THESE ARE SOLEY MY OPINIONS AND NOT FROM THE THOMAS & FRIENDS FAN BASE
With December being the final month of 2013, let's now take a look a back at all the DVDs reviewed on this blog's first year during the course of 2013 from many different countries such as the UK, US, Japan and Australia from the past and today, you can click on the titles of these reviews to see my full view on theses. Let's take a look at all the Thomas & Friends DVDs from 2013:
5/02/13
The first DVD of the year for the United States and I think it did OK, it had some bad choices of episodes but some decent ones too. The game on this DVD wasn't as entertaining as the one on the Christmas DVD that came out to the US back 2012 but its something fun for the target range.
Rating:
3/5
6/03/13
A surprisingly early release for Australia, as most DVDs either come out months or a year after the release dates in the UK and US. However, I was a bit disappointed with the choice of episodes that this DVD and that is of course the two horrible season 15 episodes, 'Wonky Whistle' and 'Kevin The Steamie'. It would've gone better with the original list, that the UK and US had, and placed an extra S16 episode. ABC should've released the two episodes on a different DVD. However, I'm glad they've kept the three good ones.
Rating:
3/5
19/03/13
A gem to have in your Thomas DVD collection. Nowadays when it comes to DVDs celebrating an important milestone in the history of Thomas the Tank Engine, it's usually a compilation of episodes that are either remastered or not. This one has interviews with many kids, who would now be at an older age now, talking about their favourite Thomas episodes. It has good games and a great 'Read-Along' of a classic episode with wonderful illustrations by Owen Bell.
Rating:
5/5
25/03/13
This was a good DVD release. It has simple stories and even though this is the only DVD to have Michael Angelis' narration for the American audiences, which by the way is actually good and much more better then Alec Baldwin's narration in my opinion. A nice catchy song at the end as well.
Rating:
4/5
29/03/13
Not much good episodes in my opinion but the target range would enjoy the episodes from the DVD. The game wasn't that special. Though I don't hate the DVD.
Rating:
3/5
3/04/13
There are three good episodes on this DVD and two that are not worth the watch. But the DVD release is simple with just five episodes and despite the region code showing 3 (China's release), it's actually all region.
Rating:
3/5
FELLOW HIRO, SPECIAL CARE
REVIEW DATE:
18/05/13
The DVD is excellent. To me Hiro's a likeable character and its great to see a DVD about him and his popularity in Japan. Despite the bad episodes it was still a great DVD.
Rating:
5/5
BIG PANIC ISLAND OF SODOR
REVIEW DATE:
20/05/13
Another creative DVD, this time about the accidents, races, rescues and runaways in the series. I love the DVD cover as it shows that even the shock faces don't mean any harm, that nowadays most DVDs have a smiley face to boost sales. The entire program shows us in sections of all the panic in the series and end it with 'Flour Power' or as its known in Japan 'The Power of Wheat and Thomas', which was an OK episode. The DVD is great and is recommendable to kids and Thomas fans who love the crashes in the series.
Rating:
5/5
THOMAS THE TANK ENGINE CHARACTER ENCYCLOPAEDIA
REVIEW DATE:
27/5/13
The DVD teaches kids about all the different vehicles on the Island. This is one of my favorite Japanese DVDs and sometimes I wish why can't HIT Entertainment do something like this for the english territories.
Rating:
5/5
65TH ANNIVERSARY OF THOMAS THE TANK ENGINE
REVIEW DATE:
28/5/13
While people in the UK and US get a compilation DVD of Thomas & Friends episodes, Japan released there own DVD to celebrate the anniversary in 2010. I love the comparison of the Railway Series story and TV series story of the four episodes that are featured on this DVD.
Rating:
4/5
FELLOW HIRO, SPECIAL CARE
18/05/13
The DVD is excellent. To me Hiro's a likeable character and its great to see a DVD about him and his popularity in Japan. Despite the bad episodes it was still a great DVD.
Rating:
5/5
BIG PANIC ISLAND OF SODOR
20/05/13
Another creative DVD, this time about the accidents, races, rescues and runaways in the series. I love the DVD cover as it shows that even the shock faces don't mean any harm, that nowadays most DVDs have a smiley face to boost sales. The entire program shows us in sections of all the panic in the series and end it with 'Flour Power' or as its known in Japan 'The Power of Wheat and Thomas', which was an OK episode. The DVD is great and is recommendable to kids and Thomas fans who love the crashes in the series.
Rating:
5/5
THOMAS THE TANK ENGINE CHARACTER ENCYCLOPAEDIA
27/5/13
The DVD teaches kids about all the different vehicles on the Island. This is one of my favorite Japanese DVDs and sometimes I wish why can't HIT Entertainment do something like this for the english territories.
Rating:
5/5
65TH ANNIVERSARY OF THOMAS THE TANK ENGINE
28/5/13
While people in the UK and US get a compilation DVD of Thomas & Friends episodes, Japan released there own DVD to celebrate the anniversary in 2010. I love the comparison of the Railway Series story and TV series story of the four episodes that are featured on this DVD.
Rating:
4/5
25/07/13
The writing is dull and bland and annoying with its three strikes formula and repetition and rhyming. However there were some good episodes that's better then S13 and Nitrogen's animation was fantastic to watch.
Rating:
3/5
TREAT SIZE DVD PRESENTS...
10/08/13
With episodes at its prime, these are well worth the money. A nice list of classic Thomas episodes from the early years with Ringo Starr as narrator and for 1.00 pound in the UK at Poundland, I bought these at their one in York. Well worth the money.
Rating:
5/5
Rating:
5/5
RAILWAY MISCHIEF
19/08/13
A must have for any Thomas fan, this was a Wal*Mart exclusive, so you have to live in America or Canada as Wal*Mart doesn't sell worldwide, but you can get it from sellers on Amazon US or eBay, if you're lucky. The five selected episodes are from the new and improved S17 and they are enjoyable particulary 'Gordon Runs Dry'.
Rating:
4.9/5
18/09/13
Overall this has beaten the likes of 'Blue Mountain Mystery' and 'The Great Discovery' in my book. Andrew Brenner's first DVD special has ended up as the best selling DVD for Children on Amazon in the UK. The backstory of Ulfstead Castle gives Sodor that imaginative feeling to kids that it's real, like the fictional history from the Reverend Awdry's book about Sodor in 1987. The story is written well and can entertain families, kids as well as older Thomas fans.
Rating:
5/5 SANTA'S LITTLE ENGINE
10/10/13
Despite the use of 'Snow Tracks' being re-narrated and re-released, the script from three years ago from the episode is still there with its unneeded rhyming and alliteration and stupidity of characters. But the rest of the episodes, from Season 17 were an acceptation. The best episodes that I've find there is 'The Missing Christmas Decorations', it is better then the plot of 'Day of The Diesels' even though it was for an episode. Plus they've fixed up the whole Christmas/Winter Holidays thing from 2012, I won't get into the debatable side of this issue as I have no interest about it.
RATING:
4.5/5
MERRY CHRISTMAS THOMAS/BIG BANG SURPRISE
6/11/13
A mixed bag for this DVD. The episodes from MCT are bland or have a poor teaching moral for kids ('Emily's Winter Party Surprise') and the episodes from BBS have some bad and OK/Good episodes, such as 'Percy and the Calliope'. In the end it's mixed but is a great value for two discs of twelve episodes in total for those people in the UK.
RATING:
3.5/5
