(Eight months have passed since Season 19 finished airing in the UK, followed by numerous US and UK DVD releases for the latter season. It's been about a year has since The Adventure Begins and Sodor's Legend Of The Lost Treasure were released for the 70th anniversary. Looking back, they're both my favorite Thomas movies (SLTOTL gets a re-rating of 9.3/10 and TAB gets 9.6/10), but later on in the fall, The Great Race was announced for release in 2016, coinciding with the release of the much anticipated Season 20. Did The Great Race managed to surpass any other Thomas movies over the past years, or even TAB and SLOTLT? If you wanna hear my opinion, read on and find out?

1. Plot

First hearing about the plot, I was excited yet surprised at the same time. Over the past couple of years, Andrew Brenner and his team used elements from the Railway Series in a rather old-fashioned and nostalgic way. But I'd never thought they'd actually create a concept based on a RWS book (Thomas And The Great Railway Show and Thomas Comes Home), and having the big engines laugh at Thomas really gave it that RWS feeling (as it did in the ACTUAL movie). But the question is: how did the idea of the Great Railway Show turn out in the end?

...I'm going to be honest. Not to the best of it's potential, and I'm saying that because I've noticed several plot holes as I've constantly watched clips leading up to when I FINALLY got the chance to watch the full movie. Thomas gets the lead role for the umpteenth time, and believe me, he wasn't the only character who could have potentially worked as the main character here; perhaps Percy (maybe a bit too soft of a character to be a bit rude to Ashima, though seeing seeing his classic dynamic with Harold in Letters To Santa) or maybe even James, who rudeness and jealousy towards Ashima could have worked, but I guess his participation in the Best Decorated Engine competition was fair enough for his character. But Gordon is probably the best candidate whom I would have considered as a replacement. His dynamic with the Flying Scotsman could have been expanded upon, and perhaps the story could have focused on him adjusting to his streamlining features, and perhaps he could have overcome it with Ashima's help, but it seemed realistic that half of his story arc here took place at the SteamWorks, as the workmen took a necessary amount of time to get him ready for the Show.

But instead, we were left with a plot with that was rather...decent, so to say. It was hit-or-miss, and it had it's advantages. Probably a few more than disadvantages. The story flowed here, but some plot points were sort of unnecessary, and the way in which the Thomas and Ashima story arc is started is what I'm talking about in particular. But to me, it was fixed after their musical number, and picked up around there for that fact. It was an okay plot overall, with it's ups and down. I think that a 6/10 would a reasonable rating to give it.

2. Character Development

Hmm, the characters. Well, like The Lost Treasure, there is much I want to talk about in terms of characters: some positive, some negative, and others being somewhere around the middle. It's like I said in the last section, Thomas being the lead character for the umpteenth time DID NOT have to be the case, even if the book in which this film is based off of centers around him going to the Great Railway Show. Since Percy would have never behaved in any particular way that Thomas did towards Ashima...and neither would have Emily despite getting a very fitting starring role and lesson to learn in S19, maybe one of the other big engines (not talking about Percy of course, lol) could have been the lead instead. I've already discussed Gordon and James in the last section, but maybe Henry's also been too soft of a character these days to gang up against Ashima in the way that Thomas did, but let's get the main point here: the moment Ashima was introduced, her dynamic with Thomas (and I'm talking about the way he behaved towards her) was not justified. Thomas' jealousy and rudeness towards Ashima did not work for his character whatsoever (even if he was jealous towards Stanley at first as well). But their story arc built up after You Can Only Be You, and the dynamic between the two was more entertaining to watch once Thomas had some sense knocked into him. I'm sorry, but Thomas' personality flaws didn't work like they did in the preceding movie, and it created ACTUAL flaws for the movie itself. But Thomas' character got better and better from where the Shunting Challenge arc started, and you feel excited for him when Sir Topham Hatt, with pen and paper in hand, asks Percy where he is, and you feel sorry for him when he doesn't get to go to the Great Railway Show. Thomas racing to the rescue to bring Gordon his safety valve really added much more and defined the true spirit of helping out a friend in need, even if he DID travel all the way over there for nothing at first regarding Gordon's failure. However, Thomas saving Phillip and THEN sacrifcing his spot in the first place was just the icing on the cake.

Now onto other major characters, perhaps I'd like to continue by talking about Ashima. I don't know. There's not really much to say about her, but she isn't a bad character whatsoever. Surely she's like Gator with her moralistic value and Ryan in the way that she is the unintentional subject of Thomas' jealousy, but other than that, she makes an impact on younger audiences in her own right by standing by the "be yourself" motto, though older audiences (perhaps myself for instance) needn't learn too much from this character, just the good that derives from her character and appreciate it. As far as Steam Team characters go, well, I'm pretty surprised despite major flaws in the storyline that everyone else besides Thomas is in character, (mainly because Thomas is a character whom you can develop any way, really, depending on how the plot is set, because his personality varies); Gordon and James' reaction to Thomas wanting to go to the Great Railway Show is exactly what you'd expect from the two more arrogant, and Emily is also written well, despite her sisterly figure characterization being standard by this point, but it worked here for the story though, and that's what matters. Not much to say about Percy and Henry. Surely Percy should've learnt more self-esteem since Tale Of The Brave, but I believe his motives by dropping from the competition were justified, because he didn't want to replace Thomas, and it was basically a powerful sacrifice that he made for his best friend, like Thomas did for Ashima. And Henry, well, that was my only problem with the Steam Team characters. Henry has proven in the recent season that he can pull the express just as well as Gordon, so was it really hard for him to pull so heavy loads? He could have easily won, but it was a forced plot point all to make Thomas "Sodor's Last Hope". Surely, Gordon's failure was too, but at least we saw his arrogance rightfully get the better of him, and it taught the moral of patience very well too (since Gordon forgot his safety valve)

The next character I probably want to talk about is Philip, since he connects with the Steam Team in some way. Phillip plays a decent role, but unlike S20, this doesn't add much for his character. He was a good choice for Sodor's mascot, though Stephen, being present would have worked just as fine too, but since Phillip is so native to Knapford and Stephen to Ulfstead, it makes sense. But it was forced in order to build Phillip and Vinnie's breif story arc. It would have been better if Phillip had stood up to Vinnie, but it was rather forced so that Thomas and Ashima could display distinctive character development from earlier on in the movie, I think I'll forgive this. What I CAN'T forgive though is how even after Ashima saved him, Phillip still hasn't changed his attitude about her.

"Told you she'd be trouble"

Either that, or maybe he was just rooting for Thomas, but the fact Phillip showed concern by helping to look for Ashima near the end, perhaps that might have said something about his gratitude for her...if she even realized that she was behind Thomas while the rescue happened. I think I'll talk more about Phillip in my S20 review. Moving on, let's discuss Diesel's little subplot. At first, I found it a tad bit forced, but in the end, his antagonistic nature worked well, and it helped to create conflict set the barrier for Thomas heading to the Great Railway Show. Were Den, Dart, Norman and Paxton very compatible henchmen? Perhaps 'Arry and Bert could have been more willing and involved. I don't see how the other diesels were willing to help Diesel with his plan, particularly Paxton who happens to be on very good terms with the steam engines. And why is Cranky taking Diesel seriously? (the crate scene) Surely, Cranky may not be the wisest, but I think he surely knows better than to fall for Devious Diesel's tricks? A little suspicous inquiring from Cranky would be better there, wouldn't it?

The Flying Scotsman is a character I want to talk about in particular. Andrew Brenner has surely done his homework with this character. As a result, the Flying Scotsman is probably one of the highlights of the entire special, and his rivalry/dynamic works wonders and something I'd like to see more of as the series progresses. However, it would have been some pretty solid character development if the Flying Scotsman went back and helped Gordon instead of continuing the race. It would show the power of brotherhood when brothers help each other out, but maybe that's something that can be explored in the series.

Not really much to say about the Railway Show contestants despite the fact that they're all one-offs, but what I can say is that Ashima was the only one that I was looking forward to, and she exceeded my expectations to a good degree. However, Vinnie's one that I'd like to talk briefly about. I'm glad he was a one-off, but I do feel it could have worked if Phillip had stood up for himself, but it was a wasted opportunity and THANK GOD! the matter was resolved when Thomas and Ashima came to Phillip' rescue and played off some strong character development.

Annie and Clarabel's role in this movie expanded upon their characters to some extent. While they are Thomas' coaches, claiming that they are their own coaches tells us that it's mainly based on the course of courtesy and respect, and what Thomas did to them by leaving them on a siding to be repainted set the fallout scene rather nicely. Too bad there wasn't a clear resolution on how Thomas made up with his faithful coaches. At least he didn't leave them in the middle of nowhere like he did in Down The Mine, but that was Britt Allcroft's stupid mistake so I commend Andrew Brenner for not doing the same. Overall, the characterization in this film surely added to an otherwise lackluster story, though judging how Thomas, Phillip and Vinnie were handled, there were problems. 7/10.

3. Narration/Voice Acting

In past reviews of films, some of the strongest points I gave was towards the performances, and I can pretty much say about the same here. Mark Moraghan picks up his game once more and truly shines despite reading off an inferior script. The voice cast, while not perfect, does probably about the same. John Halser and Joseph May both return to the role of Thomas with much enthusiasm, and while the rest of the supporting cast is great, Nigel Pilkington is getting better as Percy, but even as a US fan, I'm gonna say that Christopher Ragland could still use some work for the US dub. Rufus Jones was off a great start as the Flying Scotsman, but the standout performance would have to be Tina Desai as Ashima. She carried both the voice and singing in a very distinctive way from the rest of the cast, and added an essential charm to the character. Overall, the voice cast was consistent as it was from the rest of the series, as was Mark Moraghan's extraordinary narration. 9.5/10.

4. Animation

Well, now, Arc. What much is there more to say? This probably is their last movie, isn't it, after four years of success on the show, and still one more season to go. I'd have to say they went out with a bang. The panning shots are to perfection, as is the beautiful scenery of Sodor and the mainland. I can never really complain about Arc, but I can only really explain how amazing they are with their work as summed in just a couple of words. It's really a shame to see them go, but I think I've heard that some representatives of the company have signed for Jam Filled Productions as well. I can't wait to see how they do with the animation for the show, because they have big shoes to fill on such short notice (I believe we were notified about Nitrogen resigning and Arc signing on about a year and a half in advance). Overall, the animation for this film was a great way to form as a sendoff to Arc, despite a few nitpicks, like Annie and Clarabel being missing from Ashima in one shot. Other than that, 9.5/10.

5. Music/Songs

Hmm, now the music. I was sad to hear that Robert and Peter Hartshorne had left because of an expired contract, but how was Chris Renshaw as a replacement? Well...in short, simply amazing! Yes, I'm pretty our brand new composer will continue off from the Hartshornes left off, and so far I'm really enjoying Chris Renshaw's score, as a couple Season 20 episodes have aired as well. I have much confidence in Renshaw for that fact. Now for the songs. Hmm, the idea of turning a Thomas film into a musical adventure might have been inspired from the early idea to turn into a musical, which never came into fruition. But here, Andrew Brenner writes songs especially for the film, and how did it work out? Well, as a matter of fact, it was a great idea as the songs fit right in with the storyline. I'm surprised that Brenner took the liberty to write songs for the movie. Will You, Won't You Take Me To The Railway Show? was a nice way to start it off and as ensemble song featuring engines from all over Sodor, it really worked and the voices blended right in with the song. Streamlining, which I've first heard a snippet of from the Behind-The-Scenes feature, was...alright, I guess. Both Hasler and May had great vocals, but somehow it was my least favorite out of all the songs in the movie, as was Gordon's reprise The Shooting Star Is Coming Through. There's nothing terribly wrong with them, I just thought the others were much stronger, and they did inspire to include Main Line-ing in a similar style in my Adventures Of stories, so at the end of the day, they'll do. I'm Full Of Surprises, well, I must say is a song that surely is full of surprises, now, isn't it? I first heard it briefly during the trailer, and somehow, I've found very catchy just by hearing it. But how well did it do as a song here? Quite well, actually. It sets up Diesel's motives very well, and it really reminds of a few Disney Villain songs, particularly from the Disney Renaissance. I like it how started in a minor key for Diesel to alert his fellow diesels, and then shifted into a major key. It's too bad it was too short, but the reprise He's Full Of Surprises during the end credits, while rehashed, was a nice way to blend the diesels' singing voices. You Can Only Be You was a touching song for Thomas and Ashima to sing on and set their dynamic rather nicely so it's in 2nd place among my favorite songs of the movie. Now, my personal favorite would have to be Be Who You Are And Go Far, which features Thomas and his friends singing together in harmony, and I loved it. Even though it was sort of strange for Percy and Phillip to sing have six wheels when they only have four, the song was beautiful way to end off the movie. Overall, the music in this film wasn't as strong as it was during Sodor's Legend Of The Lost Treasure (mainly since that one had my two personal favorite songs written for a Thomas movie), but as a musical, it works, and it's definitely something that can expanded and improved upon in future. 9/10.

6. Length

Hmm, the length. Not too much to say here. The pacing was alright; one half centered on Thomas' journey on Sodor and the other half focused on the Railway Show. But it wasn't quite as action-packed as Tale Of The Brave or Sodor's Legend Of The Lost Treasure. 7.5/10

7. Writing

Well, now. The writing. Surely Brenner has won us over in the past with his skills as a writer, even when it comes to feature-length specials. Blue Mountain Mystery was a nice start as Script Editor and he surely set the bar for the series yet-to-come. King Of The Railway and Tale Of The Brave were both opportunities well-spent for him as a step-up in his role as Head Writer, and season 17 and 18 were consistently a large improvement. The Adventure Begins being the strongest of his work, with a minor step-down in season 19 but a huge step-up with Sodor's Legend Of The Lost Treasure and season 20 still in progress, how did Brenner's script work out here. Well, I'm sorry to say and most of you guys may agree, but this was a major step-down and I mean that in a since that I've never seen our Head Writer make so many mistakes, espescially for a Thomas film. Surely, The Little Engine Who Raced Ahead had it's problems, and PLEASE don't get me started on The Other Side Of The Mountain. But Brenner's work during season 19 was hit-or-miss, as he had some strong stories there, and I could say about the same thing about the script here. It had it's moments, and quite a lot of them too, but it's like I said, Thomas (in the 1st half) and Phillip's characterization threw me off completely, as Vinnie's arc. Other then that, there was nothing that bad about the film was written. We had a nice premise with the Great Railway Show, though after Will You, Won't You?, things started falling apart, but they picked up again when the Shunting Challenge came into display. I feel like Thomas admitting his motive for the Great Railway Show was a nice way to start their friendship, and it fixes up his character in a rather effective way, as was the instance where he tried to prove himself for the Shunting Challenge, and the scene with him and Sir Topham Hatt at the SteamWorks was very genuine; it showed more of the fatherly figure of Sir Topham Hatt's character, and I was very touched by it. Overall, Andrew Brenner tried hard with the storytelling and I don't think he carelessly meant for it to be a failure, not like what Britt Allcroft seemingly did to screw up Thomas And The Magic Railroad by handling it all on her own, but I'd even have to say that some of Sharon Miller's work, with a possible exception of Misty Island Rescue, was better than this. But props to Brenner for trying here, especially with a RWS-related concept/premise. 6/10.

8. Direction

What's there really so say about the direction? Lol, I have a difficult time thinking of this. I guess all I can say is that David Stoten did a really great job, as he might have directed Arc throughout their work here, so nothing really to complain about. 9.5/10.

Overall Rating:

Overall, The Great Race was a major step-down from Andrew Brenner's previous works written for feature-length, but I do believe there was some effort, and that's what's important. The storytelling was probably somewhere between Day Of The Diesels and Misty Island Rescue, though it was still much stronger than the latter film, and definitely better than the major disappointment that The Magic Railroad was. But the animation was spot-on, and the voice acting and Mark Moraghan's performance were both consistent. A rather strong start for our new composer Chris Renshaw, even if the songs weren't necessarily perfect, but I look forward to seeing how the musical aspect can be improved and expanded upon in future specials. Despite major flaws, the film wasn't all that bad, but what it lacks is the originality and the charm that made Tale Of The Brave and The Lost Treasure favorites of mine. I don't believe this means that Andrew Brenner is no better than Sharon Miller, who mostly surprised us when it came to feature-length specials, or Britt Allcroft who basically just inherited the world of Thomas and bought her own failure upon herself. In the end, The Great Race is still a good film with the redeeming values it had. 8/10. I look forward to seeing what's in store for the rest of season 20. The episodes so far are very promising, and probably up to standard of the first two seasons, and I'm sure that Journey Beyond Sodor will be a fine improvement if Brenner puts together a compatible storyline and compelling characters. Till then, be sure to come back soon for Part I of my S20 review (depending on how much better the airing schedule performs than last year's disappointment)