Thomas & Friends - Calling All Engines! [DVD]

Always a hit with the kids.From my prespective not as good as the originals with Ringo.But the kids love it every bit as much

My son (now three) loves this video, and enjoys quoting from it and reenacting various scenes. When our DVD was broken (as can happen when a three year old tries to remove it from the case) we ordered this replacement.But this replacement disk was scratched. It stalls about 4 minutes in. We can fast forward past the damaged segment, and the disk is otherwise fine, but it is quite frustrating, especially for my son.As for the film itself? Well, my son just adores it. And it is, at times quite engaging, and even amusing. But it really isn't an especially good movie.In hindsight, we should have waited until my son was older. The film is a little bit violent - the steam engines and diesel engines actually come to blows before overcoming their differences - and I now have a son who loves "giving things a biff". And he finds the storm scene both exciting and frightening.Aside from that, it's a little morally confused. The film tries to celebrate diversity (we are repeatedly told that the engines all have "different roles to play") while simultaneously implying that all engines can accomplish all tasks if they try hard (Thomas performs feats that are explicitly described as being better suited for a diesel), and ultimately isn't able to reconcile these two themes. The plot is also a bit disjointed, with two, nearly identical climaxes (the steamies and diesels set aside their differences to build the airport, and then Thomas has to persuade the fearsome Diesel 10 to help fix the runway.On the upside - the film uses the division between steam engines and diesel engines as an allegory for racism, which is a nice idea (although possibly the cause of the moral confusion noted above - you can't have a story where different races "all have different roles to play"!). I especially like the misdirection where near the beginning the narrator (Michael Angelis is excellent) explains that "steamies and diesels really are very different" but only cites superficial differences (steam engines have whistles but diesels have horns). An unreliable narrator in a film aimed at preschoolers! And of course, it all looks wonderful, and the music is surprisingly well written (except for the execrable closing number "Together").And then there are bits that are just plain weird. For example, Thomas achieves enlightenment after having some sort of mystical dream journey where he climbs a mountain and sees the magical engine Lady. It's a segment that really seems out of place in this movie. The scary musical number (wisely excised to the special features) where the engines have nightmares about no longer being useful is also downright weird.Finally, the film include a number of seemingly pointless tiny cameos (product placements if you want to be cynical) for incidental characters such as Salty, Daisy, and Rusty.

My two year old grandson is very interested in Thomas and we sit together to watch this dvd. However I use the controller quite a lot as the dark stormy scenes are a bit scarey for little ones, the idea of the engines' homes being blown down in the night is a bit much.Also I think that the combination of computer graphics, stories and singing is a bit of a hotch potch. The songs are great and sung by children, they are really appealing and catchy. Thomas will always appeal to small chlldren, there are lessons to be learned and kindliness rewarded. Never get above yourself though!

ordered in error but would not let me cancel this i was looking for dvd for granchild feel i have be robbed

Definite watch for all Thomas fans

Our 3 year old son really loved this film, well written, a good selection of songs and taught him the importance of team work to

This is very good

Christmas present