THOMAS & THE MAGIC RAILROAD -----------------------------
Thomas the Tank Engine is facing a crisis on the Island of Sodor even the magical Mr. Conductor, (Alec Baldwin) who's losing his sparkle, can't help him with - the evil Diesel 10 has returned to threaten the magic. Help arrives in the form of twelve-year old Lily (Mara Wilson, "Miracle on 34th Street"), a passenger travelling to visit her lonely grandfather (Peter Fonda, "Ulee's Gold") in "Thomas & the Magic Railroad."
LAURA:
Writer/director Britt Allcroft brings to the big screen the character she brought to the British small screen in "Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends," which was narrated by Ringo Starr (who also later starred as the conductor in "Shining Time Station"). The character of Thomas was created in a series of 1940s childrens' books by the Reverend Wilber Awbry. I am completely clueless as to why this story has any appeal. It's a jumble of moral lessons ('I must be responsible, reliable and really useful') and magic that has no logical story structure.
There are happy, shiny people in Shining Time Station such as Stacy the Station Master (Didi Conn) and Billy Twofeathers (Russell Means, "Natural Born Killers"). This is the 'real' world, where Mr. Conductor (Alec Baldwin) appears only about one foot high. He shuttles between Shining Time and the magical Island of Sodor (where he's the right size) with its talking trains and mysterious magical railroad that may disappear, along with Mr. C's supply of gold dust, because its engine is missing. Gold dust is the 'sparkle' that allows Mr. C. to transport himself and is the stuff of magic.
Meanwhile the dour Burnett Stone is hiding Lady, that selfsame missing engine, within Muffle Mountain, near Shining Time. He's bereft, having recently lost his wife, but also because he let Lady down when the evil diesel chased her until she ran out of coal and crashed. He's not been able to find any coal to make her steam again. When his granddaughter Lily arrives for a visit, she's soon transported off to the Island of Sodor with Junior, Mr. C's irresponsible cousin. Mr. C's lost all his his sparkle trying to find its source and Thomas has been trying to help, even discovering the buffers (a device to stop a train) that mark the entrance to the Magic Railroad, but Diesel 10 has discovered them as well.
If all that sounds pretty incoherent, well, that's how it plays. The purpose of the Magic Railroad is never explained. For that matter, there appears to be no reason for the Island of Sodor and its talking trains, either. The trains are bright and sport round faces which change occasionally to project different emotions, however their lips don't move when they 'talk,' making the whole film seem like child's play.
The children at the screening I attended all seemed pretty wrapped up in this, however, so it apparently has appeal for the six and under crowd. Adults will find little to entertain, although there always is the sight of Alec Baldwin in a sleep cap that says 'Thinking' on one side and 'Sleeping' on the other. While the wee ones may enjoy "Thomas and the Magic Railroad," I just can't recommend it.
D
ROBIN:
N/A
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