Stars: Alec Baldwin, Peter Fonda, Mara Wilson, Russell Means, Didi Conn

Director: Britt Allcroft

Summary: Mr Conductor's travels are limited as his supply of magic gold dust is critically low. Only help from his cousin Lilly and her grandfather will get more of the vital dust...

Based on the television show THOMAS THE TANK ENGINE & FRIENDS, this directorial film debut from writer and producer Britt Allcroft features new animation techniques that combine talking trains with live-action actors. THOMAS AND THE MAGIC RAILROAD is about a young girl named Lily (Mara Wilson) who takes it upon herself to save the tank trains such as Thomas (Edward Glen), who live on a magical island, from bully trains like Diesel 10, Splotch, and Splatter. Alec Baldwin stars as Mr. Conductor.

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Thomas, as anyone familiar with the eponymous, wildly popular TV series knows, is a very useful engine, and never more so than in his first theatrical release, which was a modest box-office success. On a tank filled with little more than pluck, determination and goodwill, Thomas sets out full-steam ahead on a danger-fraught mission to help his friend Mr Conductor. The conductor's stash of magic gold dust has run out, leaving him stranded on the Island of Sodor with Junior, his flaky cousin, and Lily, a little girl enlisted to lift her grandfather out of a funk on nearby Muffle Mountain. When Thomas bravely chugs beyond his hometown tracks' buffers with Lily aboard, he's transported to Muffle Mountain's secret railway and to Lady, a long-lost steamer whose legendary engine makes her more powerful than Diesel, the train-yard bully. Together, Thomas and Lady lead Diesel on a chase that causes a bridge to collapse, taking the dastardly Diesel down with it. Most impressive about the movie is its marquee names: Alec Baldwin works magic as the dutiful worrywart Mr Conductor, Mara Wilson is Lily and Peter Fonda plays the cool-looking but lugubrious Grandpa. It's a cast that will keep put-upon parents watching, if half-heartedly. Thomas fans of five years and under, meanwhile, will wish the actors wouldn't blow so much hot air; they will want to see their hero a bigger part in steaming up the storyline. --Tammy La Gorce

Aspect Ratio:	1.33 Full Screen
Main Language:	English
Region:	Region 2
Special Features:	Interactive Menus, Scene Access, Trailer, Weblink
Year:	2000
Release Date:	November 13, 2000
Runtime:	85 minutes
Certification:
Catalogue Number:	D 092926
Keywords:	Family, Magic, Thomas, Engine, Tank, Railroad
Genre:	Family