Thomas & Friends: Misty Island Rescue
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 "Misty Island Rescue": A foggy detour from Sodor's golden age.
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Misty Island Rescue is a feature-length Thomas & Friends film directed by Greg Tiernan and produced by Nicole Stein. It was released as a DVD/Blu-ray combo pack in the US on 7th September 2010 and on DVD in the UK on 11th October 2010. It was panned by fans and considered to be the worst Thomas and Friends film, and represents the absolute lowest point in the television series.
Plot
Thomas mocks Diesel for not being a steam engine, and for being different from the other locomotives. Diesel tries to prove himself in a race against Thomas, but suffers a bridge accident and looses his cargo. Thomas rescues Diesel, and is rewarded with a visit to the rescue center on the mainland. But the chain connecting his raft to the boat breaks during the trip, and Thomas is eventually stranded on a forgotten island called Misty Island. His only companions are the "Logging Locos", a trio of locomotives who received unfavorable transfer there for their reckless behavior.
Why It Shouldn't Be Rescued
- To get Henry out of the tunnel, It introduces the infamous Logging Locos of Misty Island, engines that act very cheesy, selfish, annoying, and are very lousy engines who just make fun of Thomas and don't even understand anything that Thomas knows. They have very little personality and contribute nothing to the Thomas & Friends franchise whatsoever.
- Bash and Dash do nothing but say each other's lines from start to finish.
- Ferdinand frequently exclaims "That's right!" throughout the movie, repeating it a total of twenty times. The repetition becomes grating and monotonous, particularly after the first three instances.
- They always laugh at the simplest of things, which has already gotten very annoying after the first.
- They can also be viewed as kind of insane, since they nonchalantly tell Thomas they're going to throw him in the river for fun.
- Generally, following the movie's events, they were frequently forced into Seasons 14-16, illustrating why the Miller era is considered a low point for the series, attributed to Sharon Miller's subpar writing and HiT Entertainment's mismanagement, particularly in episodes where their presence was unnecessary.
- The film is riddled with numerous plot holes and continuity errors:
- In the Japanese dub, Hee Haw and Ol' Wheezy are given voices even though they lack faces. This was a small concern with Henrietta, who did not have a face until Season 18. However, in this case, they speak as if they are faceless. In other versions, they do not have speaking roles.
- The movements suggest the presence of operators, even though there are no humans on the island.
- If Bash, Dash, and Ferdinand lack sufficient oil to travel to Sodor via the Misty Island Tunnel, then they should refrain from going at any cost.
- Thomas intends to travel to Sodor to transport the Jobi logs, and unexpectedly, all the Logging Locos accompany him. It's unclear why they believe Thomas is compelling them. If Thomas isn't the reason, then what leads them to feel coerced into going to Sodor? Each is pulling a flatbed of logs, yet one of the twins is not hauling anything at all.
- How is it that Thomas cannot manage flatbeds by himself when, unlike real-life E2s, he can pull and shunt cars, coaches, and even brake vans from all the trains he has pulled? This inconsistency undermines the continuity of the character, as well as the Railway Series and the show itself.
- Some geographical inconsistencies exist, such as Misty Island being only a few miles from Sodor, yet it remains largely unknown to many on the latter.
- The island is within sight of Brendam Docks, yet it remains unseen because of the characteristic mist that only clears to unveil the island in this movie.
- Whiff is familiar with Misty Island, even though he has only been on Sodor since Season 11. Edward, being older and having been on the island longer than any other engine, and frequently visiting the docks, raises the question of how he could have never seen or heard of the island.
- As Diesel speeds away with the Jobi wood, he approaches a partially constructed bridge that lacks barriers or signs to halt or alert trains at the track's end. Additionally, the absence of scaffolding, workers, or machinery suggests that construction halted after only half the bridge was completed.
- It is worth mentioning that the BR Class 08 locomotive, which inspired the character Diesel, has a top speed of 15 to 20 mph. However, Diesel appears to exceed this speed when fleeing from Thomas.
- When Thomas discovers a flatbed of Jobi wood, he pushes it along. Yet, upon arriving at the tunnel with the Logging Locos, he is seen pulling it, with no explanation provided.
- While trapped in the tunnel, Bash, Dash, and Ferdinand run out of oil and cannot move. Although Bash and Dash's bunkers and Ferdinand's tender contain wood, they do not use it as fuel. Why didn't they simply burn the wood?
- Thomas, along with Bash, Dash, and Ferdinand, try to break through the blockade but fail. In contrast, Whiff and Percy, despite being smaller and less powerful engines, succeed in breaking through the barrier, enabling the other four engines to escape.
- Whiff and Percy advance into the Misty Island Tunnel, facing Thomas as they encounter him and the Logging Locos. However, upon exiting the tunnel on Sodor, Whiff and Percy are inexplicably facing the opposite direction.
- In the Japanese dub, Hee Haw and Ol' Wheezy are given voices even though they lack faces. This was a small concern with Henrietta, who did not have a face until Season 18. However, in this case, they speak as if they are faceless. In other versions, they do not have speaking roles.
- Misty Island features a complete logging camp and a railway with engines, yet there seems to be an absence of humans to operate the machinery. While the concept may seem intriguing in theory, its execution is flawed, particularly because the engines require drivers for operation.
- Additionally, the camp features a zip-line, which is impractical for transporting engines. Furthermore, the Shake-shake Bridge would likely not withstand even a light breeze in reality, let alone support the weight of an engine.
- Although Thomas lost some of his charm in the final seasons of the model series, particularly Season 12, he continues to make numerous foolish mistakes throughout the film, even more so than before.
- For instance, he opts for an aged rail raft tethered behind the boat and requests to be transported on it instead of waiting for a different vessel, despite the chains that bind it to the boat being corroded. As expected, the raft detaches from the boat. Regarding the boat ride:
- Why does the ferry even have such a raft attached to itself in the first place?
- Thomas whistles after the chains break, but apparently nobody on the ship hears him, even though its lights suggest there are people awake aboard. This is why the concept of a rail raft is a really stupid one, especially for transport.
- Thomas and Spencer need to take a ferry to the mainland, even though Sodor has a rail bridge connecting all the way to the mainland at Vicarstown, which makes the idea completely pointless, stupid, and unnecessary. Also, the ferry trip takes much longer than it should, considering how close Sodor is to the Mainland/England. Spencer is also never seen again when he’s hauled onto the Ferry, or on Misty Island with Thomas.
- Spencer is placed in the hull of the ferry, then the dock manager says there isn't any room for Thomas, yet that same ferry later carries Edward, James, and Gordon to Misty Island, ALL ON THE SAME DECK!
- Not to mention how after the ship leaves, there's a panning shot that shows that the deck on the ship is completely empty.
- After the rail raft breaks off from the ferry, it then just happens to drift toward Misty Island, to a spot that just happens to have a pier with railway tracks, and docks with the rails perfectly to allow Thomas to disembark the raft.
- For instance, he opts for an aged rail raft tethered behind the boat and requests to be transported on it instead of waiting for a different vessel, despite the chains that bind it to the boat being corroded. As expected, the raft detaches from the boat. Regarding the boat ride:
- Discussing Thomas' journey to the Mainland for more Jobi logs, it seems to be portrayed as a pretext to validate Thomas' disparaging remark about Diesel. This suggests that Diesel is incapable of any positive contribution, solely due to being a diesel engine as opposed to a steam engine, in addition to his cunning disposition.
- The narrative is rife with plot conveniences. For instance, Misty Island is initially portrayed as a long-lost land, yet unexpectedly, it appears adjacent to Sodor, connected by a newly discovered tunnel.
- Similar to "Day of the Diesels," Thomas appears quite unsympathetic in this film. He is portrayed as utterly self-centered, seemingly oblivious to the distinction between right and wrong, and concerned with nothing beyond his own interests.
- He faces no karma or consequences for his actions, yet everything seems to work out in his favor as if he is entitled to his desires, which is not the case.
- He shows prejudice against Diesel for being a diesel engine, despite having friendships with other diesels such as Mavis, Rusty, Daisy, and Salty, which seems hypocritical. However, it's worth noting that Diesel has frequently troubled him and his steam engine friends with his scheming ways, although this doesn't entirely justify the bias.
- He claims to make "good" decisions, yet often chooses poorly. In this film, his one seemingly good decision ultimately led to negative consequences.
- He overlooks the Logging Locos when they require oil to generate steam.
- He believes what's sufficient for himself is not necessarily so for others, even after rescuing Diesel from the brink of the incomplete bridge.
- In the matter of rescuing Diesel, he failed to inform Diesel that the bridge leading to the Sodor Search and Rescue Centre was not yet ready for use, even during the chase.
- Much like in Seasons 12-16, he is portrayed as an unpleasant, arrogant, know-it-all character, which is a stark contrast to the endearing qualities that originally made Thomas a beloved character.
- The Misty Island Tunnel has been blocked, cutting off the island from Sodor. The engines are trying to break through, which is highly risky as it might lead to the collapse of the remaining tunnel structure.
- Moreover, as the tunnel extends beneath the seabed, a collapse could result in flooding, endangering the lives of the engine crews and the engines themselves.
- Indeed, as the tunnel collapses behind Thomas and the Logging Locos, they find themselves trapped. By a stroke of luck, a hole appears above Thomas, allowing him to send a signal. It was fortunate that this part of the tunnel was still on Misty Island!
- As typical of the era, the engine drivers and firemen are apparently needed to run the engines, but are otherwise next to nonexistent, with no regard given to their health and safety...
- They apparently rode in Thomas's cab when he was riding on the raft to the Mainland, and did nothing about the issue until they sound Thomas's whistle when the raft broke from the ferry. Realistically, they should not have allowed Thomas to even be placed on the raft at all.
- While on Misty Island, they don't even bother to lean out of the cab and look at the unfamiliar landscape, nor do we see them setting up any sort of camp when Thomas goes to sleep on the island.
- The Misty Island Tunnel is particularly dangerous for the drivers and firemen, not only due to the potential for causing a huge collapse or flooding as described above, but they could suffocate from all the smoke that the steam engines produce within such a long, confining tunnel.
- The use of rhyming and alliteration reaches its nadir in this film, particularly evident in Thomas's frequently recited line: "I make good decisions, that's what I was told! I will not be fearful, I'll be brave and bold!" which grates on the ears. Thomas's delivery comes across as boastful, claiming he always makes sound decisions, which is not the case. In fact, a tally reveals that the movie contains a staggering 65 rhymes. It is at this point that the rhyming and alliteration become excessively rampant.
- The voice acting is notably poor, with most actors delivering their lines in a disinterested tone. The notable exception is the portrayal of the Logging Locos, whose actors tend to overact.
- For an odd reason, when Thomas returns to Sodor with Percy and Whiff, and introduces the Logging Locos from Misty Island, the narrator claims that Harold the Helicopter is unhappy. This is puzzling because there is a scene where Harold appears happy upon Thomas's return from Misty Island.
- The character development for Bash, Dash, and Ferdinand is poorly executed. These three engines mock Thomas's words, notably in a scene where Thomas demonstrates how to shunt flatbeds of logs—a rather clever tactic. They ridicule him as he speaks of The Fat Controller/Sir Topham Hatt, boasting about his consistent good decisions. Most disheartening is their mockery of his name with the line, "Who is Sir Topham Hatt?!"
- The US version uses the Fat Controller's real name, Sir Topham Hatt, but the UK version doesn't since someone behind the UK version did not understand the fact that both the Fat Controller and Sir Topham Hatt are the exact same person despite the Fat Controller being his name.
- In the UK version, the portrayal is considered more offensive compared to the US version because Sir Topham Hatt is depicted as overweight, and Bash's line "Who's the Fat Controller?" seems to mock not just his title but also his physical appearance.
- The decision of the Fat Controller to dispatch Edward, James, and Gordon to search for Thomas seems utterly futile. Indeed, the Sodor Search and Rescue Centre is under development, yet that's irrelevant. The logical course of action would have been for Topham to deploy the full rescue team to find Thomas, while assigning just one engine to accompany Rocky to Misty Island. However, the narrative does not follow this rationale.
- The story is rather more a badly written story compared to the feature-length film Thomas and the Magic Railroad, which (depending on your view) has better and tolerable writing than this.
- The attempts at humor are quite unfunny and cringe-inducing. For instance, the Logging Locos suggesting that Thomas should ride the throwing crane Ol' Wheezy, which would have likely resulted in significant damage from being hurled into a river.
- It is worth noting that if a railway anywhere in the world operated a crane that continuously spun and hurled objects, the railway would likely be shut down or, at the very least, compelled to decommission the crane.
- While the film conveys a valuable lesson about the fallibility of being right, it intentionally portrays two harmful morals. The first is the discrimination against those who are different, and the second is the notion that one can behave in an incompetent, foolish, and selfish manner, endangering friends and others, as long as one maintains a facade of confidence.
- Overall, this film left a horrible impact on the 1984-2020 Thomas & Friends series. The series was already on a downward slope starting in Season 9 but got worse when it transitioned to CGI. The events of the film were later disregarded in all Thomas films showing no mention of the Logging Locos or Misty Island. After Season 16, nothing about Misty Island or the Logging Locos were mentioned ever again in the main TV series, period. Thomas and the Magic Railroad may have put no effect on Thomas & Friends as a whole, but at least it had potential, likable characters, effort, and had good intentions compared to the likes of a movie with a stupid story, a trash concept, unlikable new characters (with the exception of Captain despite being the least used), forced obvious stating, grating rhyming and alliteration, and unfunny attempts at humor. In later years after Season 16, anything regarding Misty Island would be taken as nothing but a joke instead of being given the respect it never deserves. Even the "Big World! Big Adventures!" era, "All Engines Go", and the Thomas Creator Collective five-episode-arc special, "Big Galaxy! Big Adventures!" have gone to show that everything about Misty Island and the Logging Locos have been taken as a joke and nothing more.
- The mockery directed at the film "Misty Island" and the Logging Locos underscores the perception that this movie is merely a joke now.
- One could argue that this film resembles a full-length April Fools' Day prank set in the Thomas and Friends universe more than an actual Thomas and Friends movie.
- You may also enjoy the complete Thomas & Friends original series, excluding episodes featuring The Logging Locos and Misty Island. Despite "All Engines Go" being notably different from the original, it's available, along with the Thomas Creator Collective's five-episode special "Big Galaxy! Big Adventures!" and Thomas and the Magic Railroad. You can skip the direct-to-video specials; they're not essential, and their tone is such that even dedicated Thomas fans might not appreciate them.
- This is the result when pranks, false advertising, and mean-spirited behavior are frequently directed at Thomas and Friends, rather than the reverse.
Qualities That Should've Been Rescued
- The concept of introducing "Misty Island" is quite intriguing; however, its execution was marred by a poorly constructed story, weak character development, and the aforementioned issues.
- The one thing likable about the Logging Locos here is that all three of them do have a very smart point about the Misty Island Tunnel being closed and too dangerous to get in there, if only Thomas had listened...
- Unlike "Day of the Diesels", at least Thomas learns a lesson before the very end.
- Aside of that, the movie does show a really good moral that no one is always right.
- The Fat Controller's lineː "I may find another hat, but I will never find another Thomas" is a touching and heartwarming line and shows a true connection between the two characters.
- Awdry's map of Sodor can be seen outside Sir Topham Hatt's trailer as Whiff and Percy are about to enter the Misty Island Tunnel.
- The UK narrator Michael Angelis is still amazing. US narrator Michael Brandon does a great job as well.
- Diesel 10 makes an appearance at the movie's end, hinting at his role in "Day of the Diesels," the subsequent special.
- From time to time, the Logging Locos don't laugh, and instead do want to know what the Island of Sodor is and even the Sodor Search and Rescue Centre is while Thomas knows what's all about, which is another part of the three being likable than either one-dimensional or stupid.
- The Sodor Search and Rescue Centre's setting appears intriguing.
- The CGI animation remains impressive, and the diverse set pieces of Misty Island are quite imaginative.
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