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Story

Thomas and Friends: Tale of the Brave is a special feature-length instalment of the Thomas the Tank Engine animated TV series. The movie follows Thomas (voice of Martin Sherman), the cheeky but good-hearted tank engine, who is working at the Clay Pits in the land of Sodor. After a storm suddenly arrives and the rain makes the cliffs unstable, a flash of lighting shows what look like giant footprints. A landslide prevents Thomas from exploring the situation further, and he is hurried to safety by his friends Ben and Bill just in time.

Thomas tells his colleague Percy what he saw. Percy becomes convinced that a monster is living on the island. His fear grows until he is too scared to pull the mail train at night. A strange and foreign engine suddenly appears, and Percy begins to believe that the new engine, called Gator, is the monster. After much teasing from his friends and getting to know Gator, Percy discovers a wonderful friend and ally.

Themes

Friendship; bravery and courage

Violence

None of concern

Content that may disturb children

Under 5

Young children might be scared by some scenes in Thomas and Friends: Tale of the Brave, particularly if children see the movie on a large cinema screen rather than on a television at home. For example:

  • There is a landslide in Sodor that endangers both James and Percy, but both are saved.
  • Younger children might be concerned about the idea of a monster. During the night-time scenes, there are moments where objects look like the glowing eyes of monsters shining in the dark. 

From 5-8

Younger children in this age group might also be scared by the idea of a monster and the scenes that show glowing eyes in the dark. 

From 8-13

Nothing of concern 

Over 13

Nothing of concern

Sexual references

None of concern 

Alcohol, drugs and other substances

None of concern 

Nudity and sexual activity

None of concern 

Product placement

Thomas and Friends: Tale of the Brave features the trains from the Thomas and Friends toy range and other associated merchandise. 

Coarse language

None of concern 

Ideas to discuss with your children

Thomas and Friends: Tale of the Brave is a motivational and heart-warming animated movie about being brave and pushing your own personal boundaries.

It shows that being brave and having courage isn’t about not being afraid, but about being able to act even when you’re afraid. It highlights that you must sometimes do things that you don’t want to do, because in the end your actions might make you a stronger person. Avoiding things can make a problem worse.

Children aged under six years might find some of the scenes a bit scary. The movie probably lacks interest for most children aged over 10 years.

Supported By

  • Department of Social Services

Raising Children Network is supported by the Australian Government. Member organisations are the Parenting Research Centre and the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute with The Royal Children’s Hospital Centre for Community Child Health.

Member Organisations

  • Parenting Research Centre
  • The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne
  • Murdoch Children's Research Institute

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