fits the bill quite nicely. I can't say it enough -- It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown should be your first stop over this -- but young children will more than enjoy the boxy pumpkin's colorful world, simple songs, big heart and light humor. The Blu-ray release is... okay. A solid video presentation is held back only by the dated appearance of the animation (and the issues that go along with it) and its lossy stereo audio sort of just hangs in the air listlessly. But it's all serviceable. A collection of narrated storybooks adds some value and rewatchability too, making this an easy recommendation at such a low pricepoint.