Thomas & Friends: Thomas' Trusty Friends
By Jane Louise BoursawAverage User Rating:
MPAA Rating: Not Rated (geared for preschoolers)
You're probably familiar with Thomas the Tank Engine and his little friends. But what you might not know is that their story actually began in 1917 in the sleepy village of Box in Wiltshire, England.Tucked safely in bed at night, a small boy used to listen to the nearby steam engines huffing and puffing along the Great Western railway that ran from Paddington to Bristol. The engines sounded like they were talking to each other, thought the boy. He grew up to become the Reverend W. Awdry, creator of Thomas, Bertie, Annie, Clarabel, and all the others. Many of their stories are based on real-life events.
Set on the imaginary island of Sodor, the railway where Thomas works is overseen by director Sir Topham Hatt, the guy responsible for making sure things run smoothly. That's not always easy when you've got a bunch of diverse vehicles on your hands.
Thomas, for instance, is a fussy little engine, always getting into scraps by trying to do things best left to the bigger engines. Duncan tends to have a mind of his own, which makes him rude and obstinate at times. Edward, on the other hand, is good-willed and kind, an older engine who helps to calm everyone down and restore order.
You get the picture. Everyone has their own personality. But even when the vehicles disagree, it's all quite civilized. Sodor is a gentle place where good manners, hard work and a desire to be "really useful" are of the utmost importance. Really, who wouldn't want to live there? It's an awesome place.
This 35-minute DVD includes six episodes, shot in real-time live-action, and voiced entirely by the "Storyteller" (at varying times: Ringo Starr, Alec Baldwin, George Carlin, and Michael Brandon). Great writing, fun characters that appeal to kids, and a crisp, colorful production make this series a winner for preschoolers.
Episodes include:
1) Thomas' Trusty Friends. Ned is disappointed that his only job on demolishing a building is to clear up the rubble. When Oliver's wrecking ball won't knock down the building, Ned comes to the rescue – by accident!
2) Alfie Has Kittens. Alfie the Excavator is sent to help demolish a building, but the other machines tease him for being small. Later when a mother cat and her kittens are discovered in the building, only Alfie is small enough to rescue them. Now THAT's what it's all about, Alfie!
3) A Tale for Thomas. A very rare, old tree has been struck by lightning, and the Pack has to prop it up before it falls over. But Max and Monty cause trouble and end up running into the tree, which doesn't improve its chances for survival. Alfie, Oliver and Kelly try to prop up the tree, but things don't look good. Jack hurries to get the props from Thomas to hold it up. Will all the machines be able to pull together and repair the tree before it falls over? I think we all know the answer!
4) Percy Helps Out. When Miss Jenny sends Nelson the Ballast Tractor to carry Thomas for repairs, he confides to Thomas that he'd like to be carried by someone else for a change. Imagine his delight when the Fat Controller instructs Percy to carry him all the way back to the yard!
5) The Tortoise & the Hare. Working on the Sodor Rally Track, Buster dreams of being the fastest steamroller. Max and Monty tease him for being slow, but when they're all asked to test the track, Max and Monty are so busy arguing (those troublemakers!) that Buster rolls over the finish line first. Way to go, Buster.
6) Thomas and the Moles. When a big storm causes lots of damage on the Island of Sodor, Buster feels left out. There's not much for a steamroller to do, until Miss Jenny discovers the soccer field is covered in molehills. She immediately calls on – you guessed it – Buster. He's "really useful" after all!
PRESCHOOLERS (ages 2-5): Thomas and his friends offer some great lessons for preschoolers about working together, celebrating differences, and learning to accept that sometimes you need help. Not only that, the characters and settings are totally believable. I mean, there really IS a place called Sodor where all these vehicles live…isn't there...?
GRADE-SCHOOLERS (ages 6-10): This series is geared for preschoolers, but it's easy to get pulled into the personalities of all the characters. They all have their own back-story!
TWEEN/TEEN (ages 11+): Thomas and his friends really skew younger, although the series is a great lesson in how to produce a superb live-action series for kids. So dust off those camcorders and get to work!
BONUS FEATURES:
- New DVD-Rom Game: Tic Tac Toe
- 2 Sing-Along Songs: "One Friendly Family" and "Engine Roll Call".
- 2 Coloring Sheets
- Character Gallery
Jane Louise Boursaw is a freelance journalist specializing in the movie and television industries.
