Thomas & Friends: Calling All Engines
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Thomas and Friends: Calling All Engines! is a British film based off the Thomas and Friends TV show, being the second film (after Thomas and the Magic Railroad) overall as well as the first direct-to-video film based on the franchise, it was released on VHS and DVD on September 6th, 2005. It serves as the sequel to Thomas and the Magic Railroad and is the second film of the Thomas & Friends series.
Plot
The plans of building a new airport on Sodor spark up old rivalries between the steam and diesel engines. While Thomas takes it upon himself to bring them together, a summer storm breaks out. Thomas and Mavis must work together to get the steam engines and the diesel engine to help build the new airport in time.
"Disgraceful, Disgusting, and Despicable" Qualities
- The plot, while interesting, can get extremely mean-spirited, since it focuses yet again on the steam engines vs. diesels debate, except this time taken to a much worse degree.
- The learning segments in the film can feel forced at times.
- In fact, the learning segments were removed from the next film due to criticism regarding their inclusion here
- While now fully focused on Thomas instead of having him reduced to a side character, the film just feels like an extended episode of the show, since there's not a lot of cinematic elements in the film, which would be an issue that further films like The Great Discovery or Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure would fix.
- Very poor conveniences, such as the scene were Thomas attempts to trick Diesel into carrying bananas instead if building materials as a prank and to get back at him..... only to be revealed that Diesel needed the building materials to fix up the Tidmouth Sheds that had been demolished.
- Diesel 10's role is incredibly different from his one in Thomas and the Magic Railroad, as instead of being a completely threatening yet hilarious villain, he gets reduced to a simple grumpy locomotive with a mild dislike towards steam engines (albeit not as extreme as in TATMR), it could be argued that he did redeem himself between the events of Magic Railroad and this film, which would be a good point if it wasn't for the fact that in his next major appearances like Day of the Diesels, he goes back to being a villainous mastermind.
- The extremely infamous scene where the steam engines and the diesels "fight" against each other via pushing each other, albeit comedy gold, is mean-spirited and very out-of-place in a PBS Kids film.
- Plot-holes:
- How is Tidmouth Sheds demolished?
- Daisy is shown disliking steam engines in one scene despite having worked for Thomas' branch line and somewhat changing her ways after her first appearance.
Really Useful Qualities
- The final scene where it is revealed that Tidmouth Sheds was rebuilt to have a space for Emily is pretty great, same with the alternate version of the Engine Roll Call.
- As mentioned earlier, the fight scene is pretty funny despite it's mean-spirited nature.
- Great visuals, typical of model Thomas related media.
- Lady's and Diesel 10's appearances in this film are nothing short of awesome, in fact, Diesel 10 cooperating with the steam engines feels extremely satisfying (albeit it was ruined by his next appearances).
- This special provides a message saying to if you want to fix your mistakes fast, you have to put aside your differences and work together.
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