This DVD has five episodes – Muddy Matters, Thomas and the Garbage Train, Don’t Bother Victor!, Whiff’s Wish, and Thomas Toots the Crows (Buzzy Bees is the bonus episode here). Each of the episodes will provide viewers with a moral while keeping them engaged. Muddy Matters has James transport sheep for a feature in the newspaper. The moral of this story is to always follow directions properly, as James is unable to do what Farmer McColl asks of eir. Thomas Toots The Crows has Thomas scare away the titular bird from eating Farmer McColl’s seeds, until Thomas follows a wayward pair down the track. This episode continues the trend put forth in Muddy Matters – do as one is told, and there should be no reason to worry about what one may think.
The specific episodes captured on Muddy Matters have a run time of 58 minutes when taken together, but I would contend that the inclusion of these featurettes will have children clamoring to play this release. The bonus inclusions on Muddy Matters further increase the DVD’s value. This means that there is a video included with which to sing (Go Go Thomas! Karaoke), the Guess Who? puzzle, and the Muddy Sheep Roundup game on Muddy Matters.
Online retailers have copies of Muddy Matters available for purchase for a hair under $10. If your child likes Thomas & Friends, there should be no reason why this could not be a birthday or everyday gift. Thomas & Friends will have a number of titles released this year, so keep an eye on store shelves to keep up to date. Thomas & Friends continues to truck along with fresh stories that will always keep children focused in.
Rating: 8.2/10
Thomas & Friends: Muddy Matters (DVD) / 2013 Lyons / Hit Ent / 58 Minutes /
John Sargeant, writing on NeuFutur as Sargeant, is the founder and editor-in-chief of NeuFutur Magazine, where he has covered independent music, PC hardware, consumer tech, and gaming culture since 1998. With over 25 years of continuous digital publishing experience, he has written thousands of hands-on game and record reviews, conducted in-depth hardware field testing, and analyzed digital media monetization trends. His work prioritizes first-hand evaluation and long-term product testing.
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