Customer Reviews

Thomas The Tank Engine & Friends - Better Late Than Never [VHS]

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This one was one of the best Thomas videos. It had great stories like A CLOSE SHAVE FOR DUCK and GORDON TAKES A DIP. It was also the last video that Ringo Starr narrated, it's a shame that this video is no longer available. My advice to you is that you buy it used because this is one you don't want to miss. The story stops are:

1) BETTER LATE THAN EVER 4/5:
The viaduct is being repaired so the engines must be extra careful while crossing it. This causes them to be a little late arriving at the station with Thomas' passengers. Bertie gets mad at Thomas because he is always late to pick up his passengers. But when Bertie breaks down one day, it's up to Thomas to get his passengers to the station on time.

2) POP GOES THE DIESEL 5/5:
All the engines are tired of listening to Duck brag about being a great western engine. They are happy when a new engine arrives. His name is Diesel and he tells Duck that he doesn't need his help, he's revelutionary. Diesel is told to shunt some trucks in a old siding, but the cars don't cooperate and Diesel makes a big fool of himself.

3)DIESEL'S DEVIOUS DEED 5/5:
The trucks continue to tease Diesel after his recent incident and Diesel is getting sick of it. He soon ends up telling lies about all the other engines to the trucks and blames it on Duck. It soon spreads to all the other engines and Sir Topham Hatt sends Duck away for a while.

4)A CLOSE SHAVE FOR DUCK 6/5:
Duck is happy to be working with Edward at his station but is still sad about being sent away for something he didn't do. While Duck is pulling trucks, they break free and it's up to Duck to stop them before the cause a major catastrophy. He ends up crashing into a barber shop and the barber gets very angry and decides to shave Duck.

5)GORDON TAKES A DIP 6/5:
Gordon just can't let Henry forget about the time he came off the rails while pulling the Flying Kipper. He is happy that he has never had an accident before, but he ends up speaking to soon. See what happen to Gordon when he refused to pull a special train and didn't pay attention to where he was going.

6)DOWN THE MINE 4/5:
Thomas starts to tease Gordon about his recent accident. Annie & Clarabel are shocked at how rude Thomas has been to Gordon, but Thomas doesn't care a bit. While waiting at the mine to collect freight cars, he sees a sign that says "Danger!: Engines must not pass this board." Thomas wants to pass it so he makes a plan but falls down the mine and Gordon will have to come and rescue him.

7)THE RUNAWAY 4.5/5:
When Thomas returns from the works, his breaks don't work properly and this causes some problems. One time, Thomas started moving by accident with no driver. It's up to Harold to rescue Thomas.

It was sad to see that this one was no longer available because it was a good one, but all the stories on here can be found on other Thomas releases so it's not the end of the world.

In my opinion, this is the best Thomas video of them all. In the story Better Late Than Never, the viaduct is repared and causing delayed trains. In Pop Goes The Diesel, Diesel has trouble pulling some old frieight cars. In Diesel's Devious Deed , Diesel tells lies about Duck to send him away. In A Close Shave For Duck, Duck crashes into a barber shop and gets covered with shaving cream. In Gordon Takes A Dip , Gordon is foolish and falls in a muddy ditch. Ha Ha Ha! I still laugh hard at this story even after seeing it many times. In Down The Mine, Thomas is careless and drives into a mine. In the last story, The Runaway, Thomas's brakes fail and he runs away. This is a great tape.

This was the first Thomas video I ever got when I was younger. It was probably the best one too. It introduced Duck and Diesel as main characters and Ringo narrates the episodes wonderfully. The music at the beginning of "Better Late Than Never" when the engines go across the viaduct is beautiful and wonderfully produced. "Pop Goes the Diesel" and its follow-ups were the first triple episode in the series. The video has recently been released under the title "Thomas and His Friends Get Along". Though the original version with the low budget looking cover is alot better in my opinion. Overall, a wonderful video. Get the rerelease while you can before they discontinue that too.

Ringo Starr is my favorite narrator. He did a really good job with this video. One of my favorite stories on it is "Gordon Takes a Dip". Gordon makes fun of Henry for coming off the rails and in the end falls into a ditch because he refuses to do work that isn't good enough for a "tender-engine".

I have graded these stories:

Better Late Than Never...A+

Pop Goes the Diesel......B+

Diesel's Devious Deed....A+

A Close Shave for Duck...B+

Gordon Takes a Dip.......A+

Down the Mine............A+

The Runaway..............A+

After seeing all the new Thomas videos it's good to know that there are still good Thomas videos out there. This one the first Thomas videos I remember buying. I think I was about 3 at the time, I got it in a gift pack with Tenders and Turntables (another great oldie). I'm nearing 13 now and still check Thomas sites just to see how pathetic Thomas has recently gotten. I still sometimes watch the older videos to remind myself what it was like before there were narrators called Alec Baldwin and Micheal Bradon. Now Thomas has been currupt by a thing called time and I don't think he'll be returning soon.

You know, I really adore Diesel on this video. And I still got the song "Pop! Goes the Diesel" stuck in my head:

"Cars are waiting in the yard,

Tacking them with easel.

Show the world what I can do,"

Gaily boasts the Diesel.

In and out he creeps about,

Like a big black weasel.

When he pulls the wrong cars out,

Pop! goes the Diesel!

I love this video, too. I bought it while I could. Contains: Better Late Than Never, Pop Goes The Diesel!, Diesel's Dievious Deed, A Close Shave for Duck, Gordon Takes a Dip, Down The Mine, and The Runaway. By Strand VCI Entertainment

in BETTER LATE THEN NEVER thomas complains about engines dawdaleing on viaducts untill he becomes a bus for bertie. in POP GOES THE DIESEL a diesel pulls some wrong cars for duck and a song is born. in DIESELS DIVEOUS DEED diesel tells lies to the trucks and sir toppam hat beleaves them! in A CLOSE SHAVE FOR DUCK duck rescues a accident then crashes into a barber shop and gets shaved. GORDON TAKES A DIP into a dicth and is soon alliances with thomas when he falls DOWN THE MINE. and last thomas accidently goes to fast and gets sick and goes way to fast in THE RUNAWAY. you cant buy this anymore but its good

This is one of the best Thomas Tapes available. This one also introduces Diesel and in the three part saga it show's how Duck ovecomes him and he sends him packing. Better Late Than Never is a great episode. When the viaduct needs repairs it causes mayhem for Thomas and the other engines. Gordon takes a Dip is funny and Gordon learns a good lesson. Thomas teases him but in down the mine he needs Gordon again. The two engines understand not to be naughty. The Runaway is about how Thomas needed to go to the Works but when he came back his brakes were to tight so he started and left the station with his driver to stop him. These episodes are great and Ringo Starr does a great job. Try to find a used copy of this one.

I was a big Thomas fan, but this has got to be one of the worst videos ever and it's due to Diesel. I've never liked Diesel since he's mean and he's tried to trick the little guys which consists of Thomas, Percy, Oliver, etc. Pop Goes The Diesel is about Diesel popping up everywhere and giving the steamies sour surprises is what I assume. In 2001, I sold this to a little boy at my yard sale who was a four-year-old boy. Since I'm eleven and I still have the models of Thomas & Friends, I like Thomas a tiny bit.