Product Details

• Actors: Michael Angelis, Michael Brandon, Alec Baldwin, Ringo Starr, George Carlin
• Format: Animated, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: Unrated
• Studio: Lyons / Hit Ent.
• DVD Release Date: July 13, 2010
• Run Time: 67 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B003INBO6A
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #52,577 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Thomas & Friends: Creaky Cranky" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Video Description

From KIDS FIRST!: time for a party on Sodor. Right from the start, live action host, Driver Perkins, gets viewers involved in the action by looking straight into the camera and asking the viewer to check in on his friends, the engines so everyone is part of preparing for a party for the duke and duchess, even the viewer. The episodes are presented in delightful animation. In “Creaky Cranky,” Cranky is having a bad day. When Thomas teases him about it, Cranky turns on Thomas and says he can’t pull heavy loads. This causes Thomas to try to prove himself. The two face off competing over who can move the heaviest loads. The episode not only shows how strength lies in doing what is most helpful, but it also shows that when parties compete against each other, they are both responsible for any negative results. Thomas and Cranky demonstrate caring and friendship at the end of the episode when they apologize to each other and go out of their way to help each other. In “Tickled Pink” James is getting a new coat of paint. This showed viewers the process involved in painting and engine with the undercoat of paint that protects the metal. James has to go pick up the children with only his pink undercoat on. He’s very embarrassed and gets teased by the other engines. After trying to hide, he realizes that he has to face his friends to do his job. This shows strength of character, and dedication to work. His willingness to look silly, yet still go out because he can’t be late for the children, shows viewers that children are very important. James is also rewarded by being a hero to the birthday girl he is picking up, especially because he is pink. In “Steamy Sodor,” Thomas is in charge., but he’s a bit quick to make decisions without listening to the input of others. When everything turns into disaster as a result, Thomas apologizes and takes action to fix the engines’ problems. In “The Early Bird,” it’s up to Thomas to deliver the mail. He thinks he can do it all on his own, and won’t take any tips on how to do it. He inadvertently wakes up all the other engines too early by whistling early in the morning. This made the other engines incapable of doing their work later since they were too tired. Thomas realizes that maybe he should have asked for directions and listened to others. Between the episodes, Driver Perkins talks to the children showing how to paint an engine (with sparkle smoke), playing games such as “Pin the Funnel on Percy,” and choosing music. Child Juror Comments: I love Thomas. There is a party and they are getting ready for it. The DVD had lots of stories that were fun, but they also taught things. On the last one, they taught that you have to be quiet in the morning so you don’t wake people up so they don’t make silly mistakes. I loved when James gets turned pink. He looks very funny. Ages 2-5

Product Description

Thomas and his friends deliver cargo-loads of fun in this collection of uplifting episodes! Ride along as Thomas helps to deliver mail, mend engines, and prepare for the Spring Party on the Island of Sodor. Watch as Thomas learns that it pays to listen to advice, there’s more to a train than its undercoat, and that sometimes it takes a team of friends to reach your true destination.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Spooky Creaky Cranky!, July 30, 2010

By 

David Stockett (APO, AE, US) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Thomas & Friends: Creaky Cranky (DVD)

This is the latest Thomas & Friends DVD to hit the shelves. Naturally, we had to add it to the kid's ever-growing list of Thomas DVDs.

It's another in CGI format. Perhaps it's just me, but I'm a bit nostalgic for the old voiced-over models. Something has been lost in the switchover to computerized graphics -- an innocence, perhaps?

Mr Perkins makes another appearance as the live-action host. I give him 2-thumbs up for his performance. He seems to be much more energetic and excited to be there -- unlike some of his earlier performances. In "Creaky Cranky", he is preparing the Engine Driver's Locker Room for Mr Arkwright's birthday party. (Sadly, Mr Arkwright doesn't make an appearance.) Mr Perkins teaches us a new game -- Pin the Funnel on Percy -- and paints a big birthday card with James on it. And, of course, there is the requisite phone call from Sir Topham Hatt.

The title episode "Creaky Cranky" pits Thomas in a contest of strength with Cranky the Crane. I like Cranky's voice! It has a "New York Docks" inflection and "Teamster" attitude. Unfortunately, my 2.5-year old son got scared by Cranky in CGI, and watched the rest of the DVD from a safe place behind the kitchen door frame. Spooky, I guess!

In "Tickled Pink", James lives every boy's nightmare -- having to wear pink clothes! It has a happy ending though (James gets the girls. I won't spoil it for you.). "Steamy Sodor" puts Thomas in charge of the Sodor Steamworks for a day -- with the predictable outcome. The look on Victor's face is priceless! And, finally, in "Early Bird", Thomas gets to deliver the mail -- not so quietly, in fact.

There is one complaint I have with the new DVDs -- "Creaky Cranky" not excluded. It's the constant apologizing. Thomas says he's "Sorry" at least 50 times in this DVD. I hate to be political -- anti-politically correct, actually -- but are we teaching our kids to become apologists? They don't need to say "Sorry!" all of the time! Just my view.

On the whole, it's an average Thomas DVD. It may buy you a few moments of quiet.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not like the originals, October 24, 2010

By 

MeleKalikimaka - See all my reviews

This review is from: Thomas & Friends: Creaky Cranky (DVD)

Maybe it's just me, but this new series just seems really generic compared to the original Thomas the Tank Engine shows. Every episode is basically "Engine gets special job. Engine botches job three times. Authority figure recaps each mistake. Engine fixes mistakes with time to spare." And whoever's the focus of the story seems to abandon all common sense at the outset. It's not even like the old ones where a character's specific flaw might be their downfall.

There's some new engines and machines too, but they don't seem to add much. The animation's not bad (actually one of the best parts), but it doesn't have all the industrial activity and background detail you might have seen in the show 20 years ago. Instead of pulling coal, lumber, or boxcars, the engines seem to pull car loads of ice cream, merry-go-rounds, and cakes.

I'd recommend a disc of the older episodes instead. There's more visible craftsmanship, more originality, and the characters really grow on you.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars HIT just needs to release the actual seasons already!, July 25, 2010

By 

Jeffery A. Chabotte (Norwich, CT, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Thomas & Friends: Creaky Cranky (DVD)

Creaky Cranky is another collection of episodes that you've probably already seen on PBS.

We're introduced by Mr Perkins the driver again, who is now setting up a birthday party for a fellow driver.

The episodes included are:

Season 13, Episode 1: Creaky Cranky

Season 13, Episode 3: Tickled Pink

Season 13, Episode 14: Steamy Sodor

Season 13, Episode 6: The Early Bird

A Special feature is a "Sound Song" sing-a-long video.

It's really about time that HIT releases the new full seasons already. But then again, we know it's all about merchandising and marketing. An actual movie is due soon, ( a Misty Island trailer follows after the credits) and of course, more books and toys are sure to follow.. (Misty Island Rescue introduces 3 new friends.. which you know will be made into toys).

So there you have it, 4 episodes packed into a DVD with Mr Perkins (who I actually enjoy). It might be worthwhile to include an unaired episode or two.. that would make it a lot better.