Thomas & Friends contribute their own Christmas DVD for the upcoming season with Merry Christmas Thomas. This release features four episodes of Thomas & Friends with a holiday theme as well as a holiday themed bonus feature game in which Thomas must help deliver presents to all his friends, with your help of course. Join the childlike train on his many adventures as he learns and grows from making mistakes, even while operating under the best of intentions, and uses logic to help undo what he’s done wrong.

If you’ve ever read one of my reviews for Thomas & Friends you know that there are two very different types of releases for this particular franchise. On one hand you have the fantastic model sets which rely mostly on narration and camera angles and then you have this one which relies heavily on CGI. I absolutely love the old show with its model sets. It forces kids to use their imaginations and to see the world of Sodor in such a unique way. The whole CGI thing has been a bit of a deterrent when it comes to enjoying watching Thomas & Friends for review, but this particular release manages to put its heart in all the right places, and Driver Perkins remains an enjoyable intermission character.

The episodes in this release are; Let It Snow, Surprise Surprise, Percy the Snowman, and Tree Trouble. In the first episode Thomas and Gordon meet up with two other trains who convince them that if they play a game it will cause snow to come. Not only is this a good message about belief, but in the end the episode manages to offer up two lines of advice about working hard and hanging on to your beliefs no matter what. In the time frame allowed it doesn’t seem like much but that’s a pretty powerful message for kids to learn. Then in Surprise, Surprise Thomas does his best to bring fun to his friends who are stuck getting repairs and will have to miss a children’s party elsewhere. It teaches children to have the best intentions at heart towards the ones you love, but it also has a valuable lesson on asking permission and keeping things organized. Percy the Snowman is a great episode about taking your time and always remembering to be courteous. Finally Tree Trouble pretty much tackles the whole taking your time issue and being strong enough to admit your mistakes.  All in all a decent release from Thomas & Friends. Enjoy.