Thomas and the Magic Railroad

The Rev W Awdry's classic, early-reading railway stories inspired the quaintly agreeable '80s TV series Thomas the Tank Engine, with its catchy signature tune and Ringo Starr narration. Thomas has, however, suffered a regrettable makeover. Some of the engines, most of the cast and even the narrator have American accents. And that theme tune's gone. Now embellished with Lewis Carroll-style surrealism, the story takes up the series' much exploited theme of the new vs the old. Thomas' elevated position on the magical island of Sodor is again under threat from Diesel, who wants him shuffled off to the sidings once for all. Meanwhile, Mr Conductor (Baldwin) has lost his magic sparkle and, back in the real world, a miscast Fonda is having trouble starting a female engine with the power to put Sodor back on track. If all this sounds convoluted, well, it's a toddlers' film and anything goes.