Sunday, February 8, 2015

RWS #9: Edward the Blue Engine

So now, I've reviewed every episode out of season 1 except for Thomas' Christmas Party, which I'll review close to Christmas. But now, let's move on to seasons 2-4, which are very much all over the place with the remaining 18 books except for Mountain Engines, Very Old Engines, and Small Railway Engines, which I may skip considering that they have no adaptations to compare with. But now, let's move onto the very first character of the books and his very own... Edward the Blue Engine!

THE OPINIONS, THOUGHTS AND MUSINGS IN THIS BLOG POST ARE SOLELY THOSE OF ZACK WANZER, NOT THE THOMAS FANDOM IN GENERAL

(special thanks to the Thomas the Tank Engine Wikia for the images)

The Railway Series Book #9
Edward the Blue Engine
Written by The Rev. W. Awdry
Illustrated by C. Reginald Dalby
Published 1954

Edward the blue engine may been seen by most other engines as old and outdated, but this old iron proves he's far from useless...

Dear Friends,
I think most of you are fond of Edward. His Driver and Fireman, Charlie Sand and Sidney Hever, are fond of him, too. They were very pleased when they knew I was giving Edward a book all to himself.

Edward is old, and some of the other engines were rude about the clanking noise he made as he did his work.

They aren't rude now! These stories tell you why.
The Author 

Cows
Season 2, Episode 2
When Edward loses several livestock vans thanks to some cows, Gordon and Henry laugh at his mishap, but when they encounter a cow of their own, Edward gets the last laugh.

I dunno about you, but I feel this could take place some time before Gordon's book, considering he had mellowed out by that point. In the adaptation, Henry went back to the station, which didn't happen in the original considering Gordon's situation. Despite those mistakes, it's still a good episode, although the original is better by a half point.

RWS Rating: 8.5 out of 10
TV Series Rating: 8 out of 10

Bertie's Chase
Season 2, Episode 3
Bertie looks after Thomas' passengers while his fireman is ill, but the red bus has trouble catching up to Edward until he finally reaches Wellsworth, thanks to some help from the Crosby stationmaster.

Did you know that on Shining Time Station, the episode began with Bertie coming up to the crossing gates? Why is that? Also, what's with Bertie and blue engines? What's next, a Gordon and Bertie episode/story? On whole, it's a great story and it's nice to see a story focusing on road characters.

RWS/TV Series Rating: 9 out of 10

Saved from Scrap
Season 2, Episode 4
Edward meets Trevor at Crocks Scrap Yard, who is due for scrapping next week. When Edward meets with the Vicar, he persuades him to buy Trevor, and he's allowed to stay at the Vicarage Orchard.

This is the first story in Thomas history where a character is saved from their doom, and it served as a sort of template for future stories like Escape and Thomas, Percy and Old Slowcoach. I actually prefer Trevor being green than black; it makes him more vibrant. And if you think he's a pedophile, shut up about it, cause I don't care. Seriously, these petty folks really make me want to spit...

RWS/TV Series Rating: 9.5 out of 10

Old Iron
Season 2, Episode 5
James is rude to Edward and accuses him for being too slow, but the next day, when his driver is ill, the red engine becomes a runaway after two boys mess with his controls. With the inspector's help, Edward saves James from an accident, and is rewarded with an overhaul.

Edward's best episode yet; buffers down. This is the Edward we know an love, not someone who's rude to cranes for no reason or someone who doesn't know how to take the mail. This got everything right that Edward the Hero didn't - it showed Edward actually do heroic actions, not just good deeds. Just about everything in the episode is incredible from the music to the filmwork, and it's my second favorite episode overall. Kind of appropriate, isn't it?

RWS/TV Series Rating: 10 out of 10

Stray Observations
Take a look at Bertie's number plate - it's CRD 54. It's a reference to the then-illustrator and the year the book was published.

In Cows, it says that the last seven cattle trucks were left behind, but only six are shown, along with the brakevan. Likewise, the coupling was meant to have broken between the thirteenth and fourteenth truck, but it was between the fourteenth and the fifteenth.

Overall
Like I said in my Top 25 Characters list, if I was familiar with the books first, Edward could've been my favorite character. Nonetheless, I still love him as a character, and his book is fantastic on whole. It's on par with Tank Engine Thomas Again, and I would love to read it again and again.

Overall Book Rating: 9.3 out of 10

Right now, we are in season 2, but we'll also be jumping around onto seasons 3 and 4 as well; which reminds me; why were some books/stories skipped during season 2 (as well as season 1) and yet held back for seasons 3 and 4?

The Railway Series Scorecard
1. The Three Railway Engines: 8.4
2. Thomas the Tank Engine: 9
3. James the Red Engine: 7.5
4. Tank Engine Thomas Again: 9.5
5. Troublesome Engines: 8.1
6. Henry the Green Engine: 8.4
7. Toby the Tram Engine: 9
8. Gordon the Big Engine: 8.6
9. Edward the Blue Engine: 9.3

Thomas and Friends Season 2 Scorecard
2. Cows: 8
3. Bertie's Chase: 9
4. Saved from Scrap: 9.5
5. Old Iron: 10

Friday, February 6, 2015

Respect for Gordon, Gordon and the Engineer, and O the Indignity

All three episodes were requested by Omeed Mirhakkak/GordonsExpress. If you have any requests for episodes you'd like me to tackle, do leave a comment below, or send me a private message. Also, read the list of reviews that I'll never do to understand there are episodes I won't do.

THE OPINIONS, THOUGHTS AND MUSINGS IN THIS BLOG POST ARE SOLELY THOSE OF ZACK WANZER, NOT THE THOMAS FANDOM IN GENERAL

I was going to do the three reviews separately, but due to lack of time, I'll just shove them all into one post, plus, I might do something special for blog #125 (any ideas?) So, without any further delay, let's get onto season 9's Respect for Gordon, season 11's Gordon and the Engineer, and season 14's O the Indignity.

Season 9, Episode 7
Respect for Gordon
Written by James Mason

After a totally not-pointless introduction, we see Gordon having a washdown when he hears a knocking noise in his... firebox? As it cools down? Can someone please explain to me how it's possible? Anyway, Thomas and Percy tease him about it, much to Gordon's annoyance. He's further infuriated by Emily and Diesel teasing him as well. In the latter's case, that's actually close to his original persona. Fed up with their teasing, Gordon becomes bossy, er, bossier than usual, and the engines respect him even less. Definitely a good message there; being bossy doesn't give you respect - in order to gain respect, you have to give respect to others.

When Gordon expects Emily to whistle at him, she doesn't, and he gets crosser still; so cross that he speeds past a red signal (his crew should've been involved!) and crashes into tankers filled with jam. Now where have I seen that before...? Percy, James, and Thomas all tease him (a three striker that lasts around twenty seconds, and it's pointless) until Edward takes Gordon to the works. It takes a while to clean the jam off of Gordon (by the way, he is THE engine) and Henry and Emily take the express for him for the time being. While he's at the works, Gordon has the rattle in his firebox fixed, and when he comes back, he apologizes for his foolish behavior and all is forgiven.

Despite the flaws I've mentioned, this is a really good episode. Even after season four, Gordon seems to get a lot of good episodes. The plot has some resemblance to the magazine story Thomas and the Whistle in 1989, where Thomas blows his whistle to show respect to Gordon, but his whistle jams, much to Gordon's annoyance. The moral is probably the episode's strongest point, like I said, that respect is a two-way street - give and receive.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Season 11, Episode 6
Gordon and the Engineer
Written by Paul Larson

We get an introduction about signals, which actually isn't a bad thing - it gives an explanation to their importance to a railway. The Fat Controller tells Gordon about a broken set of points (he doesn't say where) and he wants an engineer (to be picked up at Maron) to fix them. A lot of engines are stuck unless the points are fixed; at Maron, Gordon picks up who he thinks is the engineer, and he passes by Donald and Douglas on his way to the broken points. However, upon arrival, the "engineer" is actually a carpenter, leaving Gordon in a very awkward predicament.

Under a suggestion by Thomas, Gordon does down the little blue engine's line tender first without his coaches, but Douglas is in his way, and in his way is Donald. Then Gordon suggests that they help in taking the engineer station to station and back to Gordon again, who then delivers the engineer to fix the points, and the railway is back in service once more.

In a time when parties were commonplace on Sodor, an episode about railway equipment was always a nice breath of fresh air. The lack of three strikes is also refreshing, and it's good to see Donald and Douglas doing something for the first time in four years - here's hoping their return in CGI is a grand one as well! It isn't perfect, but the story is still quite solid, I believe. I'm glad to consider this episode a true favorite.

Rating: 9.5 out of 10

Season 14, Episode 17
O the Indignity
Written by Sharon Miller

Insert generic monologue #37. Seriously, just cut to the damn chase, will ya? Gordon takes his express coaches to the Steamworks because their wheels are wobbly - shouldn't they be due for refurbishment, if that's what he means? - and he has to pick up the inspector at Brendam by tea time. Still at the Steamworks, Gordon meets with Whiff and Scruff; the former is with the latter whose bufferbeam has broken. Jeez, how long has Scruff been on Sodor - a day, and he's already had an accident? Also, Gordon should know who Whiff is by now considering Misty Island Rescue - then again, their scene was pointless and went absolutely nowhere. The Fat Controller then has Gordon be in charge of the Waste Dump for the day, because... reasons.

At the dump, Gordon hears Spencer's whistle and hides, and does the same thing when James and Diesel show up - three minutes of nothing happening, until the Fat Controller shows up on Thomas (Whiff and Scruff tagging along) when Diesel arrives. Rule of thumb - shoehorning in Thomas because he's the main character is pointless, and it will mark down an episode by one point... if I feel like it. The Fat Controller scolds Gordon, who is apologetic for slacking on the job. Oh, big surprise here...(!) Gordon offers to help Whiff by shunting the trucks to the rubbish crusher while Whiff picks up the inspector at Brendam Docks. Soon, the waste dump is all tidy

Despite having nothing to do with anything, Whiff pulling coaches is one of the better parts of the episode, considering Aerolite was a saloon engine. What's strange is that Spencer, James, and Diesel could've seen Gordon, and yet they seemingly can't. Are they blind or something? It's the same old, same old considering it's a Nitrogen episode. The episode may have worked better for James, considering he doesn't like being dirty, as well The Fat Controller's Bedtime Story from a 2013 magazine, issue 657. The episode had a decent idea for story, but it was let down by the typical writing flaws. On whole, I don't hate the episode, but it was more... on the meh side.

Rating: 3 out of 10

Thomas & Friends Season 9 Scorecard (out of 10 possible points)
7. Respect for Gordon: 8

Thomas & Friends Season 11 Scorecard (out of 10 possible points)
6. Gordon and the Engineer: 9.5
13. Don't Be Silly, Billy: 0.5
17. Thomas and the Runaway Car: 8.5

Thomas & Friends Season 14 Scorecard (out of 10 possible points)
17. O the Indignity: 3

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie

Since The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge out of Water will be coming to theaters this week, I feel it's only fair that I review the original SpongeBob movie from 2004.

THE OPINIONS, THOUGHTS AND MUSINGS IN THIS BLOG POST ARE SOLELY THOSE OF ZACK WANZER, AND NO ONE ELSE'S

(all images taken from the SpongeBob SquarePants wikia)

Back in 1999, Stephen Hillenburg introduced to the world a yellow, anthropomorphic square sponge living in a pineapple under the sea. This little guy was called SpongeBob SquarePants, and he was introduced along with his best friend Patrick, his grumpy next-door neighbor Squidward, his greedy but (then) caring boss Eugene Krabs and his business rival Plankton, his squirrel friend Sandy Cheeks, and his pet snail Gary. The show was successful because of its zany humor and slapstick while telling coherent stories, but nowadays, the show is on life support, but that could change. Before it went badly wrong, we were given what was supposed to be SpongeBob's last adventure... his own movie.

Written by Derek Drymon, Tim Hill, Stephen Hillenburg, Kent Osborne, Aaron Springer, and Paul Tibbitt
Produced by Stephen Hillenburg and Julia Pistor
Directed by Stephen Hillenburg
Released November 19, 2004

The beginning of the movie features live action pirates, one of them bringing in a treasure chest on a rowboat. Once hoisted onto the ship, the chest contains tickets to the SpongeBob movie (yep, it's a movie within a movie), and the pirates sing their version of the theme song; upon arriving at the theater, they make a big mess because... they're pirates, I guess. They're supposed to be messy. I find it odd that they used a pirate crew and not Patchy and Potty the parrot, but never mind. Just to make you aware; there's the difference between a flaw that messes up the whole story, and a teensy issue that causes a little bit of a distraction. I'm saying this just so I don't go into rant mode as we go along with the movie.

The SpongeBob movie proper begins at the Krusty Krab where a customer has taken a bite out of a Krabby Patty, but with one problem - no cheese! SpongeBob is called in to save the day, and he does, being called manager by the cheering crowd. In real life, it's all a dream. This morning, SpongeBob is excited because today is the grand opening for the Krusty Krab 2, and he hopes that Mr. Krabs will promote him as the manager. At the ceremony, Squidward is chosen as the manager, because he's more mature than SpongeBob who, as Mr. Krabs puts it, is just a kid. A disappointed SpongeBob walks away sadly, and is still crying at Goofy Goober's Ice Cream Party Boat. There, Patrick is given a Triple Gooberberry Sunrise as dessert, and SpongeBob asks for one as well, hoping to cheer him up. It does, but he and Patrick eat one Sunrise too many and get drunk.

So far, I really felt for SpongeBob; hope when he's excited for getting a promotion, but sorrow when he doesn't get the job. He put his hopes up when he shouldn't have, and later shows resentment toward his manager. Huh, I wonder why he doesn't do so in post-movie episodes?

Meanwhile, Plankton is frustrated that he STILL hasn't managed to steal the Krabby Patty formula, having gone through plans A to Y, but then Karen points out that he hasn't attempted Plan Z. Stealing King Neptune's crown is involved, and so is blaming it on Mr. Krabs. Speaking of Neptune, he's about to arrest the royal crown polisher just for touching the king's crown (kind of petty, I know), but his daughter Mindy lets the crown polisher go, much to her father's annoyance, and he tells her that when she's ruler of the sea, she'll have to rule with an iron fist. During their conversation, Plankton steals the crown, much to Neptune's horror.

The following morning, King Neptune accuses Mr. Krabs for stealing the crown, and is further enraged when he discovers it's in Shell City. A drunken SpongeBob comes in and after praising Mr. Krabs, he chews him out for not giving him the promotion, insists that he's a man, and blows a raspberry to him. SpongeBob sobers up when Mr. Krabs is set alight by Neptune, and even if he's angry at his boss, (who else will give him the paycheck he needs to live?) SpongeBob offers to find Neptune's crown to save Mr. Krabs' life. Neptune initially refuses, but when Mindy intervenes, he agrees, and gives SpongeBob six days to find the crown (originally ten before Patrick intervened) and in the time frame, Mr. Krabs is frozen so he doesn't escape.

Out of the characters in the film, I think my personal favorite has to be Princess Mindy; she is such a strong female role model, and a big influence on SpongeBob and Patrick's journey to finding the crown. Yes, her mermaid magic was fake, but if she had to lie just to encourage SpongeBob and Patrick to finish their quest, then so be it.

Speaking of whom, SpongeBob and Patrick set off on the Krusty Krab 2's Patty Wagon and meet up with two hillbilly gas attendants, who mock the "kids" by saying they wouldn't last ten seconds over the county line. After their car is stolen, SpongeBob and Patrick have the last laugh after lasting TWELVE seconds over the county line, and they carry on by foot. They end up at the Thug Tug, and after playing with bubbles in the bathroom, SpongeBob and Patrick just barely avoid singing the Goofy Goober theme song and escape with the key.

Back in Bikini Bottom, Plankton steals the Krabby Patty formula without Krabs' interference and is able to sell Krabby Patties, and gives each customer a Chum Bucket Bucket Helmet. When Squidward finds out about Plankton's plan, the little one-eyed crustacean activates the helmets, enslaving his customers and sends them to attack Squidward. As for SpongeBob and Patrick? Plankton has sent in a hitman named Dennis to exterminate them in case they make it back in one piece. On his way to hunt down our heroes, Dennis comes across the gas attendants (whose lips he tears off their faces) and the thugs (whose leader he punches so hard in the jaw that his socks are knocked off and the Thug Tug is destroyed). I wonder what happened to them afterward?

Dennis intrigues me; what's his story? Where did he come from? How did Plankton meet with him without getting squished, I wonder? I guess that's open to interpretation.

Meanwhile, SpongeBob and Patrick end up a deserted part of the ocean and encounter what appears to be... an ice cream stand? Something's not right here... Yep, definitely not right, especially when SpongeBob gets stuck on the bowl of ice cream, and the lady is part of a frogfish! He manages to escape, and Patrick drives the Patty Wagon away with the frogfish giving chase. Hopefully next time they go for ice cream, they'll be a little more cautious. They manage to escape, but their car is eaten by the frogfish... which is also eaten by an giant eel.

Out of disappointment, SpongeBob decides to go home, understanding that he and Patrick are just kids, but Mindy shows up and shows them the state of Bikini Bottom, now under Plankton's rule. Believing their town is doomed, SpongeBob and Patrick begin crying hysterically, but Mindy promises to turn them into men, much to their joy. She gives them false mustaches made from seaweed, and with their confidence restored, SpongeBob and Patrick fall down the trench, only to survive by pure luck when a branch slows their fall. Believing they're invincible, SpongeBob and Patrick sing about how they're men (interesting fact; the music used was also utilized for The Great Snail Race) and make friends with the monsters who help make it to Shell City.

On their final leg of their quest, SpongeBob and Patrick are confronted by Dennis, who reveals that their mustaches are fake and is just about to kill them by stomping on them with spikes on his boot, only to get crushed by a bigger boot... the boot of the Cyclops that Mindy warned them about (really, a guy in an old-timey diver's suit). Terrified, SpongeBob and Patrick try to escape, only for the Cyclops to grab them and bring them to the surface and place them in a fishbowl.

Alright, now the next part of the review may depress some readers; if you don't want depression, then close the tab now. If you want to continue reading to see the rest of my thoughts, don't say I didn't warn you.

In the bowl, SpongeBob and Patrick discover that the Cyclops is killing fish and selling them as knick knacks, and find out they're next on his list when he places them on a drying rack. Just as they feel they've given up, Patrick shows SpongeBob that a sign reading Shell City, which is a gift shop, and they discover Neptune's crown; they succeeded after all. For the last time, they sing the Goofy Goober theme song one last time before dying... or do they? Their last tear shorts out the lamp, and the smoke activates the water faucets, bringing SpongeBob and Patrick back to life.

That's definitely the most emotional scene in the movie; SpongeBob and Patrick singing for the last time before drying up to death really brought tears to my eyes (I never thought I'd say it in any review) and I'm sure it does for anyone watching it. But when the tear shorts out the lamp and the smoke hits the faucets, there's joy once more when our heroes are re-hydrated, and so are the fish the Cyclops killed, and they attack him.

Okay, depressing moments are over. You can put away the tissues now.

Back to the story at hand, SpongeBob and Patrick prepare to return to Bikini Bottom with the crown on the bag of winds Mindy gave them earlier, but Patrick loses it by mistake. When all seems lost, David Hasselhoff "The Hoff" shows up with a surfboard and gives them a lift back to Bikini Bottom. On the way, one of the Cyclops' boots shows up, revealing Dennis has unfinished business with SpongeBob and Patrick. Before he can finally finish the job, he's hit by a sailboat and is never seen again.

This isn't the scene in question; it was the closest image to said scene I could use.
At the Krusty Krab 2, Neptune is prepared to execute Mr. Krabs with Plankton enjoying the show, but Mindy butts in at the last second, suggesting that her father give SpongeBob and Patrick enough time, and her stalling gives them the time they need to save Mr. Krabs just in time after The Hoff launches them from his chest.

Neptune is delighted to have his crown back, and Mindy hugs SpongeBob and Patrick in joy (and yes, I'm aware Patrick has a crush on Mindy). However, Plankton is unimpressed, and puts Neptune under his control. Before he, Patrick and Mindy can get attacked by Plankton's army, SpongeBob tells everyone about all that he'd learned in the past six days, and five and a half minutes - you are who you are, and no amount of mermaid magic or managerial promotion can make him anything more than what he really is... a kid. He picks up a microphone, and admits that he's not just a kid, but also a goofball, a wingnut, and a Knucklehead McSpazzatron, but most of all (and this is my favorite scene of the movie) he's a Goofy Goober.

Rocking to a parody of Twisted Sister's I Wanna Rock, SpongeBob (with the power of rock and roll) destroys the helmets and frees everyone, including Neptune. Realizing he's without power, (especially with Karen being carried by the crowd) Plankton tries to leave, only to get stepped on, and is later arrested. (The Institution for the Criminally Tiny? This I gotta see!) Mr. Krabs is also unfrozen, and he gives SpongeBob the position of manager after all (even Squidward agrees to it), much to SpongeBob's delight. As for the pirates, well, they're asked to leave the theater. That's it.

Overall, I think this movie would've been a great way to end the series, but it wasn't the case since after renewal, the show went backwards and we were given episodes like To Love a Patty, One Coarse Meal, The Splinter, Smoothe Jazz at Bikini Bottom, Little Yellow Book, and especially A Pal for Gary and it's little brother Pet Sitter Pat. With Stephen Hillenburg returning to his show for season ten, hopefully he'll fix the show he created and left. Like the old saying goes, if it ain't broke, you don't fix it. The movie, still, is fantastic, and it has everything; the characterization, the story, the emotions, the humor, the morals, very much the whole shebang. It isn't perfect, but then, no movie is. I feel the movie deserves a very solid 9/10 rating from me, and to end this review, how's about a screenshot of a happy SpongeBob?

Enjoy it while you can, Spongey - Casey Alexander and Zeus Cervas are heading in your direction!

Saturday, January 31, 2015

RWS #8: Gordon the Big Engine

We'll review this book of Gordon;
he's big, he's fast, he's proud.
His paint is blue, so strong and true,
and his whistle's really lou-

Oh, sorry! I got carried away there. Let's just get on to reviewing Gordon's book, shall we?

THE OPINIONS, THOUGHTS AND MUSINGS IN THIS BLOG POST ARE SOLELY THOSE OF ZACK WANZER, NOT THE THOMAS FANDOM IN GENERAL

(special thanks to the Thomas the Tank Engine Wikia for the images)

The Railway Series Book #8
Gordon the Big Engine
Written by The Rev. W. Awdry
Illustrated by C. Reginald Dalby
Published 1953

Once again, Gordon lets his pride get the better of him, but he has a lot to do to regain the Fat Controller's trust...

Dear Ian,
You asked for a book about Gordon. Here it is. Gordon has been naughty, and Sir Topham Hatt was stern with him.

Gordon has now learned his lesson and is a Really Useful Engine again.
The Author

Off the Rails
Season 1, Episode 24
A bad-tempered Gordon is unwilling to pull a goods train, and so he deliberately jams the turntable, only to end up in a ditch. Edward is made to take the train instead, and later in the evening, James and Henry help Gordon out of the ditch.

The first part of Gordon's saga, and it shows how much the engines act like children at times; they don't like doing the jobs they don't want to do, but they have to regardless. Here, Gordon didn't want to pull trucks, and for trying to get out of doing it, he's been punished by being made to pull trucks as the next story will show.

RWS/TV Series Rating: 8.5 out of 10

Leaves/The Trouble with Mud
Season 3, Episode 10
Gordon is banned from pulling coaches and is made to shunt trucks until he can be trusted again. Later, he warns James that his hill being slippery due to leaves, but James ignores him but soon pays the price and needs Gordon's help.

Honestly, why hold it back for two seasons instead of adapting it (as well as Henry and the Elephant) for season one? The mud appeared on Gordon without reason, and because he's dirty, he's not allowed to pull the express. Remember this, as I'll be discussing this in a future review. The second half is fine, but it's not enough to redeem this adaptation. Now, it's not THE worst adaptation (I'm looking at you, Rusty to the Rescue) but it is the most pointless.

On whole, Gordon was still pompous, but he settled down a little bit and does his work without complaining, which shows good character development from him.

RWS Rating: 8 out of 10
TV Series Rating: 4 out of 10

Down the Mine
Season 1, Episode 25
Thomas laughs at Gordon's ditch incident, much to Annie and Clarabel's shock. When Thomas travels to the lead lines, he ignores a warning sign and goes past it, only to end up in a mine, and he needs Gordon's help. Afterward, they form an Alliance.

Definitely another favorite of mine from season one; the moral on obeying orders is very good, and I like how Annie and Clarabel stand up for Gordon. It's also nice to how both Thomas and Gordon respected one another in the end; they've both done stupid things and formed their Alliance.

RWS/TV Series Rating: 9 out of 10

Paint Pots and Queens
Season 4, Episode 23
Queen Elizabeth is coming to Sodor for a visit, and Henry is hoping to pull her train, but his gloating is short lived when a paint bucket falls on his boiler. The Fat Controller then meets with Thomas and Gordon who both apologize for doing stupid things, and Gordon is allowed to pull the Royal Train with Thomas arranging the coaches.

While some people say Mrs. Kyndley's Christmas should've finished up season one, I think this episode should've finished season one and Gordon's saga perfectly. Speaking of whom, I like Gordon's role here; he knows he won't pull the Royal Train as he's in disgrace, and has become less pompous and more humble. He even asks the Fat Controller that Thomas get his branchline back, and in return, Thomas asks if Gordon can pull coaches again. Positive karma, after all; do something nice for someone, they'll do something nice in return.

Both versions are of the same quality, but the RWS version is better by one point as it finished up Gordon's saga now rather than later.

RWS Rating: 9 out of 10
TV Series Rating: 8 out of 10

Stray Observations
In Down the Mine, there was a typo which has since been fixed:
Thomas squealed crossly at the sound of his brakes were applied.
The correct way it should be written is "Thomas squealed crossly as the sound of his brakes were applied."

The same story is based off an incident on the Furness Railway in 1892; the collapsing mine hole was so deep that the engine vanished, and all that remained was its tender. Goodness knows if the engine will ever be dug up again...

Henry: James, why do you have two extra leading wheels?
James: Oh, who gives a damn, Henry? If you chuffed forwards, you'd hit the shed support!

Overall
What's the problem with character development in many peoples' works? Awdry seemed to have made it effortless and gave his characters development throughout the books he'd written. It's a similar case to My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, although Pinkie Pie's characterization could be put into question...

Gordon's book is simply fantastic, and it was nice that it had been written during the Queen's coronation. At the time of writing this review, Elizabeth II is the longest-living monarch in Great Britain's history (longer than her great-great grandmother Queen Victoria), but the second-longest reign of nearly 63 years (hopefully come September 10 for Lizzie, and she'll claim the record!)

Overall Book Rating: 8.6 out of 10

Right now, all of season one has been reviewed except for Thomas' Christmas Party, but that will have to wait for at least ten months.

The Railway Series Scorecard
1. The Three Railway Engines: 8.4
2. Thomas the Tank Engine: 9
3. James the Red Engine: 7.5
4. Tank Engine Thomas Again: 9.5
5. Troublesome Engines: 8.1
6. Henry the Green Engine: 8.4
7. Toby the Tram Engine: 9
8. Gordon the Big Engine: 8.6

Thomas and Friends Season 1 Scorecard
1. Thomas and Gordon: 9.5
2. Edward and Gordon: 8.5
3. The Sad Story of Henry: 8
4. Edward, Gordon and Henry: 9
5. Thomas' Train: 8.5
6. Thomas and the Trucks: 9
7. Thomas and the Breakdown Train: 9
8. James and the Coaches: 8.5
9. Troublesome Trucks: 9
10. James and the Express: 8.5
11. Thomas and the Guard: 9
12. Thomas Goes Fishing: 9.5
13. Thomas, Terence and the Snow: 9.5
14. Thomas and Bertie: 10
15. Tenders and Turntables: 7.5
16. Trouble in the Shed: 8
17. Percy Runs Away: 8
18. Coal: 9
19. The Flying Kipper: 10
20. Whistles and Sneezes: 9.5
21. Toby and the Stout Gentleman: 9
22. Thomas in Trouble: 8.5
23. Dirty Objects: 9.5
24. Off the Rails: 8.5
25. Down the Mine: 9

Thomas and Friends Season 3 Scorecard
1. A Scarf for Percy: 8.5
9. Henry's Forest: 9
10. The Trouble with Mud: 4
26. Thomas and Percy's Christmas (Mountain) Adventure: 7.5 (UK) / 4 (US)

Thomas and Friends Season 4 Scorecard
19. Henry and the Elephant: 7
23. Paint Pots and Queens: 8

Friday, January 30, 2015

Fan Works: Tobias and the Half Pariah

Before I begin, I'd like to say that this could be either my greatest review, or my lousiest review, depending on who you are! If you don't want to read my review, then close the tab. However, if you DO read my review, you'll thank me later. ;)

THE OPINIONS, THOUGHTS AND MUSINGS IN THIS BLOG POST ARE SOLELY THOSE OF ZACK WANZER, NOT THE THOMAS FANDOM IN GENERAL

For the most part, I plan on reviewing movies or television done by professional filmmakers, not fan works. However, there are a couple of fan works out there that, for me personally, I actually feel like sharing my full-fledged opinions on, like this one, for example.

Tobias and the Half Pariah
Based upon "Toby the Tram Engine" by the Rev. W. Awdry
Written and Directed by Tines Sensahthe
Released August 24, 2014

Tobias and the Half Pariah had been in development for well over two years; around the time, a lot of fans were talking about season 16 and Blue Mountain Mystery and wondered about how the direction of the show was going to go in the hands of Andrew Brenner. But one YouTube user by the name of Trensahnethetram (Tines Sensahthe) had other matters on his hands.

Before working on Tobias, within a week, he produced a 38 minute short film (I wouldn't exactly call it short, but no matter) starring Percy called Mysaery, an alternate universe story when the little green engine's pride gets the best of him (I'll have to review that some other time) and leads to his downfall. Later in 2012, Tines filmed a two minute short featuring James called Death or Life? set around the mid 1960s featuring the red engine in the scapyards and making his escape, ending on an ambiguous note to whether he lived or not.

Long before any of the three, he had planned a Mid Sodor saga with Peter Sam's Predicament, but goodness knows what he planned before he sort of shunted it aside. In 2010, he'd produced an original six and a half minute film called Ron & Johnson: The Farshire Legacy about Johnson the steam engine meeting Ron the diesel on the former's last day of service on his own line. I had heard he was going to produce a film called Duck & Diesel for a 2015 release, but I can assume the idea has been scrapped, so to speak.

Another big project that Tines is working on is Thomas and the Engine of the Mountains, which the state of the project is unknown for the moment, but I can bet he's determined to get it finished no matter what. But now, time to share my thoughts on (currently) the biggest project he has finished to date, Tobias and the Half Pariah.

PLOT SYNOPSIS

Tobias, more commonly called Toby, was a small little tram engine who worked on his tram line with his faithful coach Henrietta. But hard times came, and the tram line shut down. Toby thought it was the end, but when a stout gentleman came to the railway one day, Toby's life changed forever.

He was taken to Sodor, and began a new life. He soon began discovering he was stronger and faster than most of the other engines, much to the dismay of one express engine Gordon. He was so hailed, he was allowed to pull the express himself.

But Toby's power is not without cause - and effect. His powers were ill-begotten, and another engine faced the worse end of the equation. Now this engine is after Toby and his power, and Toby will have to come to grips with what he is, what it means for the others, and how his life will change on the North Western Railway.

-Tines Sensahthe

THE CHARACTERS

Every television show, movie, play, etc. must always have characters; they're a strong part to a good story, and Tobias and the Half Pariah is of no exception. The four major characters - Tobias, Henrietta, Gordon, and Montague - each have their own story to tell. The story for the movie is very multi-layered, and the three subplots - Tobias' and Henrietta's, Gordon's, and Montague's - all build up to the climax. For the past few months, I've been comparing Tobias to the Harry Potter saga in my mind, and I'll explain why for each:

Tobias/Toby

Tobias is the main protagonist of the story, and is essentially based off the original character of Toby; he lived in East Anglia with Henrietta before their line closed down due to road vehicles taking over their work, and on their last day, the passengers mocked them for being quaint. In comparison to Harry, Tobias lived a generally peaceful life whilst putting up with the people giving him strange looks, whereas Harry's life is a living hell with the Dursleys, who treat him (and his parents) like dirt. Tobias is also self-conscious; the people of East Anglia give him judgement for his looks and he feels hurt over it.

For both, fate comes in a positive way; the Fat Controller is visiting East Anglia, not because he's on holiday, but to see a tram engine up close. He offers Tobias a place on the North Western Railway face to face, instead of writing to his manager. Tobias then later discovers that he has unspeakable strength when he moves a line of trucks that Thomas can't, as well as "the line". Tobias doubts that he's that great even if the other engines praise his abilites, "like a sword swallower at a carnival." He then proves himself again when Gordon breaks down with the express, and is even allowed to pull it.

However, it all goes wrong when Tobias is switched onto the branchline and nearly crashes into Percy. The cause? Gordon had the points at Elsbridge set so Toby would be late. Because of this, Tobias hates Gordon and doesn't trust the other engines as a result. When he meets with Atherton and Mavis at their respective times, he becomes anxious when he learns that he's a wanted engine, and shows remorse for killing Mavis, even if she attacked him. Still reluctant to trust anyone, Tobias asks Thomas to shunt Henrietta onto the express and tells him that he shouldn't be concerned, but he does when he hears of the mysterious reports, unaware that they connect to Tobias.

When Gordon brings Tobias to Montague, the diesel-turned-steam engine reveals that Tobias was actually an engine working at the harbor at Laournaeth, and that he caused them to get into wreck, resulting in their rebuilds. Tobias doesn't remember any of it, his earliest memories being in East Anglia, very much a case of amnesia. When held captive with Henrietta, Tobias is still angry with Gordon and chews him out for his arrogant attitude to the others; shoving your glory down other peoples' throats doesn't make you great, something Tobias never did. Upon Gordon's death, Tobias feels sorrow and guilt for hating him, and understands how they were alike in many ways - they want to be appreciated for something real. He also stands up for Gordon in front of the other steam engines, and asks them to fight back for Gordon if they won't for Tobias himself, to which they agree to do so.

Steam and diesel confront one another, and when Montague demands that Tobias choose between coming quietly or sudden death, Tobias calls Montague out for being a coward and not facing him directly. When Atherton reveals Mavis' "corpse", Tobias protests that it was only in self-defense and apologizes. In the ensuring battle, Tobias chases after Montague and Atherton, and seeing Henrietta in danger, he begs them to let her go if he gives Montague his engine back. After Atherton is derailed and Montague now a sitting duck, Tobias shouts at Montague to be quiet, and declares that Sodor has accepted him, and he will fight for them. He promises to let Montague go if he and his diesels don't return to Sodor, but when Montague snaps, Tobias pushes him into the sea, saying what Henrietta has told him time and again... "No excuses!"

Tobias and Henrietta then see the steam engines and diesel engines in a mess, and decides to help them all back on track, even the diesels, telling them that the battle is over and that Montague is now dead. In the end, he becomes more accepting to life, and prepares for what the future lies ahead for him.

Henrietta

Henrietta might be a coach, but there's more to her than that; in a sense, she is Tobias' spirit guide, helping him when he's in an awkward position or when he's fretting. She's worked with Tobias since he first came to the tramway, and they've developed a strong relationship, almost like husband and wife. She's a very strong influence for girls; she encourages Tobias to accept the Fat Controller's offer of joining his railway (she would've become a hen-house had Tobias refused) and later, in return, Tobias repays Henrietta by letting her be part of the express.

I'm not fully certain which Harry Potter character Henrietta could be influenced from, but I can tell that she has Hermione's intelligence and McGonagall's sternness, especially when she pulls the "no excuses" card on Tobias.

Speaking of whom, when Tobias refuses to trust the other engines, Henrietta really comes to form when she tries to convince him to think of the positives and how trust and acceptance are a two-way street. She's also precious to Tobias, especially when she's attacked by Mavis, getting Tobias angry, and when he refuses to let her go. Realizing that the Superior (Montague) is after Tobias, Henrietta decides to travel to the other railway on the express to see if she can get an edge on his plans, only to backfire when Gordon captures her, using Henrietta as a means to lure Tobias to the harbor.

Henrietta feels sorry for causing the mess she and Tobias are in, but when Gordon rants at both of them, Henrietta recalls her conversations with the other coaches, and convinces Gordon to repent his recent behaviors and let go of his petty grudge against them to help them escape, which he does so. Henrietta later tells Tobias that Gordon died for them because Sudrians look after their own.

Whilst the engines are in battle, Montague and Atherton escape and hold Henrietta hostage with Tobias in hot pursuit (Thomas and Percy initially join him before helping the other steam engines). Even if captured, Henrietta proves she can defend herself by holding back Montague giving Tobias a chance to retaliate and confront Montague. After the villain's death, the diesels rejoice and become allies with the steam engines, and Henrietta commends Tobias for giving them another chance, and promises to always be there for him.

Gordon

As the anti-hero of the story, Gordon's role is very much reminiscent to Severus Snape; they start out despising the protagonist, but towards the end, they prove to be good guys in the end. We're introduced to Gordon at Tidmouth sheds when Tobias meets the other engines. He isn't impressed with Tobias in spite of the tram engine's great strength, claiming HE is the only engine to pull the express, but karma bites him when he breaks down and Tobias is sent to his rescue. Humiliated, Gordon vows to get even with Tobias, and his hatred grows when the tram engine is given a chance at the express. He is so clouded in his anger that he doesn't use common sense when he jams the points at Elsbridge, only to find out about the consequences too late... or, what could've been.

After banishment, Gordon furiously damns Tobias and those who never appreciated him; he feels worse when his crew abandon him, driving Gordon into a rage. When he meets three of the diesels, he slowly slips to the dark side and tells Montague everything he knows about Tobias. Later on, he finds Henrietta all alone and presents her to Montague, explaining how faithful Tobias is to her.

Later, he returns to Sodor, forcing Tobias to come with him and brings him to see Montague. Gordon then watches over Tobias and Henrietta whilst Montague prepares to remove his engine from Tobias so he will be the hybrid engine. He's told off by Henrietta for taking all the praise he received for granted, and remembering the passengers who loved him, Gordon lets them go, and he helps Tobias by holding off Ludwig whilst the tram engine clears a path for both of them; Tobias and Henrietta escape, but Gordon and Ludwig are killed by accident by Atherton. In the end, Tobias chooses to honor Gordon's memory, even saying that the diesels are a lot like him; they need some appreciation.

Montague

Most villains have a tragic backstory, and Montague - the engine formerly known as Duck - is no exception. He started off as a diesel (BR Blue Patrick from Sodor: The Early Years) and was very strong and powerful, even going far as to gaining a following with other diesels. Some time later, he is sent to a harbor, meets with Tobias, and one night, they have a crash when Tobias stalls on the mainline pulling trucks he couldn't, and Montague with the express crashes into him. Both horribly damaged, they're sent for repairs. Whilst Tobias is given a part of Montague's engine, becoming a hybrid tram engine, Montague becomes a tank engine, much to his disgust, and vows to get revenge on Tobias.

In a sense, Montague is Lord Voldemort to Tobias' Harry; Montague and Voldemort changed in appearance all because of Tobias and Harry. When Montague had his crash, he became a steam engine, for which he loathes himself because of it, Voldemort's attempt to kill Harry backfired on him because of Lily's love for her baby, and he gained fame as The Boy Who Lived. Likewise, Tobias gained fame as a hybrid tram engine.

Back to Montague; some may say that his portrayal isn't really the Duck fans know and love, and to some extent, I don't really agree. You see, many fans just treat Duck like he's the best character of the whole show and put him on a pedestal like My Little Pony's Derpy Hooves (sorry to compare the two), completely ignoring everything else about the story. In order to be a good reviewer, you need to analyze the story thoroughly to make a judgement. Character appearances a great episode doth not make. As for Montague's portrayal, Tines has good reason for portraying him so; he wanted to bring Duck down by a few pedestals or so and change his status quo as a character. I like that he's a real risk taker there, kind of like myself, really.

Montague's loathing of steam engines also shows some similarities to Frollo's dislike of gypsies in Disney's The Hunchback of Notre Dame; both hate themselves for their faults and are power-hungry and corrupt. To be fair, Montague expresses concern when Atherton and Mavis don't show up, and when Ludwig brings in Gordon, he isn't happy, but when he finds out that he and Gordon have a common enemy in Tobias, Montague is delighted at the prospect of a steam engine being on the same page as him, especially when he introduces him to Henrietta.

When Tobias is brought to Laournaeth by Gordon, Montague is pleased to see him, but disappointed that Tobias doesn't know him, and gives him a crash course on their history. Here, Montague has something that many villains don't; character depth, and a hell of a lot of it. As the story progresses, he gets increasingly frustrated with Tobias being more powerful than he imagined, and becomes more determined to finish him off by going to Sodor with a diesel army.

Upon confronting the steam engines, Montague demands that Toby give him his engine either by coming quietly or killing the steam engines head on, and isn't opposed to either choice. He feels insult toward Tobias' rant and reveals to the others that he is a killer when revealing Mavis' "corpse". Taken by surprise by the steam engines' kamikaze attack, he and Atherton escape with Tobias, Thomas and Percy chasing after him, but he finds Henrietta and he holds her hostage. By that point, he is slipping to the brink of insanity, and no longer thinking straight. Before he can attack Tobias, Henrietta holds him back, and when Atherton buffers up to his leader, Tobias pulls them away from Henrietta and confronts a now frightened Montague. When Tobias is about to leave him be, Montague's final nerve snaps, and screaming to have his engine back, he is pushed into the sea by Tobias and dies, his face morphing into a smokebox door.

Thomas

Now, what is a Thomas film without the blue engine himself?

Thomas, more or less like the original book, is the first engine whom Tobias meets upon arrival to Sodor. He is also the first to witness Tobias' powers, and even tells the other engines about it. He's also observant, especially when Gordon reveals his intentions, and afterward, Thomas is shocked and appalled with Gordon's actions like everyone else is. Later on, he's shunting the express for Henry, and he then shunts Henrietta on the back of the train despite his reluctance. Thomas when gets anxious when he hears the reports of two engines on the mainline at high speeds and a diesel engine's remains at the quarry, and he wants to help Tobias, especially when Gordon returns, unannounced.

Some time later, Thomas expresses worry for Tobias despite Edward's comfort, and is surprised that Gordon let him and Henrietta go. Moved by Tobias needing their help, he's the first to support Tobias. Like every other steam engine, he is shocked upon learing that Tobias killed Mavis, even if unintentional. He and Percy join Tobias in chasing after Montague and Atherton, before they stay behind to help James and Edward stop the diesels. Later on, he's among the derailed engines, and is surprised by Tobias willingness to accept the diesels as friends, but soon accepts them too.

Oliver

Oliver first meets with Tobias at Elsbridge to tell him that the Sudrian people are saying how Tobias is a real star, and even seems to know about his powers as evident by this line:

"But what if your unique abilities weren't petty or superficial as most make them out to be? What if they were the fruits of something much bigger or something?"

What could he mean by that, I wonder? Answers on the postcard, please!

Later, it is established that he works on the North Western Railway, but he is also a double-agent for Montague and the diesels, acting as a messenger between Sodor and the harbor. His relationship with Montague isn't shown in great detail and it's never explained to why he works for him, but I can infer that Oliver does have a bit more common sense than Montague when he suggests that he seek Tobias himself, which Montague dismisses. In the battle between the steam and diesel engines, Oliver puffs away, leaving his fate unknown until the post-credits scene.

I can compare Oliver's role to Peter Pettigrew/Wormtail - both are traitors in their own right - Oliver to steam engines and Wormtail to James Potter.

The Diesels

The diesels are the equivalent of the Death Eaters of the movie. Three of them - Atherton, Mavis, and Ludwig - appear thirty minutes into the movie, convincing Gordon to join them to get revenge on Sodor. Atherton is the first diesel who confronts Tobias, and he's a stranger to the tram engine, very much like how Tobias was a stranger to other engines when he arrived. He's also insistent on Tobias meeting with Montague as the meeting is mandatory, even if Tobias has his own work to do. This results in a chase, and Tobias and Henrietta manage to evade Atherton by slipping onto the branchline where they take shelter at the quarry.

The next day, Tobias is confronted by Mavis, and they have a fight at the quarry before Tobias can leave. When Mavis attacks Henrietta, Tobias fights back and backs some trucks into Mavis, and they push against each other from behind, until Tobias shoves her into a building which collapses on her.

Later on, when Tobias is confronted by Montague, it's revealed that Atherton and Ludwig have remained loyal to Montague even after his rebuild. When seeing Tobias and Henrietta escape with Gordon, Atherton and Ludwig give chase, and Ludwig gets into a fight with Gordon whilst Tobias is shunting for his life, and just as he cleared a path, Atherton accidentally kills both Gordon and Ludwig by shunting them into a shed with falls on them.

With many diesels gathered together, Montague exaggerates on Tobias' fame, claiming that he's full of self-importance and calls him out for murder in front of the steam engines. When lines of trucks fall on the diesels, because... trucks... they're taken by surprise from the steam engines' kamikaze from behind, and when all of them (and the steam engines) derail, Tobias opts to give them a second chance on Sodor, which they surprisingly accept, even Atherton.

Everyone Else...

...very much plays minor or secondary roles. The Fat Controller is seen bringing Tobias and Henrietta to Sodor, he introduces him to Thomas, gives Tobias the chance to pull the express, and banishes Gordon for his reckless actions.

Percy also has some impact despite his small role; he's taking a stone train from Ffarquhar and just barely avoids a crash with Tobias when the express is sent onto the branchline.

James, Edward, and Henry, the remaining members of the original seven, very much did little. James calls out to Thomas twice - when Tobias and Henrietta return, and when he and the other steam engines hold back the diesels. Edward welcomes the diesels with open buffers at the end, and Henry? All he did was take the express to London with Henrietta at the back of his train, and tell the others that the diesels are coming.

Compared to their RWS/TV counterparts, the original seven engines act differently in Tobias; Tobias is more or less a bitter character, but he becomes more open towards the end. Gordon is pretty much a spiteful jerk who just wants to be accepted, and he does so posthumously. Thomas isn't cheeky, but he does have sarcastic, John Lennon-esque wit. Percy isn't young and naive; he's more mature and shouts a lot. Edward still has kindness in his personality, James is less vain, and Henry? Don't know.

THE WRITING

Probably the first thing one will notice is that the crews don't have any control over the engines. Yes, this is something of a plothole, but is it important? For me, no; what Tines is trying to do in Tobias is to tell a story, and sometimes, you just need to bend the rules a little to make the story work. (The Afternoon Tea Express and Emily Saves the World spring to mind) Okay, he may have bent the rules a lot in places, but still. Plus, it's entirely focused on the trains (coach, in Henrietta's case) and they're the main focus. Look at the Pixar movies; Toy Story was about Woody and Buzz trying to return home to Andy. Yes, it involved humans, but the main focus was the toys that come to life when no person is around (except for scaring Sid), and it's the same case for Tobias.

Without the credits, the movie is roughly 100 minutes in length. Don't get nervous and overwhelmed; I know some of you would think a Thomas film should play it safe to around forty-five to sixty minutes, but let's face it - this is a feature length alternate universe film! I mean, the Harry Potter movies are around two and a half hours long and look at how successful they are! If the plot is too big for sixty minutes, you have extend the length of the movie in order to make the transitions smooth to make a cohesive story.

Show without Telling

On occasion, at least during the first quarter, Tobias provides a little bit of narration of his own, describing his life in East Anglia and how close he and Henrietta are. For the most part, the movie isn't very dialogue heavy; the exposition is minimal, which I welcome since it allows you to appreciate the music more. In the Nitrogen Era, there was far too much narrative and exposition, a major complaint which had been rectified by season 17. For example, in Santa's Little Engine, when the Earl dismisses Winston as a sleigh, Thomas winks at the inspection trolley, who smiles weakly in return; Mark Moraghan didn't cut in to say the likes of "Thomas winked broadly; Winston smiled weakly." Instead, we get five seconds of no dialogue, just the actions to tell the story. Same thing in Tobias, for instance, when the engines blow their whistles to support Tobias in protecting him from Montague, and to honor Gordon, who died saving his life (and Henrietta's as well).

The End... or Is It?

After the end credits, we're met with a bird's eye view of Tobias and Henrietta on the mainline, and as the camera rolls back, we see Oliver on the cliffside, watching and frowning, hinting that the sequel will be coming soon.

Yes, you heard that right; a sequel is coming out in August 2017, at the earliest, called Tobias and the Arcane Merchant. I think THAT will be worth reviewing as well at some point...!

THE VISUALS AND MODELS

The movie is filmed with Trainz 2009: World Builder's Edition; the program allows you to accomplish what you can't with models (Bachmann, Hornby, Take-n-Play, Wooden Railway, etc.) such as longer trains, very big layouts, trains in ridiculous positions, you name it.

A large portion of the models are from the 2006 range of Sodor Island 3D models - Thomas, Edward, Henry, Gordon, James, Percy, Duck/Montague MK 2, Donald and Douglas, BoCo, Derek (from UK Branch Lines), Bill and Ben, Diesel/Ludwig, and lots of rolling stock, as well as Alfred from Sodor: The Dark Times. Maybe our (kind of) favorite B12 is a bad guy turned good?

Tobias/Toby, however, uses his 2009 model, as does Henrietta. This makes him stand out among the characters with major roles, which Tines said is one of the film's motifs. Same applies to Oliver, although his model is NOT made by SI3D, but instead by SkarloeyTheGreat. Since he also stands out, I wonder what that means...?

Bear/Atherton, Mavis, D199, and the Big City Engine, as well as Patrick/Montague MK 1, Sheffield, Alice, and Peter of Sodor: The Early Years and Sodor: The Modern Years, are made by WildNorWester on his website. Atherton and Mavis are based on older versions whilst the likes of Sheffield and Peter are based upon the 2010 models.

There are some issues with the animation when Tobias "clips" certain objects. For example, his sideplates and cowcatchers seem to go through the turntable sides (is that what they're called?) outside of his old shed, and at the quarry, his roof clips through the shed roof at Anopha Quarry. It could be down to scaling issues and it can't be helped, I suppose! Same thing with objects in the background appearing and disappearing at times.

However, the sweeping angles and camera shots more than made up for the animation blips, especially chose with the express scenes, the chase scenes, and the quarry battle. So THAT'S how trains would fight!

One continuity mistake I feel is worth pointing out is that at Elsbridge, on Henrietta's close up, Tobias is gone, and when Oliver steams into Elsbridge, Tobias is back, but Oliver just seemed to appear from nowhere. He even disappears again when Tobias compares himself to the sword swallower!

In the same scene, Gordon passes by with green and cream express coaches, but when he breaks down, he's pulling red and custard coaches! Is it the same day or a few days after?

Also, at the quarry, I notice that some trucks are filled with coal or china clay instead of stone. If it's a quarry, can we at least have trucks filled with stone?

THE MUSIC AND VOICE ACTING

Tines Sensahthe provides the voices for Tobias, Henrietta, and Montague. His voice for Tobias is brilliant, and Henrietta does almost sound feminine; you wouldn't believe the trouble he had trying to find a female voice actor...! Montague's voice can really give one a scare when he shouts, especially his mental breakdown at the end... IT IS MIIIIIIIINE!!!

D. T. Chapman's performance as Gordon matches his persona brilliantly; pompous and arrogant. He captures the big engine's emotions brilliantly.

James Pyle's role of Oliver was severely limited and could've had more lines and scenes, I believe. However, with Arcane Merchant coming out in 2017, hopefully...!

Rhys Griffin provides the voices for Thomas and Atherton. I say he's done fairly good for the most part, and so does D. Irwin when he brings Percy to life, especially when the little green engine shouts. Who knew a little engine could have a big voice? As for James, he didn't have very many lines, so I can't give a full judgement for his James voice.

Same thing with Jaimie Ringwood as Edward and Marlon Malan (EnterprisingEngine93 on YouTube) as Henry. Jaimie's portrayal of Edward matches the blue engine's persona nicely; soft-spoken and kind. Marlon's performance of Henry... eh, I'm not sure. Could be a little deeper, I think.

Trevor Cully makes a sly voice choice for Ludwig, it almost sounds like the original Diesel. Also, big props to Daniel Long as the Fat Controller considering his few lines.

If there was any voice I didn't like, it was Mark Monroe as Mavis. It sounds... wrong. Mavis is a female (as evident when Montague refers to Mavis as "she") so why have her sound masculine? I don't know, it just doesn't sound right... literally.

Much of the music is composed by Tines Sensahthe himself; he's a director, writer, producer, voice actor, and music composer all in one! My God, he does a lot! Of course, he didn't do ALL the music; some of the tracks in the movie soundtrack are taken from other movies and composers:

Try Not to Lose Your Way (Let's Go to Town)
Composed by Craig Armstrong
Track 13 for The Great Gatsby (2013) Original Soundtrack
Thomas finds out of what Gordon had done, and Tobias discovers too late that he's on the branchline and just barely avoids crashing into Percy.

Banish'ed (Dead Myrtle)
Composed by Craig Armstrong
Track 14 for The Great Gatsby (2013) Original Soundtrack
Everyone has found out what Gordon had done and they're furious with him. The Fat Controller is so cross with Gordon he banishes him to the other railway.

The First Confrontation (Fenland in Flames)
Composed by James Newton Howard
Track 9 for Snow White and the Huntsman Original Soundtrack
Atherton chases Tobias and Henrietta, before they escape onto the branchline, much to Atherton's frustration,

The Second Confrontation (The Fog and Monkey Mutts)
Composed by James Newton Howard
Tracks 23 (The Fog) and 24 (Monkey Mutts) for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire Original Soundtrack
Tobias and Mavis' battle at the quarry before he shunts her fast into the shed.

Do You Know What You Did to Me? (Pater Noster)
Composed by Voices of Light
Montague tells Tobias their backstory and how he wants revenge. I'm not sure which soundtrack it comes from. :P

Escape from Laournaeth (Escape from the Tower and White Horse)
Composed by James Newton Howard
Tracks 5 (Escape) and 7 (White Horse) for Snow White and the Huntsman Original Soundtrack
Gordon, Tobias, and Henrietta escape from Atherton and Ludwig; Gordon holds back Ludwig whilst Tobias shunts.

Gathering in the Snow
Composed by Carter Burwell
Track 24 for The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 Original Soundtrack
Charge of Montague, Oliver, and the diesels, and the steam engines' arrival.

Dark Army
Composed by James Newton Howard
Track 2 for Snow White and the Huntsman Original Soundtrack
The steam engines and the diesel engines battle; Montague and Atherton escape, Tobias, Thomas and Percy in pursuit.

Armada
Composed by Two Steps from Hell
Tobias chases after Montague and Atherton, who have coach-napped Henrietta. I'm not sure which soundtrack it comes from. :P

Over the end credits, three songs are played; Imagine Dragons' Amsterdam, Bastille's Weight of Living Part 1 (Albatross) (which also played in the second trailer), and Florence + the Machine's No Light, No Light. You can draw your conclusions to why those songs were chosen.

FINAL THOUGHTS

If you made it this far in the review, well done. Roughly a third of the movie review was more or less a character analysis to the major players to the story, and the remaining two thirds were my praises and few criticisms. Tobias and the Half Pariah isn't perfect, and it does have a few contrivances here and there, but for the most part, they're hidden so well you'd hardly notice they were there in the first place. I could go on about the rest of the movie, but details would be long and tedious.

On whole, it's a fantastic movie, even if it's unofficial, and is probably up there among the greatest fanworks ever.