S18 Ep.11:Duncan and the Grumpy Passenger

THESE ARE SOLEY MY OPINIONS AND NOT FROM THE THOMAS & FRIENDS FAN BASE

DUNCAN AND THE GRUMPY PASSENGER

Written by

Davey Moore

Directed by

Don Spencer 

Produced by
Robert Anderson (Arc)
Ian McCue (HIT)

Air Date

8/09/14

Plot

Duncan, the grumpiest engine on the narrow gauge railway, gets a taste of his own medicine when he receives a very grumpy passenger. He tries his hardest to help the passenger so that they will stop complaining, but soon learns that it is impossible to please everybody.

PRO:

- Duncan's characterisation
- Moral: You can't please everyone
- The animation of the Skarloey Railway

CON:

- Duncan's CGI render looks plain
- Some errors from Arc

This episode is good. Davey Moore has been the writer of such good episodes like 'Luke's New Friend', 'The Switch' and 'Not Now Charlie', yes I actually think the latter was a good episode, despite Charlie's presences. I love how he've captured Duncan's characterisation, a grumpy engine, very season four. The moral has been implied that you can't please everybody, which pretty much sums up most of the entire fan base and all fan bases and people in general, you can't please everybody. And I'll say this and I mean it, Arc's render of the Skarloey Railway is better then Nitrogen's render. I believe SiF and SI3D's Sean was part of all this, as he personally knows the railway consultant of the series. They've captured the S4-7 setting of the railway and it has that welsh atmosphere as well. Crovans Gate station is the best one out of all them. However despite that it was great that Duncan returned, he seems to be a bit plain compare to the other renders of the Skarloey engines. There's a lack of detail and his running board is most likely from his Take-n-Play model, whereas his original model from S4-12 has a yellow running board. However, Arc Productions had captured the TVS model of Duncan really well and I give them credit for that. But of course we have the usual nitpicks of Arc's animation error. If you look at James, during Peter Sam and Duncan's conversation at Crovans Gate station earlier in the episode, noticed how he's pulling Skarloey coaches. Hopefully Arc goes back and fix the rendering issue for the DVD, like they did in 'The Thomas Way' DVD. I love how the story shows us the simple daily routine of Duncan's working life, it's simple and easy to understand when it comes to the target audience. Plus Tom Stourton also done a good scottish accent, not like the one I pull in my fan made videos or how previous storytellers put it, minus Ringo, stereotypical, though I was trying to impersonate Billy Connolly.  Plus being on the Skarloey Railway, it's a nice break from the Blue Mountain Quarry, hopefully we see more stories placed on the Skarloey Railway in future.

Rating: 8/10

S18 Ep.10:Thomas and the Emergency Cable

THESE ARE SOLEY MY OPINIONS AND NOT FROM THE THOMAS & FRIENDS FAN BASE

THOMAS AND THE EMERGENCY CABLE

Written by

Andrew Brenner

Directed by

David Stoten 

Produced by

Robert Anderson (Arc)
Ian McCue (HIT)

Air Date:

5/09/14

Plot

Thomas is on his branch line when a passenger pulls the emergency cable and he has to stop quickly. But it turns out not to be an emergency at all, but a bird watcher who has spotted a rare bird. To make matters worse, Clarabel has a wheel flat after being dragged along with her brakes on. So the next time Thomas sees the bird watcher he refuses to stop to collect him, but he soon learns that that is not the right thing to do.

PRO:

-Moral: Emergency brakes are only used for emergencies

- Some nice human interactions

- Thomas getting comeuppance 

CON:

- Annie being the brake coach

This is another of Andrew Brenner's 'small moments into big ideas' stories'. It teaches children about what emergency brakes are. The human interaction between the engines and human is decent, hope that they keep on with it in the future. Plus with the premise, it was nice to see Thomas getting his comeuppance at the end. But there is one gripe I have and that is Annie being the brake coach. As stated in 'Thomas and the Guard', Clarabel can take passengers, luggage and guard. The latter is the one in the brake coach, which is Clarabel and Annie would only have the brakes through a brake pipe while all the equipment for Clarabel would be attached to her, plus it was even in the description of the episode that Clarabel was one who've suffered. The way Annie was braking was very illogical, even with a railway consultant for the series. But still it didn't damage the interest I have with the episode and it shows that you don't need escapades all the time in the series. 

Rating: 9/10

S18 Ep.9:Thomas the Quarry Engine

THESE ARE SOLEY MY OPINIONS AND NOT FROM THE THOMAS & FRIENDS FAN BASE

THOMAS THE QUARRY ENGINE

Written by

Andrew Brenner

Directed by

David Baas

Produced by

Robert Anderson (Arc)

Ian McCue and Halim Jabbour (HIT)

Air Date

4/09/14

Plot:

Mavis is sad that she has to stay at the Quarry all the time and all she wants to be by the seaside. So Diesel, with his boastfulness of being revolutionary, made her the front engine, despite that Thomas thought of the offer at first for Mavis being the back engine. 

PRO:
- Another example of Awdry's characters are like children
- Moral: Always help one another

CON:
- Thomas kept on puffing while having his brakes on
- No purpose of the balloons on Mavis

Ever since April, this has always been my favourite episode and it still is five months later. The story feels like another Awdry style story, why? Because the characters act like children, Thomas thinks he can haul the trucks by himself without a back engine (banker) but things turn out wrong in the end, which brings in the moral that you always help one another, which is on Mavis side as she was out and about with Diesel. However there are some problems, but they're mostly nitpicks. The first one is that you can still hear Thomas puffing even though his brakes are on and the balloons have no purpose for the story, that Mavis was carrying nearing the end. There was just no purpose and those balloons would've been deleted instead. However those nitpicks don't deviate my love for the episode. It is good, it has that Awdry feeling and the UK acting is great as well. I love the song at the end too. It's a very British thing to see on Thomas & Friends, 'I Do Like To Be By The Seaside', a British hall song, kudos to Andrew Brenner for adding that.

Rating: 9/10

S18 Ep.8:Duck and the Slip Coaches

THESE ARE SOLEY MY OPINIONS AND NOT FROM THE THOMAS & FRIENDS FANBASE

DUCK AND THE SLIP COACHES

Written by

Mark Huckerby & Nick Ostler

Directed by

David Stoten

Produced by
Robert Anderson (Arc)
Ian McCue (HIT)

Air Date

3/09/14

Plot

It is high summer, when many tourists visit Sodor and The Fat Controller is concerned about getting them all to their destinations on time. Duck tells the other engines about the slip coaches they used on the Great Western Railway that can be uncoupled at stations without stopping. James then tells the Fat Controller and claims it as his idea. But James has never used slip coaches before and soon runs into trouble!

PRO:

- James' attitude towards Duck at the sheds
- Duck's flashback 
- It feels very Awdry like, the story
- The joke at the 'Emily replaces Duck theory'

CON:

- N/A

Of all the stories written by the duo writing team, this one would have to be their best one yet and probably the best story since 'Old Reliable Edward'. What's so good about the story is that it feels like like a RWS story that had never been used before. This is another example on how the characters act like children, James is more prominent example in this episode. Thinking that pulling slip coaches sounds rather easy but realises that its not. James' attitude towards Duck in the episode is kind of like how fans think how other fans praise Duck for just being in an episode and also that his Great Western passion was rather annoying, to be honest it does get annoying when people talk about the past, while it is great what a time we've lived through it's best to move on from it and keep it as memories. Plus the joke with Emily was rather funny and I've despised the whole 'eMILLY replased duk theory'. While it is funny that the writers and animators poke fun at it, the theory has been going for nine years since S8. If Emily really was the replacement of Duck she would've been given the same persona. The only reason why that happened is because the show has been criticised for years for being sexists by its lack of female characters and so Emily was given the eighth spot of the 'steam team' and that some of the models were out of service too at Shepperton studios in London. I love the flashback too, although it was Wellsworth that they've used, it was good that Arc had disguised it. I think it's one of the best episodes in S18 so far and hope we see more of the slip coaches in future

Rating: 10/10

S18 Ep.7: Duck in the Water

THESE ARE SOLEY MY OPINIONS AND NOT FROM THE THOMAS & FRIENDS FAN BASE

DUCK IN THE WATER

Written by

Andrew Brenner

Directed by

David Stoten

Produced by

Robert Anderson (Arc)

Ian McCue (HIT)

Air Date

2/09/14

Plot

When Duck gets stuck on some flooded track, James is sent to fetch Rocky to rescue him. But James does not wait for Rocky to secure his crane arm and they end up knocking down a signal before they arrive at the accident site! Without a signal to warn them, the other engines do not stop, and what began as a small accident soon escalates into a much bigger one involving several engines! 

PRO

- Some nice humor 

- Good morals

- No accompanying of music during James and Rocky's scene

- Amazing visuals from Arc Productions

CON

- Animation errors here and there

The episode was really decent. There are many great morals for children to learn from such as the importance of signals, admitting your mistakes and that you can't do anything you like all the time, which was said the recent special. Another is the humor, the dry humor arrogance of James makes me laugh and his humor reminds me of John Lennon, same can be said for Reg. But I think the best part of humorous side of the show is this: 

Credit goes to crovansgate7698 (Tom) on twitter for the picture 

Feels like S17 with the cameos of Ducks. 

One scene I definetly like is when James and Rocky set off to rescue Duck. There was no music to accompany the scene and I like when some shows do this, you sometimes can feel the characters' drama by just having no music. Some animes do that to set the mood of that scene. Plus Arc Productions are great with their animation and they are showing some improvements too, the rain going over James' face and the lighting too, the lighting feels real, like Nitrogen's waterfall in S14. Plus the faces and movement of the characters are so fluid and flexible too. However they do suffer from their errors, however these are just nitpicks. One is at the start of the episode, we see Duck's brake can not bring rendered well:  

Even James look confused :P

Plus Duck's footplate seems to have been morphed into the platform. It reminds me of Trainz when you put rolling stock on the route, sometimes if you add rolling stock or engines on the points it'll morph into it making it awkward. But in the end, it's a decent episode with some good morals, not an over the top S5 style crash and some good humor too

Rating: 9/10 

S18 Ep.6:Toad's Adventure

THESE ARE SOLEY MY OPINIONS AND NOT FROM THE THOMAS & FRIENDS FANBASE

TOAD'S ADVENTURE

Written by

Mark Huckerbry & Nick Olster 

Directed by

David Sotton

Produced by

Robert Anderson (Arc)

Hallim Jabbour and Ian McCue (HIT)

Air Date

1/09/14

Plot

Toad was tired of hearing Oliver's adventure about their escape from the scrap yard. So Toad had an adventure with James which resulted into a near miss.

PRO:
- Oliver's boastful attitude
- Moral: Be careful what you wish for and the importance of Brake vans
- The sweeping camera angles 
- Toad was in character
- A guard putting on the brakes instead of Toad doing it by himself

CON:
- Oliver's down scale

This is one of the episodes that I was definitely looking forward too. Like 'Wayward Winston' last year, this also shares the same moral for kids about careful what you wish for. Toad wishes to have his own adventure which resulted into a near miss thanks to his bravery. Arc Productions had produced amazing camera angles and show that they have no limitations, the opening sweeping shot of the green hills and countryside was really fantastic and look very British as well. Oliver was in perfect character with boastfulness, as I hear from many YouTube commenters, it's bad. If you have the time watch 'Oliver Owns Up' he was arrogant and boastful in that episode. Toad was in perfect character with his polite and formal way of referring the engines as 'Mr.' or 'Misses' and of course there's his optimism as well. I know when you see guards or engine crews doing stuff for the engines they're of course 'the hands' of the characters, but it's a first time we actually see a guard doing something rather the just blowing a whistle and waving a flag. We see him braking a train. There is one con though for this episode and that is Oliver being a bit small compare to the live stock wagons by the end of the episode. Arc, if you're reading this, you may need to go to England and examine the size of some of the characters basis. Nitrogen did theres when they were the animators of the series. 

Notice how Oliver's buffers are not in line with the live stock wagon

All in all, it's a good episode and the two writers had done a great job of hitting the nail of a great episode. I like Oliver's western voice and Toad's voice sounds like an older version of Root from Oakie Doke, a Cosgrove Hall show that I loved as a kid. I know some people like his whistle, Oliver, but I prefer his Season 3 whistle, the current whistle in my opinion is a toned down version of Duck's whistle.

Rating: 7.5/10

Movie Review Revisited: King of The Railway (2013)

THESE ARE SOLEY MY OPINIONS AND NOT FROM THE THOMAS & FRIENDS FAN BASE

KING OF THE RAILWAY

Written by

Andrew Brenner

Directed by

Rob Silvestri

Produced by

Brian Lynch (Arc)

Ian McCue and Haliam Jabbour (HIT)

Release Date

2/09/13 - UK

17/09/13 - US

2/10/13 - AUS

Plot

The Earl of Sodor, Sir Robert Norramby, has arrived back to Sodor after travelling the world and is to open Ulfstead Castle to the public with his engine Stephen as well as Millie. 

MY VIEWS

2013 was the year of change for the television series of Thomas & Friends. A new writing staff was put in, with old and new writers and the animation is now provided by Arc Productions. When the trailer was first released by HIT in January 2013, fans were saying that Arc's animation looks cheap and poor, though to be honest I was one of them too but I gave them a chance, it may look cheap but Arc had provided better detailing then Nitrogen. So the plot of the special opens up with Thomas and Percy at the docks shunting trucks, although in a very silly manner, a crate fell and a suit of amour popped out, Percy thought it was a robot at first and Thomas questioned who it belongs too. After the fabulous intro we are then opened about the Island of Sodor being ruled by King Godred, Railway Series reference much?, and he wears a golden crown but it was stolen. The thieves were caught but the crown was lost. Now its engines who are running the Island. I love the pre-history of Sodor and it makes it feel real, like how Rev.W.Awdry and his brother were trying to make Sodor as real as possible. The use of the storybook was nice as well.

One day Thomas met up with the engines at the wash down as it turns out that Spencer is bringing the Earl of Sodor, who returns after travelling the world. I think Sir Robert Norramby is such a whimsical character, along with Dowager Hatt, he's very energetic and funny. A big party was held to celebrate the return of the earl, however he promised Millie to be back by 2:00 PM. There is some good comedy in that scene, as the earl didn't even know the party was for him. Plus the brass band slow stoppage of the 'Engine Roll Call' theme, it's very lighthearted and kids and adults will probably give it a chuckle. 

Later, Thomas was to take a shipment, that he and Percy shunted earlier in the movie, to the earl's estate, which is Ulfstead Castle. There we meet Millie, who was let out of her shed since the earl's long departure, I'm glad that the new characters have a reason rather then a new character just came to Sodor with no reason whatsoever like in previous specials and episodes of the series. The scene were Thomas was wondering about the Earl and his shipment leaves the audience in mystery, the same can be said about TOTB. One evening, Spencer came to the Island of Sodor to be the earl's private engine. He and Gordon were having a banter about who is faster, which brings a the railway nerd within me in certain delight, as Gordon and Spencer's respective basis were considered as fast machines and were based off two well known locomotives, (Gordon: Flying Scotsman and Spencer: Silver Link, though Mallard is more well-known by its undefeated speed record for steam, but Silver Link did one too) So the next day, a race was made, but Spencer went on a different line, much to Gordon's dismay. 

Later on Spencer was on important business with the Earl and was at the Blue Mountain Quarry delivering stones to the castle. Though how Spencer's characterisation was shown here would be more suited for Gordon. The engines were all wondering why the earl is in need of supplies such as railway lines, stones etc. Later Toby arrived with a message that Henry had broken down, which is a burst safety valve and a nice joke about special coal and so Percy, James and Thomas, under the direct order of the Fat Controller were to pull a heavy goods train to earl. 

With a rehashed song of 'Working Together', Thomas, Percy and James were at the earl's estate and met up with Jack, who has a brand new design change and a more realistic one. As the three engines shunted the trucks, Thomas shunted his load on a new siding, which was used by Millie earlier, and there's one load that's needed to go the the steamworks. After another little jib about three engines and one flatbed, the three engines went to the steamworks, which turns out to be another new character, Stephen, based on George Stephenson's Rocket.

Although it was unexplained, though James mentioned that he might've been in the scrapyard for years, we see him being optimistic, cheery and jolly with a sense of humour. Afterwards Thomas, James and Percy talked to the other engines about Stephen and so the next day, Emily was to take Henry to the steamworks to have his repairs. The two met up with Stephen, who is hosted up to check his undercarriage. All the other engines were there and so Stephen told them his story about his life, which based upon the Rainhill trails, a well known race when the railways of Britain was born. 

Notice how 'Stephen's Friends' are based upon 

'San Pareil' (below) and 'Novelty' (above) both who

both took part in the Rainhill Trails

Later on Stephen was restored and was to be situated at the works. Meanwhile the three main characters are to help with another job for the earl, by building a station canopy. Stephen was sad that they have a job, which is to make them useful. Thomas decided to tell Stephen that earl does have a job for him, but Stephen laughed. As they set to the castle, Stephen went to look for his new job. Meanwhile Spencer and Gordon were racing again, after almost gaining victory (Gordon), Stephen was there blocking his line. After the job was completed, with an accident, the earl had revealed his surprise, which is having the castle restored for the public and that Stephen's job is to take visitors around the estate. Meanwhile Stephen went around the docks, after being told off by Diesel but not being backed down and the BMQ, but can't haul trucks well like he used too. 

Meanwhile two streamlined engines came to the Island for the test runs and time trails for the earl's opening of Ulfstead Castle. They are called Connor and Caitlin. The basis that was chosen for the characters were a bit mixed to me. While I do understand that Thomas is British and that most of the characters are based upon British locomotives, however Amercian basis are not bad choice but they take out the realism of the show's standards, as the Rev.W.Awdry used facts for his stories in the Railway Series. My guess is because of the American audience, this is to please them so they might gain an interest in steam locomotives in their own country and America has some very unique locomotives. Meanwhile Stephen was at the mine and it turns out it was lost and abandoned and now he feels sad that he doesn't feel useful that he doesn't have a job. Meanwhile Thomas and Percy were to take the troublesome trucks of loose stones. However Percy thought someone should be at the front, Percy having common sense for once was a surprise. 

While the runaway scene is good, and definite favourite, it feels cliched to see runaway trucks rolling down a hill be it a Thomas movie/episode. The troublesome trucks being their tricky selves was a bonus. So Stephen was trapped in the mine and was deemed missing. So as work was nearing completion, Thomas went to find Stephen to tell him about his job, however he was nowhere to be seen by the other characters. Stephen was in the mines, he can't find his way out and soon found something in a chest. Next day, Thomas, James and Percy went to find Stephen, with the song 'Searching Everywhere' by Sam Blewitt. It's a nice song with a nice message about helping your friends. Later Thomas went to the old mine, as asked by Percy and discovered, by a whistle sound, that Stephen was in the mines and so rescue was on the way. After Jack cleared some rocks, Stephen was saved with a very unneeded climax and so Ulfstead Castle was opened, with some work to finish off and to finish off the crown of King Godred was found at last, with thanks to Stephen. So to conclude a race was held between Connor, Caitlin, Spencer and Gordon. With a cheesy ending of Thomas and Stephen looking down, with the song 'It's Gonna Be A Great Day' by Sam Blewitt: 

OVERALL

At first I thought it was better then BMM, but later on and after hearing from a few fans, the special could've worked as episodes. While they do link to the story, its subplots as well as the main would work as that. Plus compare it to a recent movie that I'll review later this month, the new movie beats this one out of the water and I'm not putting anyone's opinions down, they too have the right, I'm just stating my own opinions. The special has several animation flaws too and the interactions between characters were a bit minimal, the climax at the end was not even needed, it felt like a last minute addition to the script that serves no purposes at all but the writing was great and the main characters were in good character. It's a good special but not the best. 

RATING:

7.5/10