As we are ticking down to the end the year and the decade here in Sydney, Australia, let's take a look back at the DVDs that were released across the UK and Australia during the year 2019. Some of my opinions may have changed during the year. But first:
THESE ARE SOLEY MY OPINIONS AND ARE NOT INFLUENCED FROM THE THOMAS & FRIENDS FANBASE
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A RETROSPECTIVE OF THOMAS & FRIENDS DVDS OF 2019
MONKEY TROUBLE
Review Date:
25/04/19
Filled with some dudded episodes but some are watchable. Pretty much still hold these views today.
Rating: 6.5/10
Rating: 6.5/10
THE COMPLETE SERIES 20 COLLECTION
26/06/19
This still holds up in my opinion and probably the best series from the Brenner/McCue era. But I won't say it was perfect either. There were some duds like Hugo's episodes and 'The Missing Breakdown Train' and considering how some people thought Thomas was stodgy I can tell that episodes like Judy and Jerome's was pretty dull. In the end this was a good series and a worthy DVD for the fans of the series, although the bonus disc wasn't really worth it considering that most people from 2016 would've purchased it.
Rating: 6.5/10
A COLOURFUL WORLD
Rating: 6.5/10
A COLOURFUL WORLD
Review Date:
31/08/19
Still hold the same view points for this DVD from when it was released. Dudded episodes here and there but some are worthy of a watch.
Rating: 7/10
DIGS & DISCOVERIES
Review Date:
10/11/19
To me these specials were just extended episodes but that's what I was expecting when it comes to these 20 minutes specials. Digs and Discoveries isn't in the line of the yearly special we had in the past but they shouldn't be compared to that because they are different. I think Gina was an interesting character, sassy, fussy but caring. Lorenzo and Bepe were funny as well, even though they didn't have much to show in the TV specials. The Italian setting was great too from Jam Filled, love that mediterranean look and feel towards it with the trees, buildings and the sunlight too. The story was good but not perfect but it feels like what 'King of The Railway' was with its simple story.
I think the bonus episodes add a bit of value for the young audience to be entertained by and they were entertaining in my view. The song however feels like a copy and paste song with the chorus and then add lyrics of the Sodor construction crew characters, kind of like Engine Roll Call. However the music was pretty catchy.
Rating: 9/10
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And that is all for 2019! So what will be happening in 2020, well the 75th anniversary of the Railway Series books of course and the two new mini specials 'Marvellous Machines' and 'The Royal Engine'. This will be interesting to see how Mattel would treat it as of course 75 years is a very big milestone for something like Thomas. Hopefully there's a good marketing campaign behind it all. It will also be interesting to see the start of David Stoten's rein as head writer now that Andrew Brenner had left. So good luck to him and I hope for the best.
It's quite sad to see that 2019 is the final year for Jam Filled. As stated via Instagram, they are done with Thomas as Mattel are switching animation studios. So if any of them are reading this, I like to give them thanks for their hard work and great contribution and their great interaction with older fans via social media.
It's quite sad to see that 2019 is the final year for Jam Filled. As stated via Instagram, they are done with Thomas as Mattel are switching animation studios. So if any of them are reading this, I like to give them thanks for their hard work and great contribution and their great interaction with older fans via social media.
I'm also considering of doing other reviews, to give this blog some life instead of just waiting for new DVDs and recent episodes. I'm thinking of re-reviewing the classic series again and looking back at my old posts from 2012-13, they hadn't aged well and most of the criticisms were nitpicks, at the time when dealing with the lack of brake vans was a big thing in this fandom :P I'm only focusing on the classic seasons (1-7) because I still hold my views on the 'new series' and 'early CGI era' (S13-16) and I really don't want to sit through those episodes again. Those might be released in the early months.
Plus I might go back and re-review the specials as well, mostly the ones from the Brenner/McCue era, from 'King of The Railway' - 'The Great Race'. 'Journey Beyond Sodor' and 'Big World, Big Adventures' are still young in my eyes and I still have some viewpoints that I'd held since their release. I might focus on this sometime around mid-2020.
Anyway, I hope everyone reading this has a safe and happy new year!!
-NWR1991.
