DVD Review: Thomas & Friends – Rescue on the Rails

It there a parent of a preschooler who does not know Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends? A few, I suppose, but not many.

In Thomas and Friends: Rescue on the Rails, the Sodor Search and Rescue Team races to rescue Bertie the red bus, the big engine Gordon the Big Engine, and Thomas, Bertie is stuck on Shake Shake Bridge. Gordon’s derailed and Thomas’s firebox is on fire! The DVD features a new friend who was recently introduced in the series, Flynn the Fire Engine, who learns a important lesson about paying attention and following directions.

The four episodes here,”Fiery Flynn,” “James to the Rescue,” “Edward the Hero,” and “Stop that Bus!” provide plenty of action and excitement for preschoolers and teach important lessons about teamwork and friendship.

The CGI animation in Rescue on the Rails is really stunning. The episodes are beautiful to look at, even for adults, and bring the village of Sodor charmingly to life. The episodes are framed with a live action story about the station master preparing for a magic show which are also quite delightful, and very English.

There’s a very simple game included as a bonus feature on the DVD, “Who’s Pulling Into the Station?” and a very lively hip-hop karaoke video, “Thomas, You’re the Leader,” which kids are sure to enjoy over and over.

Altogether, Thomas and Friends: Rescue on the Rails will delight all the fans of Thomas and his companions and is fine, quality family entertainment with solid values and free of annoying or silly characters. The catch, of course, is that whatever child you show this DVD to is now going to need to add Flynn the Fire Engine to his Thomas and Friends toys, and any other of the Search and Rescue Team, train engines, and transportation vehicles like Bertie that he or she does not already own.