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CBN.com - Larry the Cucumber and friends are back in Moe and the Big Exit, a clever retelling of the story of Moses and the Exodus. As a sequel to The Ballad of Little Joe, which told of Joseph and his brothers, the story is a western about Little Joe’s descendants who are now being forced to dig the Grand Canyon.

While his relatives are slaving away in the heat of the desert, Moe (played by Larry the Cucumber) has been living the good life in Dodgeball City. After he has a run-in with the town’s officials, he flees to the mountains. But God soon calls him to return to the city to ask the Mayor to let his relatives leave. When Moe tries to rely on his own strength to convince the Mayor, his plan fails miserably. He quickly learns that to do what God has called him to, He will have to do it God’s way rather than his own.

This is a tale that is fun for all ages. Although the veggie version does differ slightly from the biblical account in Exodus, the changes seem to have been made strictly with the intent to simplify the story for children.

For instance, the first-born sons of Dodgeball City are not killed, they are merely “sent up the river,” which is also how Moe came to be raised by the Mayor’s family. The plagues that afflict Dodgeball City include the city’s lake that turns into tomato juice, prairie dogs, grasshoppers, dying cattle, pimples, and a tornado that ravages the city. In keeping with the western theme, God appears to Moses in a burning tumbleweed, rather than a burning bush. The parting of the Red Sea is also changed slightly, since the story takes place in a desert where there are no oceans.

These changes are minimal and do not take away from the validity of the story. The result is a fun adventure that teaches kids the importance of following God’s directions. Along with Moe, the children learn that when God gives you a plan to follow, you need to stick with it. He will equip you to do whatever it is that He calls you to.

As with other Veggie Tales episodes, the music in Moe and the Big Exit is highly enjoyable. There is one new Silly Song, “A Mess Down in Egypt,” performed by VeggieTales’ The Boyz in the Sink. Other songs include “Oh Lone Stranger,” “The Boy that we Call Moe,” “God Did,” and “He Still Wouldn’t Listen.”

The DVD also offers several fun bonus features including a behind-the-scenes look at the making of Moe and the Big Exit, a Boyz Sing Along, video trivia, instructions on how to draw Moe and Zippy, a Western Duds game, and a sneak peak of The Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything, the new VeggieTales movie that is coming to theaters in 2008.

Moe and the Big Exit hits stores on March 3.