A retrospective analysis of the movie's reception at the Box Office

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UK RECEPTION

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With guarded optimism, Thomas and the Magic Railroad officially made its debut in 314 theatres in the United Kingdom and Ireland on the 14 July, 2000.  The movie's reception by British film critics could at best be described as cool, in a nation where the Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends TV show and the Rev. W. Awdry's Railway Series are regarded as almost sacrosanct British institutions.

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The use of the term Railroad in the film's title, along with the unfamiliarity of the UK audience to the Shining Time Station mythos led some to imply that this was a crass attempt by the producers to fully Americanise Thomas - an allegation that Britt steadfastedly denied and felt wounded by. Britt maintained that the familiar elements of trust, gentleness and laughter of the Sodor characters were preserved in the film. The inclusion of Shining Time Station into the storyline served to make it appealing to all ages as a family film for the duration of its 85 minute run time - something that would be arguably more difficult to achieve with only the TV character models.

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The overall box-office success of the movie, however would depend on how well it would perform two weeks later in the United States where it would be screened in 2106 theatres across the nation on the 26th July, 2000.

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US RECEPTION

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In America, the movie's debut drew mixed and sometimes opposite reviews. Some film critics loved and appreciated the movie (an example of a positive review is reproduced on this page), while others, including acclaimed film critic Roger Ebert did not find any redeeming qualities in either the storyline, acting or animation. The critics opined that the engine character mouths should have been animated and they expected more special effects from a film with a multi-million dollar budget.

In her own defense, Britt maintained the status quo from TV to the movie with regards the fixed facial expressions where the animated eyes  drew attention and enhanced the character's emotional state. Britt expanded on why she felt it was important to keep the simple storybook quality of Sodor  to reporter Frazier Moore in an Associated

 

Press Article on 28 July, 2000:   

 

I think there's a danger in assuming that everything has got to be very high-tech, otherwise you've let the audience down. We wanted the special effects to support the story, instead of the story supporting the special effects.

 

The debate and discussion about animating the faces raises an interesting question: Had they gone ahead with this plan, would this been expected to be carried forward into Series 6?    
 
Britt also touched upon the different plot elements within the movie that converged into a single theme of the need to help one another out in times of need. The engines supporting one another in their dealings with the bully Diesel-10 will certainly appeal to younger children, while those who are older will be able to relate to Lily's attempts to help her Grandfather rediscover happiness by restoring the "magic" into Lady. Mr. Conductor and cousin Jr. serve to bridge the two worlds together with their own crisis with a gold dust shortage that threatens their continued existence.

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THE FILM'S BOTTOM LINE

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From the Box-Office return figures provided by  Box Office Mojo , Thomas and the Magic Railroad made $19,748,009 (USD) in worldwide receipts, of which $15,933,506 was raised in the USA, with the remainder $3,814,503 contributed by Foreign distribution. Although lambasted by some as a "box office flop" within the context of Hollywood, a much more modest conclusion would be that with a  promoted production budget of 19 million, the film broke even.

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THE REAL SOURCE OF THE GOLD DUST

 

Britt Allcroft has often been described by insiders as a person with astute business sense. In the lead-up to the movie's theatrical release, Britt's company was forging and expanding mechandizing deals in America. Recognizing that film-making is a risky business, Thomas and the Magic Railroad would serve as a vehicle to get to the real source of the Gold Dust. Then managing director of the Britt Allcroft Company, William Harris describes this best in an interview with the Independent (17 July, 2000) : 

We want to push the revenue curve substantially higher, with huge potential particularly in the US rather than here (UK). Thomas's penetration in the US is only about half that in the UK in terms of royalty revenues per capita.