79-546: Thomas and the Magic Railroad is a 2000 children's fantasy adventure film written and directed by Britt Allcroft and produced by Allcroft and Phil Fehrle; the cast includes Alec Baldwin , Peter Fonda , Mara Wilson , Didi Conn , Russell Means , Cody McMains , Michael E. Rodgers , and the voices of Eddie Glen and Neil Crone . The film is based on the British children's book series The Railway Series by
158-418: A 2007 interview with Sodor Island Forums & Fansite, Allcroft revealed that before the film's theatrical release, she and editor Ron Wisman were requested to substantially rework the film from how she had originally envisioned it by removing Burnett's rival P.T. Boomer (played by Doug Lennox ), who was the original antagonist and character originally responsible for wrecking Lady, because the test audiences at
237-584: A Bike (2011) stands as an important children's film. In the 1960s, the UK made motion pictures dealing with children that are now regarded as classics. These films include The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner (1962), Lord of the Flies (1963), Born Free (1966), To Sir, with Love (1967) (based on E. R. Braithwaite 's real experiences), and if.... (1968). The list also includes
316-525: A clever plot with cute characters. This movie has neither, having lost in its Americanization what the British original did so right." On Metacritic , the film has a score of 19 out of 100 based on 23 critics, indicating "overwhelming dislike". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale. Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film one star out of four, and wrote "(the fact) That Thomas and
395-554: A contract to write the script for the film with the working title Thomas and the Magic Railroad . London's interest is thought to have stemmed from his three-year-old daughter, who was enthralled by Thomas . According to a press release, filming was to take place at Shepperton Studios , in the United Kingdom and the United States, with the theatrical release date set for 1997. However, later that year, after London left
474-506: A critical low. Lily and Mr. Conductor enlist the help of Thomas the Tank Engine (Glen), who confronts the ruthless, steam engine-hating Diesel 10 (Crone) along the way. Thomas and the Magic Railroad premiered on July 9, 2000. It was panned by critics upon release, with criticism of the acting, plot, special effects, and lack of fidelity to its source material. The film was a box office bomb , grossing $ 19.7 million worldwide against
553-502: A haunting and powerful nightmarish depiction of alienated childhood, boarding school separation, maternal deprivation , separation anxiety , war, and consumerist greed that affects a child and further affects his relationships and experiences in adulthood. It shows the child with non traditional images and the social changes that has occurred with family. In Pink Floyd The Wall the representation of child and family "stresses confrontation, confusion, dysfunctionality and history". In
632-422: A product of long evolutionary history . This provides an underlying biological framework for what may fascinate a child and also impose limitations on the same. These can be seen in certain universal features shared in children's films. According to Grodal, films like Finding Nemo (2003), Bambi (1942), or Hayao Miyazaki 's Spirited Away (2001) are based on certain strong emotions like fear, that lead to
711-562: A production budget of $ 19 million; Allcroft resigned from her company in September 2000 due to the film's poor performance. HiT Entertainment acquired the company two years later, including the television rights to Thomas . As of October 2020, a second theatrical live-action animated Thomas & Friends film is in development at Mattel Films , a division of Mattel , the current owner of HiT Entertainment, with Marc Forster serving as director. Sir Topham Hatt and his family have left
790-555: A special coal from Sodor, and Burnett uses it to start Lady. Lady takes them along the Magic Railroad. Thomas and Lily return to Sodor. Diesel 10 arrives with Splatter and Dodge, who decide to stop helping him. Diesel 10 tries to cross the viaduct, but it collapses under his weight and he falls into a barge filled with sludge. Lily combines water from a wishing well and shavings from the Magic Railroad to make more gold dust. Mr. Conductor gives Junior his conductor's hat. Lily, Burnett, Patch, and Mutt return to Shining Time, and Lady returns to
869-407: A triple feature with The Adventures of Milo and Otis and The Bear . A re-release of the film on DVD and Blu-ray as a 20th anniversary edition from Shout! Factory and under license by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment was released on September 29, 2020. The 20th anniversary edition includes a two-part documentary of the film, new interviews with the cast and crew, and a rough cut version of
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#1732783416948948-496: A wider audience, presenting narratives from an adult or parental perspective. This is shown through the casting, content of the plot , editing, and even mise-en-scène . According to Bazalgette and Staples, a fine example of a family film is Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989), which if it were a European children's film with a similar plot, the title would be Sis, Dad Shrunk Us , explaining that European children's films are told from
1027-454: A wider universal audience. While cultural aspects shape how various films are created, these films refer to underlying universal aspects that are innate and biological. University of Melbourne scholar Timothy Laurie criticises the emphasis placed on children's innate psychic tendencies, noting that "pedagogical norms have been tirelessly heaped onto children's media", and that rather than deriving from hardwired biology, "the quality of childhood
1106-470: A workshop on Muffle Mountain by her driver, Burnett Stone, after Diesel 10's previous attempt to destroy her. Lady is unable to steam despite trying all of the coals in Indian Valley. The steam engines agree to find Lady before Diesel 10, unaware that Diesel 10's sidekicks, Splatter and Dodge, are spying on them. That night, Diesel 10 approaches the shed where the steam engines are sleeping and destroys
1185-569: Is also known by the alternative title, Shelter , by Sivan . It was awarded the Silver Elephant and Special International Jury & CIFEJ Jury Awards at the 7th International Children's Film Festival. India also has a neo-realist children's film about street children in Mumbai, Salaam Bombay (1988) by Mira Nair . It depicts the cruel way in which adults treat children in India by showing
1264-433: Is more likely shaped by social policy, political opportunism, pedagogical institutions, and youth-specific market segmentation ". In the United States and Europe, the idea of children's films began to gain relative prominence in the 1930s. According to Bazalgette and Staples, the term "family film" is essentially an American expression while "children's film" is considered to be a European expression. The difference between
1343-543: Is seen in E.T. the Extra Terrestrial , where the children have to cope with the issues of single parenting and divorce, as well as separation from their father. Also, in the motion picture Empire of the Sun (1987), the protagonist child Jim Graham has to deal with separation from his parents for years, to the point where he is unable to even remember what his mother looked like. He is wounded not by bullets, but by
1422-1032: Is ultimately rejected by society while the female protagonist holds on to his memory. The 1990s also saw additional live-action family films such as Back to the Future Part III (1990), which brought the Back to the Future franchise into this decade, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990), Home Alone (1990) and its sequel Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992), Hook (1991), Alan & Naomi (1992), Jurassic Park (1993), Steve Zaillian 's Searching for Bobby Fischer (1993), Super Mario Bros. (1993), Mrs. Doubtfire (1993), The Flintstones (1994), Babe (1995), Jumanji (1995), 101 Dalmatians (1996), Fly Away Home (1996), Vegas Vacation (1997), and October Sky (1999). Films such as A Little Princess (1995) were more successful in
1501-489: The Island of Sodor on holiday, leaving Mr. Conductor in charge. When Gordon complains that Thomas was eight seconds late, Diesel 10 races by and scares both engines. In Shining Time, Mr. Conductor is suffering a crisis; his supply of magic gold dust is too low for him to travel back from Sodor. At Tidmouth Sheds, Diesel 10 announces his plan to rid Sodor of steam engines by destroying Lady, the lost engine. Lady had been hidden in
1580-639: The Isle of Man Railway formed part of Shining Time Station and the goods shed at Port St Mary railway station became Burnett Stone's workshop. Running shots of the " Indian Valley " train were filmed at the Strasburg Rail Road location. The large passenger station where Lily boards the train is the Harrisburg Transportation Center . Norfolk & Western 4-8-0 475 was repainted as the Indian Valley locomotive. Sodor
1659-700: The Reverend W. Awdry , its televised adaptation Thomas & Friends by Allcroft, and the American television series Shining Time Station by Allcroft and Rick Siggelkow; it is the only theatrical live-action/animated film in the Thomas & Friends franchise . The plot is centered on Lily Stone (Wilson), the granddaughter of the caretaker (Fonda) of an enchanted steam engine who is lacking an appropriate supply of coal, and Mr. Conductor (Baldwin) of Shining Time Station, whose provisions of magical gold dust are at
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#17327834169481738-525: The home video market than in theaters. Direct-to-video became important for both animated and live-action films, such as The Return of Jafar (1994), and those starring Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen . In the 1930s and 1940s, a children's film studio was set up in Moscow . Several films were imported from this studio to the United Kingdom including The Magic Fish , The Land of Toys , and The Humpbacked Horse . Post World War II children's films include
1817-414: The 'special' effects. Quite how – in today's era of slo-mo and seamless digital wizardry – such a shoddy result can have been achieved is anyone's guess. With clunky bluescreen, spot-a-mile-off matte work and an absolute lack of synergy between real-life and animated action, it all conspires to provide an appropriately amateur sheen." Plugged In stated, "While the animation maintains its simple appearance,
1896-701: The 1960s that involved children include The Sound of Music (1965) by Robert Wise and The Miracle Worker (1962). These were very successful musical motion picture that were in the genre of family films. Four of the top ten highest-grossing films of the decade were family films: The Sound of Music , One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961), The Jungle Book (1967), and Mary Poppins (1964). Hollywood also released motion pictures starring children though these were not commercially successful and they were literary adaptations nonetheless. These include ...And Now Miguel (1966), Doctor Dolittle (1967), and The Learning Tree (1969). Other family/children films of
1975-518: The 1960s, important children's films from Japan include Bad Boys (1960), based on the lives of children in a reform school for juvenile delinquents, and Boy (1969). In the 1960s, important children's films from Asia include the film Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne (1969) by Satyajit Ray . South India gave us the children's film Daisy (1988), depicting children in a boarding school and their experience of separation and longing. Other children's films from this region also include Abhayam (1991), which
2054-635: The 1980s and 1990s productions of classic children's films from America including Beauty and the Beast (1991) and Matilda (1996). American children's and family films of the 1980s include Popeye (1980), The Fox and the Hound (1981), Steven Spielberg 's E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982), The Great Mouse Detective (1986), and The Little Mermaid (1989). Spielberg portrays children realistically, having to cope with issues. This
2133-567: The Beast (1987), starring John Savage ; and Puss in Boots (1988), starring Christopher Walken . From Japan, Miyazaki's Spirited Away was voted as the number one film that must be seen by 14 years of age. That list also included the Māori film Whale Rider (2002). Another important children's film is Son of Maryam (1998), directed by Hamid Jebeli and set in Azerbaijan . It deals with
2212-481: The Beast (1991), Aladdin (1992), The Lion King (1994), Mulan (1998), The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996), and the Pixar animated films Toy Story (1995), its sequel Toy Story 2 (1999), and A Bug's Life (1998). This decade introduced the modern fairy tale film Edward Scissorhands (1990), depicting an isolated, artificially created young man with human emotions and childlike qualities who
2291-804: The British-Italian romance film Romeo and Juliet (1968), and the French film L'Enfant sauvage (1969). French film directors Louis Malle and François Truffaut made significant contributions to children's films. Louis Malle made the films Zazie dans le Métro (1960), Murmur of the Heart (1971), and Pretty Baby (1978). The works of Truffaut include The 400 Blows (1959), The Wild Child (1970) and Small Change (1976). The film making style of Malle and Truffaunt inspired present day directors in making children's films; including Ponette (1996) directed by Jacques Doillon , which deals with
2370-535: The Chocolate Factory (1971), Sounder (1972), Benji (1974), Tuck Everlasting (1976), The Bad News Bears (1976), Freaky Friday (1976), and A Hero Ain't Nothin' but a Sandwich (1978), the divorce drama involving a child Kramer vs. Kramer (1978), and The Muppet Movie (1979). There were also combination live action/animation films such as 1971's Bedknobs and Broomsticks and Pete's Dragon (1977). This trend of films inspired
2449-591: The Conqueror (1988); The NeverEnding Story (1984), directed by German director Wolfgang Petersen ; the Danish film , Me and Mamma Mia (1989); and the Hungarian film Love, Mother (1987). Autumn Sonata by Ingmar Bergman is also an important cinema in the genre of family films, although it deals with issues between parent and child which the child expresses after reaching adulthood. The 1990s include
Thomas and the Magic Railroad - Misplaced Pages Continue
2528-460: The Future Part III (1990). "Since the resurgence of Disney feature films with The Little Mermaid (1989)", writes Laurie, "high-budget animations have become part of the Hollywood box office furniture, with phenomenal successes from Pixar Studios, DreamWorks animations and more recently, Blue Sky Studios". Important animated family films of the 1990s include Disney titles such as Beauty and
2607-456: The Goblet of Fire , for which a special train called " Hogwarts Express " would run from July 8 to 11. In September 2020, it was announced that the film would be re-released in theaters on October 24, 2020, for the film's 20th anniversary. Thomas and the Magic Railroad was originally released onto VHS and DVD by Icon Home Entertainment and Warner Home Video on October 19, 2000. The film
2686-539: The Island. Allcroft visited and felt that the location was perfect. During that year, Barry London became chairman of the newly founded Destination Films (owned by Sony Pictures ). He renewed his interest in the project, and Destination Films became the main financial backer and studio for the film. In addition to being a major studio and financial backer, Destination announced in February 1999 that they would distribute
2765-602: The Italian neorealist film Bicycle Thieves , by Vittorio De Sica (1948). According to Goldstein and Zornow, Clement's French film, Forbidden Games (1952), features children in the scenario of war, and shows the gap between children and adults. This period also includes the Czech children's film Journey to the Beginning of Time (1955), directed by Karel Zeman . In the 1960s, important European children's films include
2844-413: The Magic Railroad is a soundtrack released on both CD and cassette on August 1, 2000. It features twelve music tracks from the feature film composed by Hummie Mann . Unlike the movie, the soundtrack received more favorable reception. Thomas and the Magic Railroad was released theatrically on July 14, 2000, in the United Kingdom and Ireland, and on July 26, 2000, in the United States and Canada. The film
2923-484: The Magic Railroad made it into theaters at all is something of a mystery. This is a production with 'straight to video' written all over it. Kids who like the Thomas books might kinda like it. Especially younger kids. Real younger kids. Otherwise, no." While he admired the models and art direction, he criticized how the engines' mouths did not move when they spoke, the overly depressed performance of Peter Fonda , as well as
3002-469: The Magic Railroad while Thomas travels home into the sunset. In the original cut of the film, Doug Lennox portrayed Burnett Stone's rival P.T. Boomer, who served as the story's original antagonist. Most of his scenes and lines were cut prior to the film's release (as detailed further below). In the early 1990s, the character of Thomas the Tank Engine (adapted from the Rev. W. Awdry 's Railway Series into
3081-521: The Magic Railroad: Print Studio , was released in the United Kingdom. Published by Hasbro Interactive , it was released for PC on August 25, 2000. On July 1, 2000, it was reported that Destination Films began development on a sequel, but it was quietly cancelled. In 2009, HiT announced a live-action adaptation film of Thomas & Friends would pilot its theatrical division, tentatively named The Adventures of Thomas . It
3160-526: The March 2000 preview screenings in Los Angeles considered Boomer to be "too scary" for young children. Despite most of his scenes being removed, Boomer can still be seen briefly in one scene, however the scene was redubbed with Boomer as a lost motorcyclist talking to Burnett for directions, as in the original cut, Boomer and Burnett were having a row. Lily Stone (played by Mara Wilson ) was intended to be
3239-514: The Seven Dwarfs (1937). The period immediately before and during World War II saw the release of three significant family films in the U.S. These were Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs by Disney, Gulliver's Travels by Fleischer Studios , and Pinocchio (1940), also by Disney. All of these were loose adaptations of literary sources. After the war, Disney continued to make animated features that could be classified as family films given
Thomas and the Magic Railroad - Misplaced Pages Continue
3318-452: The Sodor entrance to the Magic Railroad and goes to warn Thomas. While traveling through the Magic Railroad to take Lily home, Thomas discovers the missing coal truck. Lily goes to find Burnett, leaving Thomas stranded. Thomas rolls down the mountain and re-enters the Magic Railroad through another secret portal. Burnett explains the problem of getting Lady to steam to Lily. Lily suggests using
3397-418: The Sodor windmill, where he finds a clue to the source of the gold dust. Burnett's granddaughter Lily meets Patch, who takes her to Shining Time, where she meets Junior. Junior takes her through the Magic Railroad to Sodor, where they meet Thomas. Thomas is not happy to see Junior, but agrees to help and takes them to the windmill, where they find Mr. Conductor. Percy discovers that Splatter and Dodge have found
3476-476: The TV series Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends , created by Britt Allcroft ) was at the height of his popularity following three successful series. At the same time, Shining Time Station (an American series that combined episodes from the previous series with original live-action characters and scenarios, also created by Allcroft along with Rick Siggelkow) was made, and also successful. As early as 1994, prior to
3555-586: The activation of what Boyer and Lienard called the hazard-precaution system. This enables the brain to take precautions in case of danger. Children's films such as these explore various topics such as: attachment to parenting agency ; the development of friendship; reciprocal relationships between individuals; or deal with the necessity or need in children and young people to explore and to engage in play . Thus these diverse films deal with certain aspects that are not mere social constructions, but rather emotions relevant to all children and therefore have an appeal to
3634-547: The best family entertainment over the past generation. The 1970s and 1980s also include several films and their sequels as classics of family films, including: Star Wars (1977) and its sequels The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983). Other similar movies and sequels include Robert Zemeckis 's film Back to the Future (1985) and its sequels Back to the Future Part II (1989) and Back to
3713-418: The cast to play Mr. Conductor, Lily Stone and Burnett Stone respectively. David Jacobs, the former vice president of The Britt Allcroft Company , stated that Baldwin got involved in the project because his daughter Ireland was a fan of the series. John Bellis was originally attached to voice Thomas, but was replaced by Canadian actor Edward Glen . Ewan McGregor and Bob Hoskins had also expressed interest for
3792-484: The child's perspective, portraying the story through the various emotions and experiences of the child. Because of these differences, American family films are more easily marketable toward domestic and international viewing audiences while European children's films are better received domestically with limited appeal to international audiences. The Walt Disney Company made animated adaptations of Grimms' Fairy Tales before World War II , beginning with Snow White and
3871-507: The company, Paramount shelved the plans for the film. This left Allcroft to seek other sources of funding. Discussions with PolyGram about the film were held, but not for long, because of the company being in the middle of a corporate restructuring and sale. In the Summer of 1998, during Series 5 of Thomas ' s production, Allcroft saw an Isle of Man Film Commission advert. They were offering tax incentives to companies wanting to film on
3950-420: The context of home and family. Children's films are made specifically for children and not necessarily for a general audience, while family films are made for a wider appeal with a general audience in mind. Children's films come in several major genres like realism , fantasy , adventure , war , musicals , comedy , and literary adaptations . Children are born with certain innate biological dispositions as
4029-635: The contrast between films like Mary Poppins and Mouchette shows the ambiguous or schizoid nature of the depiction of children in the 1960s. European children's films from the 1970s and 1980s include: the German film directed by Wim Wenders , Alice in den Städten (1974); the Spanish film The Spirit of the Beehive (1973); Fanny & Alexander directed by Ingmar Bergman ; the Danish film Pelle
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#17327834169484108-820: The decade include Pollyanna (1960), Swiss Family Robinson (1960), In Search of the Castaways (1962), The Sword in the Stone (1963), That Darn Cat! (1965), Up the Down Staircase (1967), To Sir, With Love (1967), Yours, Mine and Ours (1968), and The Parent Trap (1961). Children's films in the 1970s from the United States include animated films such as The Aristocats (1970), Charlotte's Web (1973), Robin Hood (1973), The Rescuers (1977), and The Hobbit (1977). The decade also had live action children's films like Willy Wonka &
4187-421: The emotional and psychological pain and hurt that children experience "... while living without parental love and care". Other important European children's cinema in the 1960s include The Christmas Tree (1969), which tells the story of a child coping with his imminent death due to leukemia , and Robert Bresson 's film Mouchette (1964), which deals with the suicide of a 14-year-old girl. According to Wojcik,
4266-405: The film Kes (1969). Some children's motion pictures belong to the category of avant-garde films because of the unconventional and often controversial treatment of the subject. According to film scholars; an important example of an avant-garde children's film is the British film Pink Floyd The Wall (1982). Pink Floyd The Wall is an unconventional and controversial motion picture that has
4345-403: The film in the United States while handling a possible sales exchange in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Gullane Pictures would handle international sales rights in all other territories. In June 1999, Icon Film Distribution acquired the British distribution rights to the film from Destination. In early August 1999, it was announced that Alec Baldwin , Mara Wilson and Peter Fonda had joined
4424-547: The film including extended and deleted scenes as well as the storyline of P.T. Boomer. The film opened on 314 screens in the United Kingdom on 14 July 2000 and grossed £431,286 in its opening weekend, ranking fifth at the UK box office. It grossed $ 19.7 million worldwide against a production budget of $ 19 million. On Rotten Tomatoes , the film has an approval rating of 21% based on 68 reviews, along with an average rating of 3.97/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Kids these days demand cutting edge special effects or at least
4503-430: The film, with Weta Digital designing the visual effects. No updates on the film were made after HiT was bought by Mattel in 2012, cancelling the project. On October 6, 2020, it was announced that Marc Forster would be directing a new theatrical live-action animated Thomas & Friends film. Children%27s film A children's film , or family film , is a film genre that generally relates to children in
4582-502: The first time, she told her colleagues, "I have just heard the voice of Thomas. That man is exactly how Thomas would sound!" A few days later, she offered the role to Bellis, and he accepted. However, the test audiences felt that to his voice sounded "too old" for Thomas, although Bellis did receive onscreen credit as the Transportation Co-Ordinator, and a few of his lines remain intact in both the teaser trailer and
4661-830: The hard life of street children in Mumbai (also called as Bombay). Important children's films from India also include the Bollywood films Masoom (1983) and Mr. India (1987); both directed by Shekhar Kapoor . Other important children's films include the reproduction of the German Fairy tales of the Grimm brothers by the Israeli film companies Golan Globus and Cannon Films in their series called Cannon Movie Tales , which includes: The Frog Prince (1986), starring Aileen Quinn , Helen Hunt , and John Paragon ; Beauty and
4740-643: The important Russian films Burnt by the Sun (1994) and The Thief (1997), both of which are set in post-revolutionary Russia of 1917. In the 2000s, important European children's films include the Finnish film Mother of Mine (2005), the Italian short film Il supplente ("The Substitute") (2007), and the Polish animated film Peter and the Wolf (2006). In 2010s the Belgian, French language film, The Kid with
4819-469: The launch of Thomas ' s fourth series , Britt Allcroft had plans to make a feature film based on both of these series, and would make use of the model trains from Thomas and the live-action aesthetic of Shining Time Station . In mid to late 1995, Britt Allcroft was approached by Barry London, then vice-chairman of Paramount Pictures , with an idea for the Thomas film. In February 1996, Britt signed
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#17327834169484898-610: The madness and cruelty of war and separation from his parents. According to Robin Wood, in their films, Lucas and Spielberg both reconstruct "... the adult spectator as a child ..." or "... an adult who would like to be a child". Other important children's films from the U.S. in the late 1970s include Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977). Live action films like Superman (1978) and Superman II are also important children's and family films. They have been ranked as some of
4977-416: The magic notwithstanding, tikes who do manage to grasp the complex story lines, and can sit still for an hour and a half, will learn good lessons about friendship, courage, hard work and being kind." Nell Minow of Common Sense Media gave the film three out of five stars and writing that it "will please [Thomas fans]" but that the plot "might confuse kids". A video game based on the film, titled Thomas and
5056-503: The narrator of the story. Before filming, Thomas's voice was provided by John Bellis, a British fireman and part-time taxi driver who worked on the film as the Isle of Man transportation co-ordinator and facilities manager. Bellis received the role when he happened to pick up Britt Allcroft and her crew from the Isle of Man Airport in July 1999. According to Allcroft, after hearing him speak for
5135-436: The original UK trailer. Crushed and angered by the changes, Bellis said he was "gutted", but still wished the filmmakers well. In an April 2000 interview, following the changes, he said, "It was supposed to be my big break, but it hasn't put me off and I am hoping something else will come along." English actor Michael Angelis , who was the UK narrator of the series at the time, was the original voice of both James and Percy, but
5214-399: The overall lack of consistency in the plot. Elvis Mitchell of The New York Times gave the film a negative review, saying, "Mr. Baldwin's attack – there's no better way to put it – is unforgettable." William Thomas of Empire gave the film a one out of five stars, he was critical of the films special effects, stating that "believe it or not, the true villains of the piece are, in fact,
5293-418: The plot is anything but simple. And that's not good news for the many tots who make up the majority of Thomas ' audience. Switching back and forth between Shining Time and Sodor, interweaving two relatively complex story lines, may confuse more than it challenges. Parents may well find that their children are squirming in their seats long before Thomas rides his magic rails into the sunset. That said, and
5372-676: The relationship between a Muslim boy and an Armenian priest. Children's films from South Africa include Tsotsi (2006). Another collection of family films is the anthology of 20 Canadian and European motion picture productions titled Tales for All . This includes the Canadian children's film Bach and Broccoli (Bach et Bottine) (1986) and the Argentine film Summer of the Colt (1990), directed by André Mélancon . Doug Lennox Too Many Requests If you report this error to
5451-435: The role. Michael Angelis , the UK narrator for the Thomas & Friends television series at the time, was originally cast to voice both James and Percy, but was later replaced by voice actresses Susan Roman and Linda Ballantyne . Keith Scott was originally set to voice Diesel 10, but was later replaced by Neil Crone in the final film. Patrick Breen (known as the narrator of Allcroft's Magic Adventures of Mumfie )
5530-513: The scope of its content. According to Wojcik, the most important film adaptations of children's literature in the immediate post-World War II period were the motion pictures The Diary of Anne Frank by George Stevens (1959), Treasure Island (1950) by Byron Haskin and Luigi Comencini 's 1952 motion picture Heidi . In the 1960s, motion pictures such as To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) and Oliver! (1968), directed by Carol Reed , portrayed children as naturally innocent. Other films of
5609-415: The shed supports with his claw, which collapses the roof on top of them. The next morning, Thomas is collecting coal trucks when one of them rolls through the buffers that lead to the secret railway. Mr. Conductor is abducted by Diesel 10, who threatens to drop him off a viaduct unless he divulges the location of the buffers. Mr. Conductor cuts one of the claw's hydraulic hoses and is thrown free. He lands at
5688-450: The side of it with his claw. Mr. Conductor scares Diesel 10 away by threatening to pour a bag of sugar into his fuel tanks. The following day, Mr. Conductor calls his cousin, Mr. C. Junior, to help him with the gold dust crisis. That night, Percy and Thomas conclude there is a secret railway between Sodor and Shining Time. Diesel 10 tells Splatter and Dodge of his plans to destroy Lady. Toby overhears and distracts Diesel 10, who knocks one of
5767-458: The terms can be seen in casting methods adopted by American and European films respectively. In American family films, the search for a child protagonist involves casting children who meet a specific criterion or standard for physical appearance. In contrast, European children's films look to cast children who appear "ordinary". Similarly, in American family films, the adult cast can be composed of well known actors or actresses in an effort to attract
5846-601: Was also released in Australia on December 14, 2000, and in New Zealand on April 7, 2001. Before that, the film premiered at the Odeon Leicester Square ; for the purpose, a steam locomotive, no. 47298 painted to resemble Thomas , was brought to the cinema by low loader on July 9, 2000. National press coverage was low, as many journalists were concentrating on the launch of the book, Harry Potter and
5925-635: Was originally set to voice both Splatter and Dodge, but was eventually replaced by both Kevin Frank and Neil Crone . Principal photography began on August 2, 1999, and wrapped on October 15, 1999. The movie was filmed at the Strasburg Rail Road in Strasburg, Pennsylvania (United States), as well as in Toronto , Ontario , Canada and on the Isle of Man . Castletown railway station on
6004-446: Was originally targeted for a late 2010 release, but this was revised to Spring 2011. By January 2011, the release date had been pushed back further to 2012. The initial draft of the script was written by Josh Klausner , who has also said that the film would be set around the times of World War II ; Will McRobb and Chris Viscardi also helped write the script. On June 8, 2011, it was announced that 9 director Shane Acker would direct
6083-517: Was re-released on DVD in July 2007, this time self-distributed by Icon themselves. The film was released onto VHS and DVD by Columbia TriStar Home Video on October 31, 2000. The only special features on the DVD release are a deleted scene and the theatrical trailer. In 2007, the film was released as part of a double feature with The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland . It was also released as part of
6162-465: Was realised using models and chroma key . The models were animated using live action remote control, as on the television series . The model sequences were filmed in Toronto instead of Shepperton Studios, the "home" of the original TV show; however, several of the show's key staff were flown over to participate. The Magic Railway was created using models, CGI , and water-coloured matte paintings . In
6241-489: Was recast for the same reason as Bellis. Australian voice actor Keith Scott originally voiced Diesel 10 (as evidenced in both the US and UK trailers), but he believes that he was recast because test audiences claimed that his portrayal was "too scary" for young children. Additionally, American actor Patrick Breen was the original voice of both Splatter and Dodge, but he was also subsequently recast for unknown reasons. Thomas and
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