It's been a long road to get to this point. So much fan vitriol, so many press releases, all the draft animation has all finally culminated with the release of the first of the major projects under the Big World! Big Adventures! umbrella this year; the movie itself.
And... it's not that good, to be honest. The sad thing is that's... pretty much all I can really say about it. Not due to the risk of spoilers, but because the film itself gives me so little to talk about.
The film allows Thomas to see the world, and when this was made known in the trailer, I posed the question: "OK, what now?". As it turned out, very little. The story becomes non-existent as soon as Thomas reaches Africa. Sure, Thomas tries to keep up with Ace (although why he'd want to after the car turned against him the second his rally friends were in the picture, I don't know), and then there's conflict between him and Nia, and then there's the Fat Controller looking for Thomas. But that's literally it.
There are absolutely zero stakes here as there's really nothing to obtain or lose. And the only time Thomas is in any real danger is when Ace leads him on when they near San Francisco. Well, Nia nearly dies due to a snowdrift and... admittedly, that was the one time I really cared because Nia is an absolute delight. She's the best character of the film solely due to how likeable and jolly she is.
The other thing I really liked is how Nia and Ace are like two sides of the friendship coin. Ace is pretty much the idea of what a friendship is, offering words of support but only being there when it's convenient for them. Meanwhile, Nia is an actual friend: someone you have disagreements with but is there when you need practical assistance as well as emotional support. It's genuinely some of Andrew Brenner's best character work ever, and was definitely the bright spot in an otherwise forgettable work. Seriously, if you hate Nia, you either hate positive characters or you're a racist. Although, this is the Thomas fanbase, so both are likely..!
The one issue is that Thomas and Ace's conflict is never resolved. There's never a moment of realisation for Thomas that Ace was a negative influence. The worst thing is that there was a scene on the way to the Utah salt flats that it would've fit in brilliantly. Instead, we get a quiet moment where we transition to the next day when they're rescued. It would've provided some great character growth for Thomas and would have made Ace realise that he needed to change his way.
I've heard some fans saying "maybe [certain aspects] will be explored in series 22", to which I say they had 80 minutes to work with here! If they can't tie everything up in that amount of time, they're either poor storytellers or lazy ones. This isn't a Toad's Bright Idea scenario where an episode took place within a special. They didn't need to do that since Tale of the Brave told a complete story as it was. They wanted to in order to develop Gator and tell another interesting story within that time frame.
Speaking of Ace, the controversial scene in Free and Easy with Carlos was cut. As much as I objected to the outrage of it, I can understand why it was removed in the final cut. Honestly, I don't get why it was even included having watched the special. It added nothing to the story or song it was in, and its omission actually helps the flow of the song.
Another thing I disliked was the pacing. For the most part, it was fine. I like how it went straight in to the story, and the first two acts flowed really well. Then the third one came along and... well, 6 minutes after Nia's rescue, the special came to an abrupt halt and the credits rolled. Europe and the countries within it were just skipped, only depicted as some basic visuals to accompany the We're Friends song, Nia revealed she was homeless and Thomas offered to let her stay (which is a wonderful theme about offering a hand to those who need it) and they skipped from the Vicarstown bridge to Knapford. They didn't even bring the Far Controller home. It all felt really rushed to me.
And now let's talk about the songs. Sometimes You Make A Friend is, by far, the best song of the bunch. The others are either mediocre or bad. The reason the one I mentioned is so beautiful is because it's so heartfelt and it actually fits with the minimal story threads the film has. Thomas knows he's screwed up with Nia and he wants to put things right. Plus, anything with a ballad-y tone is a weakness for me.
Free and Easy tries so much to ape something like Hakuna Matata it's actually sad and the others just feel really preachy and just plain bland.
The animation has been the biggest sticking point for many fans since the stuff we'd seen up to this point was... mediocre. Happily, the final version is as excellent as it always has been. Although a lot of the assets used for the other countries were reused from pre-existing renders to save on time and cost. If that bothers you, then you won't like watching it. I'm personally not that bothered. I'm more bothered by the non-existent story.
That said, I did like that the special started in the summer and ended in the autumn. It was a nice touch to symbolise just how much time had passed since Thomas had left, and made the dialogue mean a lot more than if it had ended during the summer as well.
Also, yes, I liked the movements. Yes, they can be a huge distraction and I don't blame fans that don't like them (although those who bring "Awdry's vision" into it can really get lost). But they add a lot more expression to the characters, and that can only be a good thing as far as I'm concerned.
The only nitpick I have is that, as soon as the sun comes out in the Amazon after a huge downpour, the train suddenly becomes dry as though nothing had happened. I think the scene would've benefited had they just kept the rain soaked renders until they reached North America.
That said, I did like that the special started in the summer and ended in the autumn. It was a nice touch to symbolise just how much time had passed since Thomas had left, and made the dialogue mean a lot more than if it had ended during the summer as well.
Also, yes, I liked the movements. Yes, they can be a huge distraction and I don't blame fans that don't like them (although those who bring "Awdry's vision" into it can really get lost). But they add a lot more expression to the characters, and that can only be a good thing as far as I'm concerned.
The only nitpick I have is that, as soon as the sun comes out in the Amazon after a huge downpour, the train suddenly becomes dry as though nothing had happened. I think the scene would've benefited had they just kept the rain soaked renders until they reached North America.
Final Thoughts
Overall, Big World! World Adventures! widens the scope of the show's world yet completely forgets that it needs to tell a story. While there are plenty of excellent character moments sprinkled throughout, and Thomas being torn between Ace and Nia is the strongest, best aspect of it, that's literally all it has to offer in its 80 minute run time.
Some can see this as a typical road trip movie with Thomas characters, and I agree with those who think that way. The problem, however, is that other road trip movies (even ones for kids) have far higher stakes, stronger - if simplistic - plots and something to actually gain by the end of the trip. This has none of those things. And as strong as the character moments are (I'll maintain they're some of the best until I'm dead and buried), they can only get you so far without a good story to back them up.
Some can see this as a typical road trip movie with Thomas characters, and I agree with those who think that way. The problem, however, is that other road trip movies (even ones for kids) have far higher stakes, stronger - if simplistic - plots and something to actually gain by the end of the trip. This has none of those things. And as strong as the character moments are (I'll maintain they're some of the best until I'm dead and buried), they can only get you so far without a good story to back them up.
Film Rating: Bad
Right dude, let me pose this question, since you're a reasonable Thomas fan. Even if this movie sucks, would you say Thomas fans have been overreacting to the movie, calling it a travesty, a new low for the series, and a movie that is so bad, it ruined their life and their childhood?
ReplyDeleteIn a word? Yes.
DeleteLike I say, as a piece of storytelling, it’s low on the totem pole in terms of quality. But it’s got so much to like in it in terms of character and the lessons it teaches that I can’t hate it, or even fully dislike it.
As usual, it’s a case of fans overreacting to change (although the marketing hasn’t helped its case, in fairness). Ironically, now that fans are seeing it, they seem to be changing their tune a bit, with a more 50/50 split on those who like it and those who don’t.