Journey Beyond Sodor - The First Impressions Review [Part 3] (by JFtheLOLZOR)
September 01, 2017
Caution: This review contains major spoilers for the movie, "Journey Beyond Sodor."
With the midnight of August 8, Thomas' 2017 special movie, Journey Beyond Sodor made its world debut through US iTunes, and other digital download platforms. Journey will be released in UK, Australian, and US cinemas subsequently. Journey blew fans' expectations out of the water... mostly. Almost everyone was pleased with it.
We here at ThomasNATION, got together three of our members (ThomasFan3000, SunilFan48 and JFtheLOLZOR) to write a First Impressions Review for Journey - our thoughts right now. We'll also be doing a grand Journey review with the complete team in the coming month.
Here's JFtheLOLZOR's First Impressions of Journey Beyond Sodor:
Hey hey hey, local king of sardines JFtheLOLZOR back again, with a light in my eyes I simply can't disguise. Let's talk about Journey Beyond Sodor. My first impressions on the special are quite possibly ones you could agree with. I've currently watched the special a few times, up to a point I made myself a little soundtrack on my Apple Music (which I will get to). Yes, the special is good. But how good is it? Let's find out, shall we?
First, there's the structure of the story. Like Chris said, out of all the Thomas specials, this one puts its main focus on its story. The story follows Thomas on his adventure to the mainland, with a subplot about James taking care of things back on Sodor. There's not really any scene out of place, since they all tie into the main storyline. It also helps develop who the new characters are. I'll get to that in a bit, but how the writing develops their personas really helps us get to know them. The only thing keeping the writing away from being perfect is the pacing. Sometimes, there are certain scenes that feel a bit rushed. Not that it's a problem, but they feel like they move along just too fast. That, and there's a major plot hole (which I'll get to). The story is the prime example of what Andrew Brenner is capable of.
The new characters are quite possibly the most unique collection of characters introduced in a Thomas special. They may not be the best, but they all come jam packed with unique personalities, and thanks to the clever writing, they work very well, with Theo as the awkward little chap made to represent autism, Lexi being easily the funniest character in the film, Merlin as the forgetful old man character who believes he can become invisible, Beresford as the lonely fella who only wants a friend, and Hurricane and Frankie being the pair who look trustworthy, but in reality...not so much. Sure, they have problems like Beresford doesn't serve much of a purpose to the story and Lexi can be annoying at times, but they aren't too much of an issue. It's hard choosing a favorite when the characters are all equally terrific. They even include the background diesels from The Great Race and use them as newbies, which I have to admit was cool, and they do get some of the funniest banter in the film.
Speaking of The Great Race, Bridlington Goods Yard actually does reuse the yard in which the Great Railway Show was held, which brings up that plot hole I mentioned earlier: if Bridlington Goods Yard was the same yard as the one in The Great Race, how did Thomas not know where it is? It sort of bugged me throughout the scene.
The animation isn't anything special, but really, that's not saying much. I'll get the bouncing out of the way first. The bouncing caused a sort of controversy, but in execution, it's not so bad. It's mostly apparent on the experimental engines and the Troublesome Trucks, but when characters like Thomas and James do it, it's fairly subtle, and gives them a cartoony but smooth feel. As for the designs, that's where you can find the more creative aspects. The design of the experimental engines shows the animators went above and beyond with it, and the Steelworks looks extremely well done. But then there are the flaws of the animation. The lighting is mediocre at times, the bouncing can get a bit too over-the-top, and the textures of grass and soot pretty much suck. That, and also the musical numbers don't feel as extravegant or visually interesting as something like The Great Race. It may not be their best animation, but it certainly is some of the most creative.
The special's songs were really good songs, again thanks to the clever writing. First off, "Who's Thomas?" was greatly written and also help flesh out Beresford, "I Want To Go Home" was surprisingly sad for a Thomas song, "We Can't Do Anything" was fairly enjoyable and uplifting, and again, helps develop the characters, and "The Most Important Thing Is Being Friends" may not be as good as "Be Who You Are and Go Far", but it was a fitting finale for the special. And then there's "The Hottest Place in Town", which could quite possibly be the best song of the special. It has a Broadway villain-esque feel to it, with a jazzy orchestration, greatly written lyrics, and fantastic singing brought in by Jim Howick and Sophie Colquhoun. What's with villain songs always being the best song in the film? The songs are without a doubt the highlight of the special.
While it's not as good as certain specials that come before it, Journey Beyond Sodor is up there with solid writing, lovable characters and amazing musical numbers. Maybe the animation can take it away from being the best, but with everything else, it really shows the full capabilities of the team, which is why it earns a 4.5/5. See y'all later.
Overall Rating: 4.5 / 5
About the author:
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Overall Rating: 4.5 / 5
Thanks for reading!
- JFtheLOLZOR.
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About the author:
JFtheLOLZOR - Jack Frefigs
Follow Me on Twitter: @JFtheLOLZOR
Subscribe To My YouTube Channel: JFtheLOLZOR
Thanks for reading! ThomasNATION will be back soon with more exciting articles! Follow us on Twitter and subscribe to our blog to stay up-to-date on reviews & Thomas News!
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