Common Sense Media Review
By Brian Costello
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Runaway train story boring, but has some positive messages.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 7+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Train Master
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
Jeremiah Wilson loves working for the Willamette Western Railroad as much as he loves playing with model trains with his grandchildren. All this changes when Brett Banner, the heir to the New York Eastern railroad, buys out the WWR and unceremoniously fires Jeremiah. But when Brett's bratty son Daniel ends up on a runaway train with Jeremiah's grandkids, everyone must figure out a way to work together and stop the train before it is too late.
Is It Any Good?
While you might think it would be difficult to take something as exciting as a runaway train story and make it plodding and boring, TRAIN MASTER manages that nearly miraculous feat. The acting is uniformly excruciating, and for kids and families eager to see the action of a train out of control, that doesn't happen until nearly the first hour of the film has passed.
The first half of the film is so bogged down with attempting to "get to know" the characters, by the time you get to what's at stake with them with their work, their lives, and -- yes -- the runaway train, it's difficult to care about whether or not the train will slam straight into a nuclear power plant, thus taking the lives of the children, and, presumably the entire Pacific Northwest.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how the kids respond to being on a runaway train. What would be the real consequences of this situation? How do you think you would react if you were stuck on a train like this?
How accurately does this film portray the struggles people go through after losing their jobs? Do you have family members or friends who have lost their jobs and struggling to get by?
How are new kids treated when they first come to your school, and how do they respond to being in a new school?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : May 12, 2009
- Cast : Jonathan Hall , Mercedes Rose , Michael Biesanz
- Director : Phil Bransom
- Studio : MTI Home Video
- Genre : Family and Kids
- Topics : Transportation ( Trains )
- Run time : 94 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
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