DVD Review: Team Up With Thomas
Lionsgate, HiT Entertainment Present Thomas the Tank Engine
May 28, 2009
Even after 25 years in production, Thomas and Friends (formerly Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends) is still going strong. Developed by Britt Allcroft and David Mitton, and based on the beloved tales by Reverend W.V. Awdrey, the television series depicted anthropomorphised trains on the fictional island of Sodor, learning important lessons about life and friendship.
HiT Entertainment, Lionsgate Produces Thomas and Friends Based on Reverend W.V. Awdrey Stories
This DVD features 4 episodes of Thomas and Friends, which use a combination of CGI and stop-motion to tell their tales (according to HiT, after 2009 the series will be wholly animated in CGI by Canada's Nitrogen Studios).
Here are the episodes:
- "Heave-Ho Thomas": Thomas runs into trouble when he tries to prove to newcomer Hank that he's just as powerful.
- "James Works It Out": James' ego gets the best of him when other trains make suggestions he's not willing to hear.
- "Tram Trouble": A new steam tram has arrived in Sodor, and Thomas thinks his old friend might get upstaged in tomorrow's parade.
- "Push Me Pull You": Skarlowey wreaks havoc on the line when he's allowed to pull the Puppet Show Special.
There are striking similarities in the plotlines of these episodes (swap the characters in episodes 1 and 2, and they'd be indistinguishable from one another), but they definitely offer entertaining lessons in sharing, friendship, and getting along with others.
Animation-wise, there's a bit of glossiness (the sign of cheap CGI) and the mouth movements don't line up terribly well with the dialogue. But the stories are simple enough for the kiddies to understand while not being too schmaltzy for their parents.
That said, it's a shame that HiT felt the need to give everyone's voices a bland, mid-Atlantic accent, since the show in general has a very British vibe. It would have been nice to maintain that Blighty texture over the whole show, but certain "creative executives" in HiT probably felt differently.
DVD Extras
Unlike a lot of recent DVDs, Team Up With Thomas features some pretty nifty extras. There's a bonus short "Roary Takes Off" featuring Roary the Race Car getting into trouble when someone switches helium for his gasoline.
In addition, there are a couple of games: "Spot the Differences" is pretty straightforward (two non-identical pictures, you can take it from there) plus there's "Sir Topham Hatt's Helping Hands" game. Oh yeah, and there's a bonus Thomas the Tank Engine toy for your little 'un.
The Final Analysis
Every now and then it's nice to see a DVD that doesn't try to rip your head off with loud noises and overly exuberant hosts. Team Up With Thomas is strictly for the younger set, as anyone over Grade Two might find the stories a little too simplistic. That said, they're charming tales that emphasize the value of co-operation and not being too proud to ask for help.
It gets a 7/10.
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