Thomas & Friends: Day of the Diesels
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| Thomas & Friends: Day of the Diesels | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 "Diesel 10! What do you think you are doing?!"
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"After that chilling and cool as hell teaser at the end of the last movie, does this one live up to the excitement and hype it was building up? Nope. This movie is just as bad as the last one."
— James A. Williams
Thomas & Friends: Day of the Diesels is a 2011 British feature-length special, and film based on the TV series, Thomas & Friends, directed by Greg Tiernan, produced by Nicole Stinn and Ian McCue, and written by Sharon Miller.
Plot
New engine, Belle extinguishes a fire, but runs out of water. Thomas and Percy take her to the Steamworks where Sir Topham Hatt congratulates her and says they need another fire engine. Belle suggests a road/rail hybrid fire engine she knows named Flynn and arrangements are made to bring him over from the mainland. Thomas starts to spend more time with Belle. Percy gets jealous and he follows Devious Diesel to the run-down Sodor Dieselworks. There he meets Diesel 10, who plans to take over the Steamworks. Diesel 10 informs Percy that Sir Topham Hatt does not care about the state of the Dieselworks and Percy says he will ask Thomas.
Flynn arrives on the island. Percy finds Thomas and tries to tell him about the Dieselworks, but Thomas disregards this and says the Fat Controller asked him to show Flynn around. Percy goes to the Dieselworks the next day and finds out that they lack a working crane. Percy tells the Steamworks crane Kevin about his dilemma. Percy takes Kevin to the Dieselworks and, Diesel 10 is happy to have a new crane.
Diesel 10 tells Percy to bring Thomas to the Dieselworks. Percy goes to Knapford the next day. Thomas tells Percy to inform Victor, the engine in charge of the Steamworks, about moving Kevin. Victor leaves to inform Sir Topham Hatt. Percy returns to the Dieselworks followed by Thomas. Diesel 10 puts Thomas in the back shed and the diesels go to the Steamworks so they can take it over. Percy is horrified to learn that Diesel 10 has been using him the whole time. The diesels cause havoc inside the Steamworks. Percy goes back to the Dieselworks and finds a fire in the main shed; he races to the Rescue Centre for Belle and Flynn. They return to the Dieselworks where Thomas and Kevin are being held hostage.
Percy frees Thomas and Kevin, and Belle and Flynn successfully put out the fire. Thomas, Percy, and Kevin rally the other engines to take back the Steamworks. The steam engines promise Diesel 10 that they will help him fix the Dieselworks. Sir Topham Hatt arrives, and orders Diesel 10 to fix the damage. Percy, Thomas, and Kevin tell Sir Topham Hatt about the Dieselworks, and he says he had already been planning to fix it. The Dieselworks is fixed, and Sir Topham Hatt reopens it.
Why This Movie Caused Confusion And Delay
- The plot is utterly ridiculous and nonsensical, as it revolves around Diesel 10's scheme to seize control of the Steamworks, compelling Sir Topham Hatt to fix the Dieselworks. Ultimately, Diesel 10 achieves his goal, resulting in a happy resolution for all. The narrative becomes even more absurd when considering that the engines have drivers, raising the question of why Diesel 10's driver didn't intervene to prevent the takeover of the Steamworks.
- Moreover, the concept of the Dieselworks seems redundant because the Steamworks was already depicted as a place where diesels could be repaired in Hero of the Rails.
- Plot holes:
- The poor condition of the Dieselworks is puzzling given that diesel engines, which are housed within and are generally more modern, arrived after the steam engines.
- When the diesels take control of the Steamworks, Diesel 10 is seen spinning on the turntable while Paxton is hoisted up. It's unclear how they are operating the equipment without any workers visible. If any workers are indeed present, it raises the question as to why they would operate the turntable and hoists for the diesels' benefit.
- Why didn't any of the engines inform Sir Topham Hatt about the Dieselworks' condition? Mavis and Salty were aware of the Dieselworks' dire state before its reconstruction.
- The film marked the beginning of Percy's flanderization, which continued into Seasons 15-16, depicting him as overly naive and gullible, especially in his interactions with the diesels. His overreaction to Flynn occupying his berth is a prime example of the silly misunderstanding trope. However, his trust in the diesels can be somewhat justified since Diesel and Diesel 10 exploit Percy's good nature. Percy even assists Diesel 10 in taking over the Steamworks, despite being fully aware of the plan, because he believes he will be hailed as "their hero."
- Just like in Misty Island Rescue, Thomas is completely unlikable in this movie and acts worse than Percy. He even ignores Percy for no discernible reason, even when he is doing nothing. Thomas goes so far as to give Belle a negative impression on all the diesels, despite having diesel friends himself, which is stupid, but yet considered thoughtless because we see friendly diesels in the same film, and it's also extremely hypocritical of Thomas because (again) Thomas has friends that are diesels.
- Just like Misty Island Rescue, Thomas says something that makes him sound like a racist jerk to paint all the diesels in a bad light, only for the diesels to do something stupid or bad and prove Thomas' hurtful and insensitive comments on diesels completely right again.
- In contrast to Misty Island Rescue, Thomas does not learn a lesson, as he fails to apologize to Percy for ignoring him without explanation, nor does he offer an apology for his discriminatory remarks about diesels.
- The concept of Thomas and Percy having a falling out is not new and has been portrayed more effectively in previous instances.
- Throughout both the Classic era and the Railway Series, Thomas and Percy have their share of squabbles, whether it's over a ghostly prank (Percy's Ghostly Trick), a case of mistaken identity as a woolly bear (Woolly Bear), disagreements about paint and coal (Thomas, Percy, and the Coal), being labeled a 'drip' (Drip Tank), tales of the Ghost Engine from Edward's Halloween stories (Scaredy Engines), or frights involving a Chinese Dragon (Thomas, Percy, and the Dragon). However, in the film, what is portrayed as a fallout between Thomas and Percy is merely a scene hinging on the overused 'stupid misunderstanding' trope commonly seen in other movies beyond the world of Thomas.
- False advertising:
- Mavis and Salty are prominently featured on the poster and DVD covers, yet their roles in the movie are minimal, appearing only briefly. They also have no involvement in the Steamworks takeover at all.
- Despite being the main character, Percy does not appear on the movie cover, and Thomas does instead, despite the fact he isn't the movie's main protagonist.
- While Belle possesses an engaging character personality, her design is somewhat illogical. She features cannons that expel water from her side tanks, which are essential for her boiler's operation and movement.
- Several new characters seem superfluous. Notably, Sidney, who appears just once, laughing in a single frame without any dialogue.
- Regarding Sidney, he is found early at the Dieselworks, supported on jacks without his wheels! Immobilized, it is also never explained what becomes of him when the Dieselworks is engulfed in flames later in the movie.
- As usual in the CGI era of the show, the depiction of engine crews is inconsistent. Thomas, Percy, and Belle are clearly operated by drivers and firemen, who are depicted assisting in firefighting efforts at the film's start. Conversely, Diesel 10 and other diesels have obscured windows, suggesting the absence of drivers and giving the impression that they autonomously control their actions.
- Aside from engaging in firefighting, the engine crews simply operate the engines. Percy's driver and fireman do not respond to or question his actions, nor do they even peer out from the cab when the diesels cause chaos in the Steamworks.
- The film is marred by excessive narration, which often spoils scenes that have great potential. For instance, during a pivotal moment when the Steam Team confronts the Diesels at the Steamworks, the tension is undercut by unnecessary narration, despite the presence of an eerie musical score that could have conveyed the emotion on its own.
- Certain scenes can come across as nonsensical and lacking in logic:
- Percy's reaction to Thomas making new friends with Belle and Flynn seems exaggerated, especially given Thomas' unpleasant demeanor in this film. Percy ought to understand that he isn't Thomas' sole friend and that Thomas' new friendships don't signify the end of their friendship. His overreaction appears somewhat uncharacteristic, echoing the sentiment previously mentioned in Reason #3.
- When Percy escorts the diesels to the Steamworks, the narrator mentions that he anticipated applause from Diesel 10. This is logical for Diesel 10, given his claw, but it raises the question of how the other engines are supposed to clap.
- The so-called "takeover" by Diesel 10 and his diesel companions at the Steamworks is ultimately pointless. One might expect them to completely dismantle and destroy the place. However, their actual intent was to coerce Percy into joining them and whimsically tinker with the machinery inside, resulting in a rather anti-climactic scenario.
- Towards the end, when Sir Topham Hatt makes his appearance, Diesel 10 unexpectedly begins to whimper and act cowardly upon confrontation. This seems inconsistent with his character, as Diesel 10 is typically portrayed as one of the most formidable figures in the series and wouldn't logically fear him. A more fitting reaction might be for him to use his claw to seize Topham, thereby posing a threat, which aligns with his established persona.
- Diesel 10's new voice provided by Matt Wilkinson does not fit his character nearly as much as Neil Crone did in Thomas and the Magic Railroad who did a brilliant job.
- The film conveys a damaging and extremely negative message to its viewers: "those who are different from us are always bad, and we are always good," suggesting that the movie harbors extremist and mean-spirited undertones which are inconsistent with the established Thomas the Tank Engine universe.
- Similar to Thomas and the Magic Railroad, the film suffered due to test audience reactions; it seems the initial script had a darker tone, yet the final version was significantly softened, evident in certain scenes that lack the intended darkness. Additionally, Diesel 10 was meant to have a far more intimidating voice, which was changed, accounting for the character's aforementioned mismatched voice in the film.
- Grammar correction: When Sir Topham Hatt reprimands Diesel 10, he states, "none of his engines [sic] is being really useful." The correct phrase should be "none of my engines are being really useful," as 'engines' is plural. Topham's speech towards the end of the movie also features the same grammar error, in which it appears during the part where he mentions how none of his engines are ever forgotten.
- In contrast to Calling All Engines!, which emphasized the theme of overcoming differences, it's only in the final two to three minutes that everyone begins to collaborate, setting aside their disparities, whether steam or diesel. This unity occurs after Sir Topham Hatt reprimands them and commands cooperation, despite the announcement of a new Dieselworks.
Qualities That Made The Diesels Useful
- Judging by its flaws, it is an improvement over its predecessor.
- The animation is still great, especially for 2011.
- There are also some impressive shots here and there.
- The end credits song is really good.
- Diesel 10, despite his somewhat unfitting character change, is well written as it is logical for him not to be aggressive in attempt to gain Percy on his side. So, his character change from being evil and aggressive like he was in Thomas and the Magic Railroad, to being calm and manipulative towards Percy makes sense, however, him acting that calm elsewhere does not and his evil trait is not shown either sadly.
- Percy starring as the main character was an interesting decision.
- The voice acting in both UK and US dubs are still good and is a big step up from the past two films. In particular, Flynn having an American accent is a great choice for a character voice.
- Despite the excessive narration Michael Angelis and Michael Brandon continue to do a very good job as narrators.
- Flynn, Den, Dart, Norman, Paxton and Sidney are interesting choices of new characters for the special.
- We got introduced to some new Diesels who would have good impact in later seasons.
- It does have an interesting concept, but was poorly executed.
Trivia
- Nitrogen Studios began production on this special in March 2010.
- The special was shown on PBS Sprout on the August 24th and September 5th, 2011. It was also shown on Milkshake! during the 2011 Christmas series. It aired on PBS on April 7th, 2012, on Nick Jr. in the UK on 3rd November 2012 and on TV 2 in Norway Boxing Day 2013, December 28th, 2013, New Year's Day 2014, and Easter 2014.
- Starting with this special, different arrangements of Percy's theme by Robert Hartshorne are occasionally featured in the show.
- This was the only special to have Rupert Degas as part of the voice cast and the only special to have Ben Small as the voice of Stanley in the US narration.
- In the Hulu version of the special, an instrumental piece of the song, "Day of the Diesels", plays after the ending credits.
- It is revealed that Thomas' driver is named Bob.
- Teresa Gallagher and Ben Small join the US voice cast.
- The Japanese version of this special is preceded by a two-minute clip from the end of "Misty Island Rescue".
- This is the only special to receive a UK Blu-ray release. The special also marked the first-ever Blu-ray release of a preschool show in the UK.
- From this special onwards, Salty has Derek's horn sound.
- This special marks the first of a few things:
- The first special narrated by Michiel de Jong in the Netherlands.
- The first special not to have Togo Igawa as part of the voice cast.
- Stanley's first speaking role since the his twelfth series episode, Thomas Puts the Brakes On, his first speaking role in a special since his debut in The Great Discovery and his first speaking role in a fully CGI-animated special or episode.
- The first special not to have Thomas as the main protagonist.
- The first time a driver has a speaking role since the tenth series episode, It's Good to be Gordon.
- The first appearance of Wellsworth since the eleventh series episode, Percy and the Left Luggage and its first appearance in CGI.
- The first special with Ian McCue as Producer.
- The first special to be teased in previously, in this case being Misty Island Rescue.
- The first special not to be released on DVD in South Korea.
- The first special not shown at South Korean theatres since Thomas and the Magic Railroad.
- The first appearance of Norramby Fishing Village since the eleventh series.
- The first-ever Blu-ray release of a Preschool show in the UK and Ireland.
- This special also marks the last of several things:
- The last special to have Sam Barlow involved in production.
- The last special to have Victor be voiced by Matt Wilkinson in the UK narration, as David Bedella takes over the role starting from Blue Mountain Mystery and the seventeenth series onwards.
- The last special narrated by Blanche Ravalec in France and French speaking Canada.
- Salty's last speaking role in a special until Tale of the Brave.
- Gordon's last speaking role in a special in the Nitrogen era.
- Diesel 10's last appearance in a special.
- This special marks the only of a few things
- The only special to have Rupert Degas as part of the voice cast.
- The only time Kerry Shale voices Stanley in the US narration.
- The only appearance of Sidney in the Nitrogen era.
- The only special to receive a UK and Irish Blu-ray release.
- According to Ian McCue, Splatter, Dodge, and Dennis were originally intended to return in this special. However, they were later cut and replaced by Paxton, Sidney and Norman.[2] As these three share the same respective basis as the former three engines, therefore technically making them all related. Had these changes been retained, this could have marked Dennis, Splatter and Dodge first appearances in full CGI, and this would have also marked the return of Splatter and Dodge since Thomas and the Magic Railroad. This would have also been their first appearances in the main series outside of said special and Dennis' since The Great Discovery, as well as his first speaking role since the ninth series episode, Thomas' Day Off.
- This special reuses some elements from the twelfth series episode, Best Friends as it involves Thomas *and Percy having a fallout.
- This is the third special not dubbed in Hebrew and the fourth not dubbed in Italian.
- This and Thomas and the Magic Railroad are the only specials not to have a trailer in South Korea.
- When the diesels take over the Steamworks, a rendition of the music piece 'In the Hall of the Mountain King' can be heard.
- This special was planned to be shown at South Korean theaters in 2012, hinted by the VOD's release labeling "Let's see it first before we see it in theaters." However, this plan did not go forward.
- At one point in this special, the brake sound effect is reused from the model series.
- This special was released the same year the final new book of the Railway Series was published.
- This special won top spot in Tesco's DVD family chart, despite negative reception from older fans.
- According to Sam Barlow, the film originally had some scenes which were deemed too scary for children and Diesel 10 would have been voiced by Rupert Degas.
- The following scenes from the Day of the Diesels trailer were not seen in the special:
- Belle squirting water from her water cannons whilst on the move. This scene was from the fifteenth series episode, Big Belle.
- Flynn going along the Fenland Track.
- Flynn meeting children at the School.
- Flynn fighting a fire at the Woods whilst the fireman shoos away some squirrels. This and the above scene were from the fifteenth series episode, "Fiery Flynn".
- On his way to rescue the Dieselworks with Belle and Percy, Flynn said: "Here I come, Thomas! Fiery Flynn to the rescue!"
- Sir Topham Hatt's line, "The diesels have caused confusion and delay!"
- Percy saying, "Thomas is in danger!"
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