Thomas The Tank Engine and Friends - Races, Rescues & Runaways Reviews

• THIS IS A VERY USEFUL VIDEO, INDEED.

  
  By A1X9BIWB3NBIGT on 1999-11-09
  "Races, Rescues and Runaways" is a great video. The animation is more realistic than previous Thomas videos, it introduces new characters and Alec Baldwin's narration is much improved over the 1998 effort, "Thomas the Tank Engine: Cranky Bugs." More important, the kids love it, which makes it worth every penny!
  
  

• Who's in Trouble Now!

  
  By AQ6AGWKWMTY8H on 2005-07-05
  I have to laugh. We got this video and it had my kids (boy and girl; 3 and 5 respectively) sitting on the edge of their seats.
  
  It's the music and Alec Baldwin's narrative that makes this video a success. They really managed to bring a little 'peril' to Sodor, but it is nothing scary.
  
  Another thing we like about this collection of videos is that there are alot of the lesser known characters such as George, Duck, Skarloey, Oliver, and Toad.
  
  Titles are:
  
  Toby and the Flood
  Put Upon Percy
  Horrid Lorry(s)
  Bye George!
  Something In The Air
  Oliver's Find
  
  Five Stars. A good addition to the home video sheds.
  
  

• A Must-See for the Little Thomas Addicts

  
  By A3ITNZJ32UG7Q7 on 2001-02-28
  A Thomas fan once, a Thomas Fan for life--or that is how I feel about my son's favorite character. This collection of Thomas stories is great. A direct interpretation from the original stories, it brings the characters from the book alive. My son loves it.

  On a separate note, the live animation and lack of a lot of special effects is a refreshing change from a lot of the other kids movies out there. It lets kids' imagination to develop and that is why I think that my son watches this tape over and over and over....
  
  

• My 2 year old's favorite!

  
  By on 2001-12-13
  We have several Thomas videos, and this is our favorite. Even my seven month old watches it with rapt attention!The crashes are exciting, but the video is overall not as scary as Spills and Chills (too many ghosts in that one!). My son watches this one over and over again. Alec Baldwin does an excellent job narrating, he really makes each engine its own personality. This is a must have for your collection.
  
  

• A entertaining Thomas video!

  
  By A110LZFBUFYWN7 on 2004-11-10
  This Thomas video has a whole bunch of crash sequences in it and every time I see an accident in Thomas, I start laughing so you can imagine how much I laughed while watching this video. Although, Percy is just the same old engine again; whining and complaining about all the work he has and feels that he is "put upon" with so much work. But let's put Percy aside shall we and focuse on the hilarious stories on here:
  
  Toby And The Flood 5/5:
  It's a stormy day on the Island of Sodor and Toby is miserable because of all the dark clouds. He is sent on patrol to see how bad the storm really is and finds out that the dam is breaking so he hurries back to warn everyone. But on his way, while crossing a bridge, the dam collapses and sends Toby down stream. Can he make it to safety in time before the river takes him down the waterfall?
  
  Put Upon Percy 4/5:
  Percy is whining and complaining that he is being put upon with work. Thomas pays no attention to him and tells him that he's just a silly engine. But when there is an avalanche at the quarry, will Percy be able to save himself and his driver in time?
  
  Horrid Lorry 4.5/5:
  Cranky tells the engines that they are too slow and delay the ships at the docks. He says that a lorry should take over their jobs. The engines are furious and hope that a lorry does not come, but one does, along with two other ones. The lorries are very rude to the engines and take over their work. Pretty soon there is no work left for Toby. Will the lorries continue this madness? Find out in this story.
  
  Bye George! 5/5:
  George just can't stand railways. One day, he is ripping up an old railway when Thomas goes by with some freight cars. George starts saying how bad railways are but Thomas can't hear him. George thinks that Thomas is ignoring him and this makes him mad. He soon ends up causing trouble.
  
  Something In The Air 5/5:
  Thomas is a bit late to the docks with Henry's load for The Flying Kipper. Thomas tries to warn Henry that there is danger on the rails but Henry doesn't listen. And because of that, he ends up swimming with the fish.
  
  Oliver's Find 3.5/5:
  Oliver has an accident with some freight cars, so Sir Topham Hatt has him run the mail train for a while. One night, Oliver gets lost and Sir Topham Hatt gets worried. When he finally finds Oliver, he finds something else very interesting.
  
  "Accidents Will Happen"(Music Video) 6/5:
  A fun and catchy song that is a great addition to this video, since it talks about accidents.
  
  I'd recommend this Thomas video. It is funny and even sad at time but it will provide lots of entertainment to the whole family.
  
  
• Video 22!
  By on 2000-02-04
  Thomas, Percy, Toby, Henry, Oliver, Toad, and their friends get some Races, Rescues, and Runaways. First, help Toby with a nasty flood. Then, help Percy save the new Quarry with some runaway Trucks. Then, help the engines get away from Lorries 1, 2, and 3. Then, escape from George the Steam Roller. Then, help Oliver find somthing. Last, get some sneakpeeks from Spills and Chills in the Music Video.
  
  
• TOO SCARY FOR MY 2-YR-OLD
  By on 2002-10-04
  My two-year-old gets too upset watching this one. I don't recommend it for this age.
  
  
• A video worth watching!
  By A2ZSCNKDF57IX3 on 2000-02-14
  This is a wonderful Thomas video. It's funny, but it also teaches many good lessons. Our favorite stories are "Bye, George," "Horrid Lorries," and "Something in the Air." We love the music video and think that it's very funny. This video is enjoyable for Thomas fans of all ages.
  
  
• Very great DVD!
  By AI30K6WW5MOGI on 2003-04-10
  Thomas & his friends like to race to the rescue when in trouble.
  In this release, Thomas & his friends teach some horrid lorries a lesson, say bye bye to George the steamroller, & get to see Henry in trouble. But it was really the driver's folt Henry had a accident. Sir Topham hatt should blame it on them! I say this DVD for all ages!
  
  
• A good release, but there's one problem...
  By on 2005-04-30
  ...the crashes. Nearly every episode in this video contains an crash, in fact the music video is devoted to them. There are several cases where trains or people come very close to be killed or seriously injured. That's a far cry from the stories on the older tapes. Many of them are also over-the-top (Toby floating downriver in "Toby and the Flood" and Gordon sending a truck flying all the way across the yard in "Bye George." The writers both liked their stories to be dramatic, and obviously didn't care how unrealistic they were as long as they were action-packed.
  
  Such a pity, because the storylines themselves are quite good (with the exception of the rather weak "Oliver's Find"), and Alec Baldwin does a fairly good job narrating them. So it's a real pity that the writers had to make this video so dramatic, and spoil it in the process!
  
  
• A Very Good Video After All
  By A3KY68OTSNHM3G on 2003-01-22
  In this installment of Thomas and Friends, Alec Baldwin takes viewers on yet another set of Thomas adventures. My son is a huge fan of Thomas, and we watch his videos almost every day. This tape in particular has become one of his favorites. The first story especially grabs his attention due to the dam breaking during the flood, Toby floating helplessly past the sign that says "Beware the Waterfall", which my son has memorized by now, and the heroic rescue by Harold the helicopter. He also enjoys the story of the Lorries; three spunky little trucks which are supposed to replace the engines, but in the end its the Lorries who can't perform their work.

  As with other Thomas videos, this is just the right lenght to hold my son's interest without him becoming distracted. The stories are bright and cheerful, and Alec Baldwin makes an excellent narrator. I highly recommend the Thomas video series. Buy one or several of this series and enjoy them with your children. You might even learn something along the way!!
  
  

• Both my kids love it
  By on 2000-07-26
  Both my son (4 years old) and daughter (2 years old) love this video. It is packed full of crashes and "scary" stories sure to delight all small children. It is by far the most watched Thomas video of our video library. A must have for all Thomas fans!
  
  
• Another Good Baldwin Narraration
  By A3Q6W9PH9MKEDX on 2000-08-16
  Another favorite of my son's collection. I think that the enthusiasm in Alec Baldwin's characters is what I like the best. My son (2.5) will sit through at least half of it in rapt attention. Plus nothing in the plot needs explanation! No "what" "whys" or "wheres" to handle!
  
  
• Crash, bang, clankity clang
  By A3CWH6VKCTJAD on 2000-12-07
  This is a sort of "Best Thomas Trainwrecks" collection. It is a series of five minute stories, each involving trains that derail, crash into one another, drive into water or get covered by dirt. It is great fun. My two year old, who is a Thomas addict, loves this video and just laughs with glee with every wreck.

  Alec Baldwin's narration is excellent. This is a must have video for your Thomas collection!
  
  

• Death and disaster, not much depth.
  By on 2000-12-27
  Not the subtle emphasis on attitudes and work ethics found in "Thomas and his Friends Help Out." Also scarier for smaller children. In "Friends .." a train gets stuck on a hill, or gets his fire put out by rising water. In "Races .." people actually come close to dying gruesome deaths -- smothered by an avalanche, or plumetting down a waterfall. Maybe older kids can take the potential disasters better (which don't come to pass in the end.) This video is about events and circumstances, while "Friends .." is about people (trains) and their interactions.
  
  
• Scary to little ones
  By AU2KFELUIO2RL on 2001-04-18
  I have a 21 mo old boy who loves to see Thomas & friends, however when a disaster happens he screams and becomes upset. I'll put this one away until he's much older. I think this is very disturbing for young ones!!
  
  
• review of thomas the tank engine
  By A29GE6AH2UH5HJ on 2000-01-28
  excellent children's video. my 2 y/o daughter loved it and will sit and watch it over and over. the music video "accidents happen" was very well done.
  
  
• Thomas and Friends
  By AZOWVO3CTVY5R on 2002-09-21
  My sons now have about 12 VHS and DVDs with Thomas, and this is their favorite!
  
  
• Fun stories to keep the kids amused
  By A18F8S6IKC7MAC on 2003-07-23
  Thomas and Friends never fail me in entertaining my three-year-old. The stories are always short and simple, but interesting enough to keep a kid's attention. This one is especially entertaining because of all the flooding, crashes, and angry characters who eventually learn a lesson or two in the end.
  
  
• Not scary, but really good!
  By on 2005-04-09
  Races, Rescues and Runaways wasn't a scary Thomas video. But it was really good! I like the crashes, the smashes, the KA-BOOMS, and other stuff. I like the episodes and the music video "Accidents Will Happen". I like to sing-along to it. Overall, this is a good Thomas video so buy it now!
  
  
• Percy is working hard in this video.
  By A1W7HB3SFYDQY8 on 2000-01-02
  Percy is saving Toby from a flood, getting "Put Upon", he and his engine friends turn lorries into the broken words:"Smashed,Broken,and Sunk.", and is too busy for the likes of the Troublesome Trucks.
  
  
• Great and Cool!
  By on 2003-04-07
  This Thomas video is one of the best. My favorite story was Horrid Lorry becasue at the end of the story you get to see some funny scenes. I'm still wondering why people say its scary for kids when it really isn't. I thought Percy was brave when the mine was collsasping and when Toby was floating down the river.
  This is a must have for your collection. You are going to like it!
  
  
• Good video!
  By on 2004-01-09
  This video has lots of exciting stories that I like. There's "Toby and the Flood", "Put Upon Percy", "Horrid Lorry", "By George", "Something in the Air", "Oliver's Find", and a GREAT music video "Accidents will Happen." Alec Baldwin's storytelling is good too. I like to watch this video!
  
  
• Not great but entertaining
  By A3J029KBNG5MNP on 2004-02-14
  I've critized Alec Baldwin again and again but i'm sorry he's ruining great characters such as Percy and James. In my Thomas listmania I called Percy a whiner. Well I think he know is. In this one and then in Percy's Chocalte Crunch he whines about hard work. I mean some of them complain but he whines. That's just plain annoying. The best episode one this tape was probably the Lorry one and i'd like to point out the fact that Butch does not have a face. Bye George was just plain stupid. Oliver was good in his episode and I wish he'd have more of those. This tape is ok and it would be good for Thomas fans to have. Before you buy this one take a look at some of George Carlin's works first belive me their better.
  
  
• too scary!
  By AN3R3UTNSWZF on 2008-07-21
  My 2 1/2 year old son loves Thomas, so I was excited to buy him this DVD. However, this collection includes episodes about mudslides, floods, and something about being trapped in a mine. The first (and only) time he watched it, he kept running out of the room to hide in another room. What a disappointment. I don't know why the creators of shows for small children think they have to make things scary. What a waste.
  
  

• Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends - Cranky Bugs & Other Thomas Stories
• Thomas the Tank Engine - Best of Thomas
• Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends - Salty's Secret
• Thomas & Friends: Thomas' Trusty Friends
• Thomas & Friends: Thomas and the Toy Workshop (Full)