ThomasNATION Classic Reviews - Grudge Match
February 12, 2022
Anyone remember most of the Great Railway Show engines from The Great Race? I mean, there are the ones they utilised the most in the past, like Ashima, Yong Bao and Vinnie, but other than that, other characters like Ivan, Axel and Carlos seemed to have gotten the shaft. But what about Raul? Did anyone have much of an opinion on him? Did he even have a line of dialogue beyond 'POINTS'? But now that he's being given the limelight, will this give us an everlasting impression on him, or is he as forgettable as he was in The Great Race? Let's begin.
While Thomas is working on the Brazilian railway, he encounters Raul, an engine he beat in the Great Railway Show's shunting contest, and as a result is pretty peeved. So he challenges Thomas to a series of races to see if he can finally beat him once and for all.
First off, I have to say that I love the idea this episode presents. An engine who Thomas beat in the railway show challenging him to a rematch is a fantastic concept for an episode, even if the storytelling itself is a little clunky. It's the same old 'two engines racing' plot that's been told several times before with the same old moral about how winning isn't important. The episode doesn't really do a lot to differentiate itself from other episodes other than having it be set in Brazil. Even the races themselves are bland and predictable, despite a cool rescue scene at the end.
But what I will say is the best part of the episode is Raul himself. I love how he's presented as a petty jerk with how he's eager to one-up Thomas at any given opportunity. I also admire how he can be a bit of a sore loser, which given the context of the episode, makes total sense. In a sense, he reminded me of James in The Fastest Red Engine on Sodor, with how he's shown as being afraid of being one-upped by Thomas like how James was with Rosie.
Overall, Grudge Match is an alright episode. It may not offer anything new to the table, but with a fun portrayal of Raul and a tremendous concept, it's still worth a watch either way. I'll even say it's a darn shame Raul never got any screen time after this episode, since he's such an entertaining character. And with that, it earns itself a 3.5/5.
Final Score: 3.5/5
About the Author: JF the LOLZOR
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