Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends – Make Someone Happy
Amazon.com
The tot-like tank engines are back on the tracks for another round of useful lessons cleverly disguised as adventures, narrated by Alec Baldwin. The half dozen five-minute stories that make up this episode include such conclusions as the fact that teasing can backfire (“A Big Surprise for Percy”), listening to rumors can lead to wrong impressions (“Thomas and the Rumors”), and it’s hard to live up to one’s bragging (“James and the Trouble with Trees”). In the title stor… More >>
Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends – Make Someone Happy
Tagged with: Engine • Friends • Happy • Someone • Tank • Thomas
Filed under: Thomas Train Set
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My son – 3 yrs now – has enjoyed Thomas stories & videos for about 1.5 years. But I have to say I’m often torn … these engines really are quite crabby & cranky & rude to each other. It all comes out in the wash, & everyone makes up in the end, but … gee they’re rude. And I spend a lot of time encouraging my little tyke NOT to be rude. To be kind & compassionate! So what’s a mother to do?
It’s interesting that now, he will not watch any of the story videos, prefering those with only songs. If a story comes on, he insists that we forward FAST to the next song. I guess he’s also tired of the crabbing & back-biting! (Sounds awful, but they really do!)
These videos cannot be beaten for the sheer beauty of the world they create – can I PLEASE go live on the Island of Sodor?! I just wish the Rev. Awbrey (sp!) had made his engines a little kinder!
Rating: 3 / 5
It’s been awhile since I did a Thomas review but i’ve had this one thought out for awhile. Let me start off with the fact that James used be be a moderatly good character. Now all he can do is whine. James has never been a nice engine but he was considered a tough guy. Now Salty with his two major roles is now a tough guy. I think before making new characters they should use the old ones that are never mentioned. Duck has not had a major role since Alec Bladwin took over. Niether has Daisy, Bertie, Terence, BoCo, Duke, or Sir Handel. The engines that have had bad major roles are Edward, Gordon, Henry, Toby, Donald, Douglas, Mavis, or Oliver. I never like Bill and Ben from the start so I didn’t list them. If anyone from Hit Entertainment ever reads this have them fire Alec Baldwin.
Rating: 3 / 5
My 22 month old son loves the Thomas series. In all we have The Best of Thomas, The Best of James and this one. Although my son doesn’t seem to mind the narrator’s voice, I find Alec Baldwin’s narration horrible. The narrator in the Best of Thomas video is much better. Alec Baldwin narrates the Best of James video as well, and that is my son’s favorite one of the three. So, he doesn’t seem to mind. I can also understand those parents who are concerned about the rude comments, despite things working out in the end. I find the same in the Best of James video as well. (I don’t much care for James.) However, my son loves it nonetheless, and I don’t think he is learning bad habits as a result. Quite the opposite–I think he wants to watch to see how things resolve in the end.
Rating: 4 / 5
Make Someone Happy is a decent video with a few decent episodes. Alec Baldwin narrates, and his narration has pros and cons. The pros are the narration itself, is rather good and Baldwin does give characters creative character voices but the cons are that some episodes aren’t that exciting and Baldwin does make James sound like a sterotypical gay man. But those Chinese Dragon and eye rolling complaints or full of crap. The Chinese dragon never said anything and all the engines roll their eyes to make up for the fact that their mouthes don’t move! Also, not to sound rude but those complaints about the lack of a strong female character are just annoying. Mrs. Kindly needs help in about 2 episodes in the entire show, and in her first appearance she saves Thomas and is rewarded with a Christmas party. A female steam engine wouldn’t be needed, because Mavis is a strong female character and an engine. Though it seems like HIT listened because Emily was introduced a few seasons later. Happy Ever After, James and the Trouble with Trees, and A Suprise For Percy are the best episodes on this Thomas & Friends release.
Rating: 3 / 5
this is my son’s favorite thomas tape (he has 7 of them!), and it would be mine as well if alec baldwin was not the narrator. i find it offensive and annoying that he chooses to verbalize james as an over-the-top, effeminate, gay character and he does so in a very mocking way. james’ exultations of “oh puhleeze!” and “oh heyulp (help)” and numerous inferred eye rolls are ridiculous. i find this akin to his portraying the chinese dragon as saying “ah so, me so solly….” i so wish they would rerelease this video without mr. baldwin’s narration, not only because it is annoying and offensive but because it is a well-written script with interesting situations for little kids that would otherwise be valuable.
Rating: 4 / 5