Steaming in the wrong direction...
The last special released in the Thomas franchise was Thomas & Friends: Hero of the Rails, the first fully-animated feature with our #1 tank engine. I was impressed how it was down-to-earth, kept things as realistic as possible, and showed real character development and personality, leading for good morals for children to learn. It was everything a parent and child would want, instead of something bland and colorful that parents could sit their kids in front of while they went off to do other things.
Misty Island Rescue, on the other hand, is none of those things.
The film starts off with Thomas helping to build the brand new Sodor Search and Rescue Center. Special wood from far away, called "Jobi wood", is needed to build it. Diesel tries to take the wood himself, but ends up almost crashing; Thomas saves him, but all the wood is lost in the sea. Sir Topham Hatt is proud of him, and as a...
Kinda Different, if you know what I mean.
I'm raising my twin grandsons who will soon be three and we own just about every "Thomas The Train" DVD out. I had been waiting for several months for the release of "Misty Island Rescue," with full understanding that, unlike the old offerings, this would be 100% animation. The actual DVD is of decent quality, however, the storyline is as strange as it can get. THIS IS A RATHER DARK FEELING DVD,(not quite Tim Burton, but headed in that direction). By that I mean it lacks the warmth I generally associate with Thomas stories throughout the years. Aside from several familiar characters, it doesn't even feel like it's taking place in Sodor. (A real twist, when you discover that Misty Island and Sodor are actually, but confusingly connected.)
If I had to come up with one word to describe this particular Thomas The Train DVD, it would have to be "WEIRD!!!" This is confirmed by Twins who don't want to view it again. Mind you, they always watch every one of the other DVD's again...
2 year old says "Meh."
This is not a bad story, but it drags. It could easily fit into half an hour and be more enjoyable. There are some nice moments of friendship and good values, my son really likes Cranky the Crane and Whiff, and I do like the new animation and the way the characters do more of their own dialog than the old style-- it develops the characters well. However, there were too many repetitions of Thomas's "I make good decisions" mantra, too long spent dithering around on Misty Island with creepy/kooky Bash and Dash, and too many truly suspenseful/dangerous situations, which all combined to make my 2yo son simultaneously anxious and bored. Not what I hope for when I pop in a Thomas movie! Perhaps for an older child it would be more engaging, and we'll stick to the shorter classic episodes until he's ready for longer movies. I'm glad I tried the Amazon video on demand version before buying it, that's a great way to preview without the expense and cutter of owning yet another movie that...
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