Thomas the Tank Engine - Best of Thomas Reviews

• Excellent in this series

  
  By A1CHSP7NKY3YB2 on 2001-09-20
  Thomas the Tank Engine is a series based on childrens stories written by an English clergyman,W. Awdry. The engines all get into various troubles, and are all helped out by other engines{Thomas, James ,Gordon, Percy, Henry, Edward, Stepney,Rheneas are among some of the engines} and a lesoon is GENTLY shown, with a light deft touch. There are 8 stories on this DVD, 4 of the sing-along songs that are the coda on the VHS tapes,3 DVD games{What Number am I,What color Am I, you choose a color paint for each engine that matches,and Which engine am I} There are stoires{or biographies} of each engine,telling their stories as they come out of their sheds. This is a very good childrens DVD, the sound is superior to the tapes,and my 2 year old loved,loved, the coloring games . Thomas the Tank engine is a gentle sweet childrens series that seems to work best with little children. Excellent, and at a similar price to the VHS, a good deal to boot.VERY WELL DONE.
  
  

• Enough of the commercials!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  
  By A34ZVS8YVAA28N on 2001-11-12
  I bought the DVD version and I have to have my child sit through a five minute long boring commercial EVERY TIME we watch the video. I was upset that the skip, fast foward and menu options were disabled during this commercial. I took it back and bought VHS.
  
  

• Love Thomas, but have issues with this DVD

  
  By on 2002-03-06
  My kids love Thomas, and have many of the vhs tapes. I was looking forward to this dvd for the typical reasons (better picture, easier to navigate...). Unfortunately you CANNOT skip over the 5 MINUTES of COMMERCIALS at the outset of this DVD, which negates one of the key advantages of DVD. This is especially galling for a children's product.
  
  

• Great DVD!

  
  By A1X4VZXLQYEK93 on 2002-07-06
  While I echo the complaints about the looooong commercials at the beginning of the DVD, I have to say that this is a wonderful DVD. I bought it for my 2-yr old on a whim, as Thomas is not shown on TV in my area. From the moment he first saw it, all he said was, "Again! Tom-Tom again!" He loves the beautiful colors, which are so vivid on DVD, as well as the sing-alongs. He even enjoys the slightly scary story about Percy and the Dragon and delights in how mean the freight cars are to the engines. As a parent, I am really pleased with the message of the stories: unlike most other children's fare out there, none of the characters are all good or all bad; each has his own little quirks and different personality, as is the case in real life. I love that Thomas is not a goody-goody like a certain purple dinosaur we all know -- Thomas makes mistakes, suffers the consequences, and ends up okay in the end. I also thought that George Carlin did a very nice job of narrating the stories; his voice conveys the proper amount of excitement or emotion at the appropriate times, which really holds my son's attention. I also love the fact that there are other features to the DVD, such as games and a storybook, that will continue to interest my son as he grows older. We've had the DVD for a few months now, and my son shows NO sign of getting tired of it. It is a great DVD to introduce your kids to.
  
  

• WARNING: read this before you buy

  
  By A2WQW7BD2HTSRM on 2005-10-23
  The DVD has a terrible amount of advertising that you're forced to watch before you can see any of the Thomas stories. It's advertising other Thomas products, so it's actually interesting the first time through. But you'll be forced to watch the advertising EVERY time you play this. Other DVDs are programmed so you can jump straight to the menu and skip the advertising. Not this one.
  
  Once you run the advertising gauntlet and earn the right to watch videos, they're excellent as always. But given that all the Thomas collections are excellent, you should buy something other than this one.
  
  
• A sure winner for parents in need of wholesome entertainment
  By A14OJS0VWMOSWO on 2001-11-07
  Best Of Thomas is the first DVD release of episodes of the colorful Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends cartoon. In addition to eight different episodes featuring the cheerful blue engine, the DVD also contains extra features such as "Thomas and the Dinosaur" read-along story, "Harold the Helicopter" CD-ROM game, eleven character biographies, eight stories told by George Carlin, four sing-along songs, and a collectible 12-page color booklet. Best Of Thomas shows a perky young mechanical hero with a happy smile and gentle, responsible messages for young children. Recommended for young folks age 2-6, this 46-minute (not counting bonus features) DVD is a sure winner for parents in need of wholesome entertainment for their toddlers. Best Of Thomas is also available in a VHS edition.
  
  
• I love Thomas and this new DVD!
  By A11HN57R25R03D on 2001-09-28
  Finally, Thomas the Tank Engine stories on DVD. (thank you!) Everything looks and sounds great, but you do have to watch all the Thomas commercials before getting to the menu. As for the extra stuff on the DVD, the games are fun and very easy for me. I like the songs on the bonus music CD, but why only *four* songs? Thomas has lots of songs I would love to listen to while playing with my Thomas train set. Still, if you're a Thomas fan like me, you'll love watching this over and over and over again. (peep, peep!) :-)
  
  
• Thomas = great; DVD = stinks
  By on 2002-11-06
  We love Thomas, his stories, the lessons, the whole package. The stories are great, but the DVD stinks, why: (1) grainy film used looks worse than VHS we have, (2) horrible chapters / editing for DVD, (3) cuts out episode ends/transitions showing different characters from VHS edition, my kids loved these clips. Keep with the VHS!
  
  
• The Best of Thomas!
  By A9AHZQ338STUL on 2001-07-03
  Storytellers Ringo Starr and George Carlin take you back to some of your favorite classics that are considered as the Best of Thomas.
  
  
• 1st Thomas DVD
  By on 2001-09-19
  There are 3 stories in this DVD that are also in "Thomas Gets Tricked." None of the stories are new (hence-the Best of Thomas). There are other features such as 4 sing-a-longs, games, and read-alongs which are great for your pre-schooler. The downside is that they can't play themselves since it needs to be operated with your DVD remote. However, if you have a DVD-Rom drive in your computer, not only will they be able to play on their own, the DVD comes with the game "The Great Festival Adventure" .... It's a great game for children 2 & up. It's a sure hit if you have a young Thomas fan!
  
  
• Good Value DVD
  By A2GTA1470GAZUH on 2003-07-04
  This DVD is good value with a PC game and interactive DVD games you can play on the TV included. I was surprised and disappointed that all the classic Thomas stories were all re-narrated (no Ringo Starr on this one!). This seems to be common practice at the moment and it really annoys me (they do it to the original British Bob the Builder and all the characters too!). By the way, I am NOT British, I just like the idea of my kids being exposed to other cultures. Also I don't know if it's just my imagination but it also seems to play fast (maybe because of the PAL (British) - NTSC (US) conversion?) and I think this is the same reason the quality is not perfect. Having said this, the best critic is my son, and he loves it so I still highly recommend it.

  Oh, for everyone that is complaining (and rightly so) about the 5-minute adds, just hit STOP after the auto start and then MENU on your DVD player - it works for me and jumps straight to the menu screen. Hope this helps!
  
  

• Very well done, thanks!
  By A1Z54EM24Y40LL on 2005-02-05
  This is one of the nicest Thomas videos out there, in our opinion. It's just very nice how the engines work together, work out their problems together, and support each other along the way. It's particularly interesting when they show the breakdown train getting James out of the mud and onto the track again after those bad freight cars shove him off the track. They get taught a lesson in this video and it's quite nice. When the trains are getting prepared to meet the Queen, then the really shine.
  
  This video is full of great lessons and very well done graphics. This is actually one of our favorites and it gets watched in our house quite often. My little one just loves it. Great video and a great price!
  
  
• This is a must have...
  By on 2002-01-05
  My three year old son loves this dvd. He got it for Christmas and has watched it countless times and is totally absorbed in it. I have seen it and enjoyed it myself. It is nice not to have to rewind and it will play as many times as you want it to. It played beautifully and very clear. You won't be disappointed in this product.
  
  
• America's number 1# engine
  By A3J029KBNG5MNP on 2004-02-28
  Let me start of by saying that viewer selected doesn't mean they have to be great. Thomas's first ever episode Thomas gets Tricked wasn't even in it. I thought Better Late than Never, Thomas comes to Breakfast, Thomas Breaks the Rules, and Thomas and Bertie's Great Race were far better than some of these like Thomas and Stepney or a New Friend for Thomas. Were they really that good. Thomas was barely in both of them. Thomas meets the Queen didn't excalty focus on Thomas. Are these viewers really stupid becasue these epiodes weren't great. And I really think they shoulda kept the Ringo Starr narrations.
  
  
• Good but missing something
  By on 2003-07-20
  I suppose this video is good but its missing the episode that put Thomas on the map, "Thomas Gets Tricked" or "Thomas and Gordon" in the UK.
  
  
• Thomas fans, rejoice!
  By A110LZFBUFYWN7 on 2004-11-06
  Here is Best of Thomas. Now the stories on here are good but there were alot more out there that should've been one this video. Let me start by saying that they didn't put one of the greatest stories of all time on here, Thomas Comes To Breakfast. That one was a perfect Thomas episode. Other ones that should have been on here include Thomas Gets Tricked, Trust Thomas, Thomas and Bertie's Great Race, Thomas Goes Fishing, Double Trouble, Better Late Than Ever, The Runaway, I could go on for ever but I'm sure you get my point. Thomas & Stepney and A New Friend For Thomas should not have been on here because Thomas is not the main character in both of these even though the title might have his name in it. I had to give this one 4 stars because of the numurous amount of Thomas stories that could have been on here and weren't. A part 2 of Best of Thomas might be needed. Anyway, this is a great video to buy because it does have some great Thomas moments. Here are the stories: Thomas Gets Bumped, A New Friend For Thomas, Thomas Percy and the dragon, Thomas Saves The Day, Trouble For Thomas, Thomas & Stepney, A Big Day For Thomas, Thomas Meets The Queen, and the music video "Really Useful Engine". And that wrapps up my review for Best of Thomas, hope it was helpful for you. :)
  
  
  
• Best of Thomas might be the seaqul
  By on 2001-08-18
  This might be the seaqul to Thomas & The Magic Railroad. This will be a great movie. I think Thomas & Chuckie Finster are the great film & TV Charcters on this planet. Ringo Star & George Carlin are back.
  
  
• Not a DVD quality effort
  By API5JLBRT6FIN on 2001-12-09
  OK, you could go for this DVD version for thomas fans to save the endless rewinds and so on that you get to go through with a tape, but the resolution was extremely poor, and came through with lots of grainy blurred white spots etc. like a really old and worn out video tape!!! Of course the content is as good as the video, but this is not what one expects from normally crystal clear DVDs!!!
  
  
• This DVD could only be loved by Thomas fans
  By on 2003-08-06
  I own a number of DVDs for my two year old and this is the worse one I've seen by far. In addition to the menu problems mentioned in other reviews (and please quit telling us we can skip the ads with the "menu" or "fast forward" button because we don't all own the same DVD player as you), the quality of this DVD is just poor. It looks like someone just spliced segments together with no regard for the end product. I did not sit through the whole thing, but the first two segments I watched had the audio clipped at the beginning and end in a very noticeable fashion. This would have been easily caught before production if someone had taken the time to watch what they created. I've been buying/renting DVDs for five years now and the only DVD I've seen that's worse than this is the notorious Highlander DVD. If your toddler isn't a Thomas fan, buy something else from Baby Einstein or Sesame Street and you'll be much happier with it.
  
  
• The BEST of Thomas
  By on 2003-10-11
  Thomas the Tank Engine is a very lovable character. Which Thomas fan wouldn't love Thomas? This is a very wonderful video. It contains the stories: Thomas Gets Bumped, A New Friend for Thomas, Thomas, Percy, & the Dragon, Thomas Saves the Day, Trouble for Thomas, Thomas & Stepney, A Big Day for Thomas, Thomas Meets the Queen, and Really Useful Engine (music video). My favorite story is Thomas Meets the Queen. The video is told by George Carlin. If your child loves Thomas (himself), then he'll love this video.
  
  
• BUY SOMETHING ELSE!
  By A22QFQFWX1K3EM on 2002-08-15
  Boy something else! For example, if you must buy Thomas, then buy the VHS version...NOT the DVD.

  I'm all for DVD. I was an early adopter and love the image quality. Remember years ago when you switched from tape to CD and loved the random-access? No more forever fast-forwarding and rewinding. DVD promises the same? Depends on the producer. We have all of the Thomas DVDs and they are all the same: you cannot get straight to the menu but instead are forced to watch meaningless junk.

  A DVD producer encodes the disc with a script file full of various directives. Unfortunately, most (if not all) DVD players are programmed to honor these directives. For example, the Thomas discs will disallow the 'menu' and other keys during the first FIVE MINUTES of commercial material. In my opinion, it is a mistake for disc producers to make use of this feature for marketing. Even the FBI warning should be skip-able. Further, DVD player manufacturers should not program the devices to obey these directives, if present. Give the consumer the choice/control he deserves and the capabilities he paid for.

  Before you say "stop complaining about 5 little minutes", consider this: of any kind of movie for which my arguments make sense...children's titles make the most sense. Most of the time it works as follows. My older boy wants to see a movie--he is patient about it. My younger boy needs to be put down for a nap. I am way behind on housework and rushing to get things done. What makes sense is that I should be able to put the disc in the tray and walk away! But, I cannot. I have to sit and wait 5 minutes...and then *finally* the menu appears. Still, I have to be there for this great moment because the movie does not automatically start at that point. It waits for me to press a single button: 'enter'.

  There should be no commercial material unless offered as a "bonus material" selection in the menu. The movie should not require a menu selection, instead it should simply start playing if the menu button has not been pushed.

  Disney learned this lesson years ago. Until the producers of Thomas also learn this lesson, just avoid it!
  
  

• Wonderful video for toddlers as well as adults!
  By A2WCY11WAGBXBX on 2003-03-10
  My son loves Thomas the Tank Engine. We have a few on both VHS and DVD. This DVD is one of his favorites. He even loves watching the commercials (which CAN be skipped over just by pressing the fast-forward button on the DVD remote control) and gets a real kick out of the menu (yes, you heard that, the MENU!). He also loves the sing along songs that are on this DVD.

  The thing that I like best about the DVD is that when the program has completed, it goes right back to the menu. If you wait for the little train to go across the screen and disappear into the Thomas and Friends logo, it automatically repeats the entire program again and again. We also enjoy the other bonus features such as the games.

  I definitely recommend this DVD for all you parents who have toddlers who are Thomas fans. Yes, some of the stories are on the other tapes, but if your toddler collects Thomas, their collection would not be complete without this little gem!
  
  

• Best of Thomas is really cool!!!
  By AI30K6WW5MOGI on 2003-04-01
  I have not all of the titles you can get starring Thomas, but I do have the best of Thomas. This is a must have for your collection of Thomas the tank engine titles. You get to meet Stepney the bluebell engine & help Thomas prove to Percy that even the bravest engines get scared sometimes. The DVD extras are great too. The games are fun and the character gallery is good for children to learn their Sodor friends. I think this DVD is splendid!
  
  
• Really Nice DVD
  By on 2003-06-09
  What do you think about people saying buy the VHS version and not the DVD? I think its ok to buy both of them. I love the DVD best becasue it has games you can play and 4 of my favorite sing along songs. The DVD contains some of my favorite stories. Story stops are, Thomas Gets Bumped,A New Friend for Thomas, Thomas Percy and the Dragon, Thomas Saves the Day, Trouble for Thomas, Thomas and Stepney, A Big Day for Thomas, and Thomas Meets the Queen. To do the song Really Uesuful Engine, you must go to the sing along song section. Also, the cover is very shiney once you get it. I think this DVD was a good choice.
  
  
• Good Value DVD
  By A2GTA1470GAZUH on 2003-07-04
  This DVD is good value with a PC game and interactive DVD games you can play on the TV included. I was surprised and disappointed that all the classic Thomas stories were all re-narrated (no Ringo Starr on this one!). This seems to be common practice at the moment and it really annoys me (they do it to the original British Bob the Builder and all the characters too!). By the way, I am NOT British, I just like the idea of my kids being exposed to other cultures. Also I don't know if it's just my imagination but it also seems to play fast (maybe because of the PAL (British) - NTSC (US) conversion?) and I think this is the same reason the quality is not perfect. Having said this, the best critic is my son, and he loves it so I still highly recommend it.

  Oh, for everyone that is complaining (and rightly so) about the 5-minute adds, just hit STOP after the auto start and then MENU on your DVD player - it works for me and jumps straight to the menu screen. Hope this helps!
  
  

• Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends - Best of James
• Thomas The Tank Engine and Friends - Races, Rescues & Runaways
• Thomas and Friends - Sing-Along and Stories
• Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends - Cranky Bugs & Other Thomas Stories
• Thomas the Tank Engine - Best of Percy