Thomas and the Magic Railroad (2000)

User Rating:

2.6/10   

Director:

Britt Allcroft

Writer:

Britt Allcroft (writer)
(more)

Release Date:

26 July 2000 (USA)

Genre:

Family | Fantasy

Tagline:

Take the magic journey.

Plot:

Mr. Conductor's supply of magic gold dust, which allows him to travel between Shining Time and Thomas's island...

Plot Keywords:

Magic | Railway | Steam Locomotive | Miniature People | Train Conductor

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Alec Baldwin	...	Mr. Conductor
Cody McMains	...	Patch
Russell Means	...	Billy Twofeathers
Peter Fonda	...	Grandpa Burnett Stone
Jared Wall	...	Young Burnett
Laura Bower	...	Young Tasha
Didi Conn	...	Stacy Jones, Shining Time Station Manager
Mara Wilson	...	Lily, Burnetts Grand Daughter
Lori Hallier	...	Lily's Mother
Michael E. Rodgers	...	Mr. C. Junior
Edward Glen	...	Thomas (voice) (as Eddie Glen)
Neil Crone	...	Diesel 10 / Splatter / Gordon (voice)
Colm Feore	...	Toby (voice)
Linda Ballantyne	...	Percy (voice)
Kevin Frank	...	Dodge / Bertie / Harold / Henry (voice)
Susan Roman	...	James (voice)
Shelley Skinner	...	Annie / Clarabel (voice)
Britt Allcroft	...	Lady (voice)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Robert Tinkler	...	Older Patch
Robert Black	...	Train passenger (uncredited)
Robbie Bugbee	...	Actor (voice) (uncredited)
Mike Lazorcik	...	Train Passenger (uncredited)

Directed by
Britt Allcroft

Writing credits
Rev. W. Awdry		(books) uncredited
Britt Allcroft		(writer)

Produced by
Britt Allcroft	....	producer
Brent Baum	....	executive producer
John Bertolli	....	executive producer
Nancy Chapelle	....	executive producer
Charles Falzon	....	executive producer
Philip D. Fehrle	....	producer (as Phil Fehrle)
Mark Jacobson	....	co-executive producer
Barry London	....	executive producer
Shelley Skinner	....	associate producer
Steven Stabler	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Hummie Mann

Cinematography by
Paul Ryan

Film Editing by
Ron Wisman

Casting by
Juli-Ann Kay
Karen Margiotta
Mary Margiotta

Production Design by
Oleg M. Savytski

Art Direction by
Lucinda Zak

Costume Design by
Luis Sequeira		(as Luis M. Sequeira)

Makeup Department
Pamela Cozen	....	hair stylist: Pennsylvania
Pamela Cozen	....	makeup artist: Pennsylvania
Susan Exton-Stranks	....	head of hair department
Kathleen Graham	....	key makeup artist: Isle of Man
Mary Sue Heron	....	key makeup artist: second unit

Production Management
Mary Ann Grainger	....	post-production supervisor
Noella Nesdoly	....	production manager
Keith W. Strandberg	....	unit production manager: Pennsylvania

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Eric Banz	....	first assistant director: model train unit
David Coombs	....	first assistant director
Shawn P. Flanagan	....	second second assistant director: Pennsylvania
Patrick Hagarty	....	assistant director: second unit
Sara MacDonald	....	second assistant director
Tom Pakenham	....	third assistant director
Ron Succarotte	....	assistant director: Pennsylvania
Craig Wallace	....	assistant director: second unit
Ben Wright	....	assistant director: Isle of Man
Tovah Zalik-Wallace	....	assistant director: second unit

Art Department
Greg Chown	....	storyboard artist
Peter Constantinides	....	construction coordinator
Cheryl Dorsey	....	set decorator: Isle of Man
Charles Dunlop	....	assistant set designer
Caroline Gee	....	set decorator: Toronto
Michael Gilman	....	greensperson
Brad Kenyon	....	property master
Jason Knox-Johnston	....	assistant art director
Norm Ouzounis	....	lead greens person
Mark Scruton	....	assistant art director
Bruce Simpson	....	storyboard artist
Travis Staley	....	head carpenter
Rob Valeriote	....	co-head carpenter

Sound Department
Chris Bottomley	....	boom operator
Joe Bracciale	....	dialogue editor
Andrew Bray	....	sound designer
Alek Bromke	....	assistant sound recordist
Al Buchok	....	boom operator
Richard Calistan	....	adr mixer: Toronto
Steve Copley	....	foley supervisor
Malcolm Davies	....	production sound mixer
Malcolm Davies	....	sound mixer
Lee de Lang	....	assistant sound editor
Nelson Ferreira	....	adr editor
Nelson Ferreira	....	supervising sound editor
Cory Mandel	....	sound re-recording mixer
Nathan Robitaille	....	sound assistant
Stephen Roque	....	sound effects editor
David Schatanoff Jr.	....	post audio coordinator

Special Effects by
Dave Asling	....	key model builder
Dan Brooks	....	model builder
Rick Gajdecki	....	key model builder
Peter Hutchinson	....	special effects supervisor: Isle of Man
Christine Kowbuz	....	model builder
Laird McMurray	....	special effects coordinator
Bill Neil	....	special effects supervisor (as William Neil)
Roger Nichols	....	senior technician
Duncan Orthner	....	model maker
David Reaume	....	special effects technician

Visual Effects by
Stephen Asquith	....	model supervisor
Dave Axford	....	visual effects producer: GVFX
Berj Bannayan	....	software engineer
Barb Benoit	....	digital compositor
Dennis Berardi	....	visual effects producer
Kristy Blackwell	....	digital artist
Mike Borrett	....	motion control operator
Lisa Carr-Harris	....	digital effects artist
Mike Chambers	....	visual effects producer
Bret Culp	....	visual effects supervisor: C.O.R.E. Digital Pictures
Colin Cunningham	....	lead 3D animator: Toybox
Debora Dunphy	....	digital compositor
Janeen Elliott	....	digital compositor
Andreas Fehrle	....	assistant to the visual effects supervisor
Mark Goldberg	....	digital compositor
Maria A. Gordon	....	visual effects
Dipankar Goswamy	....	3D animator
Derek Grime	....	visual effects director: Toybox
Rob Gyorgy	....	visual effects artist
Robert Hackborn	....	visual effects draftsperson
Michael Hatton	....	digital effects compositor: Toybox
Wilton Higgins	....	grip: visual effects
Robbi Hinds	....	director of photography: principal and greenscreen visual effects
Tania Janthur	....	visual effects coordinator
Sasha Jarh	....	visual effects producer
Shane Kinnear	....	executive producer: C.O.R.E. Digital Pictures
Michael Kowalski	....	3D animator: C.O.R.E. Digital Pictures
Daniel Lee	....	digital compositor
Chad Malbon	....	visual effects coordinator
Ray McMillan	....	miniature supervisor
Bill Neil	....	visual effects supervisor
Sarah Norton	....	digital compositor
Ken Ouellette	....	CG animator/compositor: C.O.R.E. Digital Pictures
Terry Permane	....	model visual effects
Marco Polsinelli	....	Inferno artist/digital compositor: Topix/Mad Dog
Stephen Price	....	visual effects executive producer: TOPIX/Mad Dog
Nordin Rahhali	....	CG animator/technical artist: C.O.R.E. Digital Pictures
Kennedy Shah	....	motion control operator
Barb Shaw	....	visual effects coordinator: CORE Digital Pictures
Joel Skeete	....	digital compositor
Linda Tremblay	....	digital compositor
Thomas Turnbull	....	motion control
Mark Visser	....	technical support: C.O.R.E. Digital Pictures
Aaron Weintraub	....	Inferno artist/digital compositor: Topix/Mad Dog
Sean Wickett	....	model maker (as Richard Cudmore)
Michael Wile	....	3D animator & technical director
Ron Wisman Jr.	....	visual effects editor
Patrik Witzmann	....	CG animator/compositor: C.O.R.E. Digital Pictures
Alphonso Young	....	digital compositor: C.O.R.E. Digital Pictures

Stunts
Mike Jones	....	stunt coordinator
Mike Jones	....	stunts
Chris Lamon	....	stunt coordinator: second unit
Dave Van Zeyl	....	stunt coordinator: second unit

Camera and Electrical Department
Chris Alexander	....	focus puller
John Botelho	....	gaffer
Randy Chupa	....	generator operator
Jim Denny	....	gaffer
Ted Erne	....	dolly grip
Courtney Graham	....	clapper loader
Tim Lewis	....	assistant camera
Anthony Meade	....	clapper loader
Pat Miller	....	electrician
Nigel Permane	....	first assistant camera: model unit
David Rumley	....	assistant camera: model unit
Daniel D. Sariano	....	assistant camera: Pennsylvania
Michael Spicer	....	camera operator
Karen Steyr	....	still photographer
Peter Stranks	....	still photographer

Casting Department
Ross Clydesdale	....	casting: Canada

Editorial Department
Claire Freeland	....	post-production coordinator
Teresa Garber	....	post-production executive
Chad Glastonbury	....	first assistant film editor
Rick Greenhead	....	telecine colorist
Vaughan Killin	....	co-color timer
Annellie Rose Samuel	....	first assistant editor (as Annellie Samuel)
David Tarnawsky	....	second assistant editor
Paul Whitehead	....	assistant editor
Ron Wisman Jr.	....	first assistant editor

Music Department
Frank Bennett	....	orchestrator
Brad Dechter	....	orchestrator
Yuri Gorbachow	....	music editor
Ira Hearshen	....	orchestrator
Hummie Mann	....	conductor
Matthew McKenzie	....	associate audio engineer: orchestra record & pre mix
Don Nemitz	....	orchestrator
Jacquie Perryman	....	music consultant

Other crew
Lucy Ainsworth-Taylor	....	production coordinator
Michael Barnes	....	financial legal services
Eric Beldowski	....	production coordinator
James Cleary	....	location manager
Jason Contino	....	production assistant
Donna Croce	....	script supervisor
Tracy Fedak	....	first assistant accountant: post-production
Claire Freeland	....	assistant to producer
Katharine Gray	....	assistant production coordinator
Joel Green	....	unit publicist: USA
Ron Gwynne	....	location manager
Paul Jennison	....	production accountant
Ashifa Lalani	....	first assistant accountant
Kevin Robertson	....	assistant to director
Darren Wilson	....	assistant production accountant
Judy Sharinger	....	completion and delivery supervisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Gullane Pictures
• Destination Films
• Isle of Man Film Commission
• Magic Railroad Company, The

Distributors

• Alliance Atlantis Communications (Canada)
• Destination Films
• GAGA Communications
• GAGA Humax
• Icon Film Distribution (UK)

Special Effects

• C.O.R.E. Digital Pictures
• Gajdecki Visual Effects (GVFX)
• Howard Granite Films
• Mad Dog Digital
• Toybox

Runtime:

85 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Singapore:G | Australia:G | Germany:o.Al. | New Zealand:G | UK:U | USA:G

Filming Locations:

Isle of Man

Company:

Gullane Pictures

Trivia:

Isle of Mann taxi drive/firefighter John Bellis was originally cast as the voice of Thomas. After his recording was heard by American test audiences, they disliked his Liverpudlian tone as it made Thomas sound too old. The role went to 'Eddie Glenn'.

Goofs:

Miscellaneous: Towards the end, when Mr. Conductor starts refilling his whistle, two large specks of unedited purple 'snow' is visible on the sides of his torso.

Quotes:

Diesel 10: [starts chasing Thomas, Lady, and Burnett Stone] Now I'll get you, Burnett Stone.
Grandpa Burnett Stone: No,you won't. Because the magic you refused to believe in will get the better of you.

Movie Connections:

Follows "Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends" (1984)

Soundtrack:

Some Things Never Leave You

A wasted opportunity!

It is stunning that in this day and age of movie tie-ins, that the creators (or better said owners) of the Thomas the Tank Engine franchise couldn't find a better major movie outlet for their goldmine. Face it, if they would have put 2 seconds of thought into this clunker it would have been huge. Basing it on the Shining Time Station theme was the first mistake. Why not have a nice little movie about the Island of Sodor and its engines? Why insult the audience by creating human characters that are DREADFULLY acted? Again, a simple little movie would have made a mint.

It has been 6-7 years since this movie came out and I wonder why another attempt at a Thomas movie hasn't been made. This is the most popular character for children ages 2-6. Parents (like myself) would kill for a decent big screen adaptation to take children to. Seems like somebody is missing the boat here.

As for this movie, it has all been said within the previous comments. The acting by Peter Fonda is downright embarrassing, and the storyline is confusing. More focus should have been put on the engines and less on wooden human characters. It gets a 3 from me because despite all its flaws, my 3 year old loves it, therefore giving daddy a much needed rest from time to time.

Time for another try at a Thomas movie. Anybody up for it?