Redwall - The Movie (2005) Review

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(More customer reviews)The cartoon series of Redwall comprises gallant stories of good vs. evil; of mice and moles, hedgehogs and beavers against the likes of rats and snakes and their ilk; of journeyings and coming of age; framed within a medieval yet timeless era. There is heroism, chivalry and treachery. The series is based on the terrific books that emanate from the fertile imagination of Brian Jacques. The books (whose number stands now at eighteen, plus a Redwall cook book) make very good reads themselves.
Frankly I am going to pass on Redwall: the movie and buy the separate Redwall Complete Seasons 1, 2, and 3. Apparently they contain the same episodes that aired on PBS and so thrilled our kids (mostly the boys). The PBS series also got the boys into reading (much more than Harry Potter) and my oldest son had read a dozen Redwall books before he turned ten, and these books run 300 pages or more.
We loved the TV show so much we tried to find Redwall on DVD, but the only thing we could find was Redwall: the movie, in 1999, in Region 2, from amazon dot UK. We didnt buy it because we were holding out for Region 1. Plus, yes, as others have stated, Redwall: the movie doesn't begin to present the complete Season 1: it is selections of season 1 (which in its entirety runs ~260 minutes) edited to make a 75 minute movie. (But it was the first thing of Redwall to appear on DVD.)
We did order the beautiful limited edition green hard bound version of Redwall (Book 1) from amazon dot UK, and we thought it was fantastic to hold such a pristine and great book (with terrific illustrations) in our hands, and all the way from England that. We gave up on getting any Redwall on Region 1 DVD other than the ones we recorded from the TV.
If you notice, the Region 1 version of Redwall: the movie didn't come out until late 2005. The same year also saw the first releases of entire episodes in Region 1 (Redwall: the siege, Redwall: Friends and Foes, which contain only four episodes each.) Another alternative are the so-called Redwall "Special collectors Editions, but they seem redundant now that the Complete Seasons 1-3 have been released.
Now I see that the complete Seasons 1-3 came out this year (2006) and that is what we are springing for. Even though my older son is almost 14, he and his two younger siblings, 11 and 9 still watch our old recordings from the TV. So they are getting the Season 1-3 DVDs this Christmas.
So I applaud the producers of the DVDs to get Redwall on DVD and finally now on Region 1 DVD. I am buying Complete Seasons 1-3 but not Redwall: the movie (which although it was the gallant first attempt in 1999 to put Redwall on DVD, it falls far short of the content and continuity of either the PBS series or what is available on the Seasons 1-3 discs). Watching Redwall was a daily routine on Saturday mornings for the boys and me. As much a we tried to record all the episodes off the TV, we missed several and got repeats of some. I am not sure if the following is on any DVD, even the Complete Seasons 1-3 discs. But I thought I'd mention it:
The neat thing about the TV series is that each episode not only has the animated portion (about 20 minutes per episode), but at the end a four or five minute appearance by the author Brian Jacques explaining how he thought up his characters or where he got his ideas from. Also included in this part of the show was a simple one question quiz about the series, which led into a discussion of such qualities as honor, courage, heroism, etc. Where else these days on a Saturday morning TV "cartoon" are you going to find such values instilled into kids. I also appreciated the firm delineation between good and evil that the series upheld, as compared to Harry Potter, where the two seem to meld into one. The only question I had was would monks really participate in armed battle.

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Redwall is a compelling take of fantasy, courage and adventure; the fable of a daunting quest to recover a legendary lost weapon and the classic struggle between good and evil. The delightful world of Redwall - a place of peace and beauty, companionship and courage - has caputred the dedication of millions of readers worldwide.

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Thomas & Friends: Hero of the Rails Review

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(More customer reviews)The fourth Thomas movie down the line (after "Thomas and the Magic Railroad", "Calling All Engines", and "The Great Discovery"), "Hero of the Rails" makes the biggest change in Thomas's history so far; the entire film is done in CGI animation produced by Nitrogen Studios in Canada. All of the characters are now individually voiced, although Micheal Brandon returns to narrate through the film.
In the story, Spencer, a big silver engine from the mainland, is visiting Sodor to help build a private summer house. Thomas, after being teased about his size, foolishly tries to compete with Spencer, but ends up crashing onto an abandoned old line. There he finds Hiro, an old abandoned engine who once worked on Sodor long ago. Wanting to prevent him from being scrapped, Thomas promises to help return him to his former glory, along with the help of Victor and Kevin (a steam engine and a crane, respectively), who work at Sodor's famous "Steamworks". Along the way, he has to avoid the suspicious eyes of Spencer, and keep Hiro's secret from Sir Topham Hatt.
Not spoiling the end of the story, it's vaguely similar to "Magic Railroad", but it was fantastically executed overall. Hiro's character is very believable and likable, and Victor and Kevin make a wonderful pair on-screen. The story's moral is laid in through the narration, but isn't thrown right into the viewer's face, unlike most children's films, which is a refreshing change.
The film's main focus, however, is the new animation. While the original model series was wonderful, the new CGI is a breath of fresh air. The moving faces give a whole new life to the characters, and each locomotive looks as realistic as they can be. The backgrounds, scenery, and buildings are far more detailed than something I would have expected from a film for children. There are plenty of new camera angles, too, that could never have been achieved with the models, such as shots from under the engine, or swooping shots of two engines racing side by side, or panoramic shots of morning skies across massive mountains.
The voice acting is fantastic as well. Thomas's new voice fits his personality to the tee. Hiro has a gentle Japanese accent, which suits him very well. Michael Brandon does an even better job at narrating than ever, and he really helps to bring the story to life. I would advice the scriptwriters to work more on the actual lines though; the format used in the film gets repetitive over time (for example, "Thomas's wheels whirred and wobbled" "Thomas's boiler was bubbling" or "his pistons were pounding) and the "phrases" the engines use come and go ("Fizzling fireboxes!" "Blistering boilers!" "Rattle my rods!" "Cinders and ashes!").
Overall, however, I feel that "Hero of the Rails" is one of Thomas's best films yet, and I can't wait to see Thomas in his new animated format in the near future. HiT Entertainment and Nitrogen Studios put a lot of work and effort into this new film, and it shows. Old and new fans alike are sure to enjoy Thomas in his newest adventure.

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See Thomas & Friends™ like never before in this new action-packed movie. Follow Thomas as he discovers Hiro, an abandoned engine from a faraway land. Fearing that Hiro will be scrapped, Thomas enlists the help of many friends, but mishaps, mistakes and one boastful engine could foil their rescue plans. Watch and find out if they can work together to help their new friend in the most heroic movie of the year!

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