Thomas & Friends: Day of the Diesels

Review

Common Sense Media says

The engines learn how to handle hurt feelings.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Kids say

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What parents need to know

Parents need to know that very young kids will be entertained by this simple tale told using easy-to-understand language, familiar characters, and conflicts which are resolved comfortably. There are a few mildly suspenseful scenes -- including two threatening fires, some menacing behavior by a gang of diesel engines, and Thomas being held captive until Percy can rescue him. Even the villains learn important lessons and change their behavior. Promotional material included with the DVD, as well as previews before the feature, advertise Thomas products, along with LeapFrog, Angelina Ballerina, etc.

  • Educational value2
    While there's no academic component, there are social lessons about learning to work together, recognizing and correcting mistakes, and knowing the right way to ask for what you need.
  • Positive messages4
    Percy finds out that letting hurt feelings get in the way of fulfilling responsibility and doing the right thing leads to trouble. He learns valuable lessons about trust, friendship, working together toward a common goal, and the dangers of being manipulated by others who don't have his best interests in mind.
  • Positive role models3
    Thomas and most of the steam engines are cooperative, hardworking, and honest. Though Percy uses poor judgment when he feels left out and wants to be special, he learns an important lesson about the true meaning of friendship and the value of following through on an assigned task. The villainous diesel engines are deceitful, manipulative, and mean-spirited until they, too, learn an important lesson about appropriate ways to have their needs met. Female engines play more important roles in this adventure than they have in other Thomas adventures.
  • Violence & scariness1
    Two fires threaten buildings on Sodor Island, but they're both extinguished in short order by brave steamers. A gang of disgruntled diesel engines, led by the treacherous "Diesel 10," captures Thomas and Kevin, a hardworking crane. They're held in a dark warehouse until their friends rescue them.
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What's the story?

Percy feels left out when Thomas makes friends with Belle and Flynn, two new fire-fighting steamers. The Diesels, jealous of all the "luxuries" that the Steam Engines seem to have, are happy to use Percy's hurt feelings and his desire to be special to trick him into helping them take over The Steam Works. In the end, everyone learns important lessons about being special, how to be a good friend, and the value of working together.

Is it any good?

 

DAY OF THE DIESELS offers standard Thomas fare, this time with Percy in the forefront. There are more characters (including actual villains) in this story, as well more than the usual number of incidents and some surprisingly complex motives. Still, the likable steam engines "gasp" and "huff" their way to an expected happy ending.

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What families can talk about

  • Families can talk about Percy's behavior in this story. What are some of the choices that he makes? How does he feel when he realizes what he has done? Have you been in a situation similar to Percy's?

  • Why were the Diesels trying to take over The Steam Works? What did they really want?

  • Percy felt left out when Thomas made new friends. Should he have told Thomas that his feelings were hurt? What would you do if that happened to you?

This review was written by Renee Schonfeld
Kid, 9 years old
January 22, 2012
AGE
3
 
Good
My 3 yr. old brother watched it and loved it!
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This review was written by Renee Schonfeld
Studio:Lionsgate
Director:Greg Tiernan
Cast:Martin Sherman, Michael Brandon, William Hope
Genre:Family and Kids
Run time:58 minutes
DVD release date:September 6, 2011
MPAA rating:NR
This review was written by Renee Schonfeld
 

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About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.
Our child development rating guidelines

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