Rating: 
Summary: Coma-Inducing!
Review: Our two boys love this film; they love Thomas, trains, etc. No matter that the film does not make sense and is poorly made. We took them to see this in the theater and thought the misery would never end.The purpose of this video would be solely to entertain your little ones; and indeed it will. However, be prepared to suffer the agony of watching it over and over again. The writing is poor, the acting is terrible (including Peter Fonda, who seems to be sleep-walking through this role, and Alec Baldwin, who is capable of much better), and the story is impossible to follow and veers off into imponderable riddles. There is something to be said for mindless entertainment, but I would much rather my children watch something of quality which makes sense. If you can possibly avoid buying this for your children, do!
Rating: 
Summary: My daughters love it!
Review: My daughters, 6 and 3, love this movie! The elder likes magic, the younger likes trains. What more could you ask, other than a movie that combines both. Some of the acting is pretty mediocre, but that has never deterred young children from liking a movie. They focus on what they do like- talking trains, big, beautiful steam engines, little girls having an adventure, gold dust, miniature people, the triumph of good over evil. (I can't imagine complaining about the character of the nasty diesel engine- without conflict, where is the plot?!) Better child actors would have improved the movie a lot- seems like they didn't rehearse much and their expressions seem a bit wooden. As an adult, I was a little confused at the absence of people on Sodor, but my daughters haven't commented on it. I wondered where the rest of the little people like Mr. Conductor and Junior have gone- how will they get their gold dust refill?! And what was Junior thinking, just frittering it away? How did Lady disappear? What the heck was Mr. C doing with the ball and bat? Where can I get a pajama outfit like he was wearing then? Alec Baldwin is easy on the eyes of a mom who watches too many children's movies, so that's a nice touch. :-)
Rating:
Summary: Families Will Love It
Review: Some love it; others hate it. This is good for families. It also has theatrical trailers: The Magic Railroad, Muppets in Space, Jumanji, and Madeline. Great flick.
Rating: 
Summary: Not made to please adults!
Review: This little film was made to enchant SMALL CHILDREN -- and judging by the other (even the harshest) reviews it has overwhelmingly accomplished its mission. I really don't think we ought to examine it as if it were Elia Kazan's "On the Waterfront". Admittedly adults can see that morose Burnett Stone shouldn't be allowed to purchase weapons or any more railroad collectibles -- the man appears to harbour perhaps an unhealthy love for the steam engine named Lady -- but I don't think it matters a whit. The 2 to 5 set absolutely adore this film and I believe that was its entire intent.
Rating: 
Summary: OK for a 2-year-old (but that's it)
Review: First, the positives: my two-year-old son who is a major Thomas fan absolutely LOVES this film! It's a cute little film for little kids. If you're an adult, however, get ready to be confused and disappointed. The plot is virtually non-existant and the direction is poor. Conductor (Alec Baldwin) is far too over-the-top in his role, while Grandpa Stone (Peter Fonda) is so depressed I don't think even prozac could help. Most of the numerous other "live" characters that pop up (Billy, Patch, Stacy Jones, etc.) serve only to confuse the story. Thomas and the other trains actually seem to take a second-hand role, being supplanted by all the "sparkle". This film is definitely NOT in the same class as the Thomas Videos which are gems- So why did I give it two stars and not one? Because my son likes it and that must count for something.
Rating:
Summary: Could have been a goldmine
Review: Had Britt Allcroft released Thomas and the Magic Railroad as a comedy, he may have never had to work again. But as a children's fantasy, it fails miserably. First off, there are about five totally unrelated plots that coexist throughout the film. All of them are too unrealistic to believe, especially for one with prior knowledge of Thomas the Tank Engine. The whole film, I wondered what Diesel 10 was doing there. In past Island of Sodor stories, an engine that misbehaved was exiled from the Island by Sir Topham Hat. But Diesel shows up, threatens total annihilation of steam engines, and "Hatty" does nothing. Then there is the dilemma of the "gold dust", which makes me wonder where Mr. Conductor has been getting his gold dust for the past fifteen years. The third plot revolves around Burnett Stone (more about this unforgetable character later), Lily, and Patch. I never fully understood this portion of the film, but I have assured myself I missed nothing. There are a handful of characters who contribute nothing. Didi Conn, Billy Two-Feathers, Patch, "Mutt", and Junior C, all fit this mold. However, Junior C's light and infectious manner does put the audience temporarily out of its misery. The character who manages to hold the film together (I use "together" as a very loose term) is Mr. Conductor. I am convinced Alec Baldwin is the only actor in the cast who actually worked for his paycheck. Mara Wilson is nice, too, but her character is terribly one-dimensional. Lastly, special recognition is due to Burnett Stone. I mean, you have to feel sympathy for a character who is apparently depressed not because his wife has died, but because he let down Lady (a team engine). Peter Fonda deserves the Oscar for his steller performance of blank expressions and monotone lines. (For a minute, I thought I was watching an ad for Prozac.) At points during the movie, I thought, "Let's hope there are no sharp objects in Burnett's home. So, after all this negative critiquing, why did I give this film five stars? As I said in the beginning, it is meant to be viewed as a comedy. It is one of the five funniest films I have ever seen. Maybe Britt Allcroft was high on gold dust when he wrote the script. Perhaps he can share a room with Robert Downey Jr. in rehab.
Rating:
Summary: This is a great movie for kids and adults who enjoy thomas
Review: I have watched this movie at least ten times with my two year old son and we never get tired of it. Apart from it being a movie it is also a great platform for a learning interaction between parent and child. Many of the messages in films like these can always be expanded if your child has a fascination for the subject. The DVD is crystal clear for viewing . I would recommend this to any parent whose child like trains. I can't wait for the next one
Rating:
Summary: Thomas Tanked
Review: I thought this movie was horrible. My son liked it alot, but the storyline was hard to follow and Fonda's portrayal of this dejected man was too hard to bear.
Rating:
Summary: Really useless movie
Review: Awful; a disgrace to the Thomas tradition. Poor Rev. Awdry, the late author of the original corpus of Thomas books, would not be pleased by this disastrous new creation. Thomas the T.E. is a wonderful creation, and I have greatly enjoyed the other videos produced by Britt Alcroft, but this turkey is a disaster. The plot was incomprehensible. Alec Baldwin and Peter Fonda gamely delivered their moronic lines. For some reason, Peter Fonda seemed to be chronically depressed. I'd like to say that the script seemed as if it had been produced by a committee of illiterate schizophrenics, but that would be an insult to schizophrenics. My 3 year old son loved it. Although he only saw it once (in the movie theater) he continues to talk about it.
Rating:
Summary: if it makes them happy
Review: my sons, who are 2 1/2, have just recently become interested in trains so i thought this would be great for them. we have plenty of kids videos that i can easily tolerate. all i can say is that if my sons didn't love this movie the way they do, it'd be in the trash. it's so bad i feel like it's almost an insult to my kids intelligence. the only redeeming thing about it is that there are trains in it. i feel very sorry for the people who made it, it's horrible. still, if it makes the kids happy, we just have to suffer through it.
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