Customer Rating:  
Summary: Not just Thomas stories
Comment: There are ten Thomas & Friends episodes on this 60-minute DVD. These are not just Thomas stories, but a mixture of episodes supposedly picked by children who went to the A Day With Thomas event in Penn. at some point. Preceding each story is a 40-second or so clip from the event, with parents and children commenting on the TV series. You cannot skip these with the skip button; you can fast-forward, but that's a hassle, isn't it? This is why some customers are understandably upset.
But my two-year-old actually likes the footage from the event -- set to his favorite T&F songs -- more than the stories themselves. Most of his favorite episodes are not here, so he ends up only watching the event footage and clapping every time he sees the mock-up Thomas train with all the happy children onboard.
If you own few other Thomas videos, I think this is a decent value, with ten episodes that more or less represent the T&F series. That is, pretty much every episode finds the engines "cross" -- I'm starting to get real sick of that word!
Customer Rating:
Summary: Feels like a commercial...
Comment: All the interspersed kid and parent interviews where they talk about all the trains they have just feels like a thinly disguised effort to sell more product.
It's also AWFULLY frustrating that you can't jut buy the DVD Series here as you can in the UK, but have to make do with compilations where there are invariably episode duplications.
*sigh*
Customer Rating:
Summary: Great Video for kids
Comment: Our 3-1/2 year old will watch this 24/7 if you let him. Great fun for the kids (which is nice for mom & dad too)
Customer Rating:
Summary: 10 GREAT STORIES ON DVD + SING-A-LONG & A FEW SPECIAL FEATURES = 5 STAR ENTERTAINMENT
Comment: First of all, let me say that I love Thomas the Tank Engine. My 6-year-old son has loved Thomas for 3+ years running and I am very grateful for all the good times the three of us have had. That having been said, this is a compilation VHS. You will not find any new stories on this one. However, it is worth viewing (and getting, if you don't have a big collection) if you have children. We got this as a gift from friends, so having duplicates of the stories was not a big problem with us. Interspersed between the stories is what seems to be an advertisement for the "Day Out With Thomas." It is interesting to watch, but is not informative for one actually thinking about participating in one of the programs.
ABOUT THE STORIES:
The 10 stories (4 more than the usual offering) featured on the video are as follows:
Thomas & Bertie's Great Race: This is one of the formative Thomas stories and is a welcome addition to anyone's collection. This particular episode is referenced in several subsequent episodes.
Old Iron: This is a charming story where Edward saves the day. However, this one is frequently recycled on Thomas' compilations. We already have it on at least 3 videos.
The Trouble With Mud: Fans of Gordon the Big Blue Engine will appreciate this one. It is included on the Best of Gordon video as well.
Terence the Tractor: This is another story which is essential to Thomas lore. Terence and his funny caterpillars save the day when Thomas get stuck in the snow. The song "Don't Judge a Book by its Cover" is based on this one.
Percy's Ghostly Trick: This is a cute little story where Percy gets to play a little trick on Thomas.
Mavis: This story features the lovely little diesel as well as an always-lovable Toby. Toby has to show impatient Mavis the ropes in this one.
Henry the Elephant: The circus is on the Island of Sodor and the engines are always ready to be really useful, even when 5 tons of pachyderm are on the line. This is a charming story which is not on any of our other collections.
Percy's Promise: Percy saves the day and does not let axle-deep water put a cramp in his style.
James Goes Buzz-Buzz: We also have this episode on the Best of James collection, but it is a good story and features some nice stop-action animation as well as little-seen figures such as the Vicar.
All at Sea: Duck wonders about life beyond the horizon in this lovely story. Harold the Helicopter puts aside his usual haughtiness to help him out. I've never seen this one, so it was a treat for my son and I.
Thomas' Anthem Grand Finale: A rousing musical way to end a very well-spent hour on the tracks.
George Carlin is the narrator for all 10 of the stories and he provides suitable voices for all the characters. I enjoy hearing him, although he is not as lovable as the quirky Ringo Starr.
All in all, this video is well worth watching and would be a great way to start a new Thomas lover's collection. Check it out if you get a chance!
ABOUT THE DVD:
This one is a little short on features, but the transfer is exceptional. Since kids, like mine and perhaps yours too, will want to see this repeatedly, it is comforting to know that unlike the video, this DVD will not wear out as long as we keep the DVD out of harm's way.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Just so-so
Comment: This is a DVD with footage of a "Come Out and Meet Thomas" day mixed in between the episodes. Sort fo a promotional piece to be honest. Still decent enough to rent. The DVD extras are limited and not very good. My son seems to like it o kay but it gets pushed aside for more interactive stuff to be found on Sodor Celebration. There is also a ton of toys shown during the "party/interview" footage which can be a good or bad thing depending on how much you need to control that sort of thing with your child. Also I for one get annoyed at the interviewes not sure why they just annoy me. This production has the feel of an old VHS video copied to DVD without much added to it. I wouldn't throw it out but I wouldn't buy it either.
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