Thomas & Friends: The Great Race
Thomas & Friends: The Great Race
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Watch-outs
What this film brings
Content barometer
Violence
1/5
Mild
Fear
1/5
Mild
Sexuality
0/5
None
Language
0/5
None
Narrative complexity
0/5
Simple
Adult themes
0/5
None
Detailed parental analysis
Detailed parental analysis
ⓘ- Underlying Values
- Violence
Thomas and Friends: The Great Race is a cheerful and briskly-paced animated film, crafted for very young children. The story follows Thomas, a small blue locomotive, as he travels to represent the Island of Sodor in an international race bringing together trains from around the world. The film targets an audience of 3 to 6 years old and rests upon a colourful atmosphere, endearing characters and straightforward situations, without any marked darkness.
Underlying Values
The film's moral core is solid and well constructed: Thomas learns to accept his own strengths rather than trying to imitate the abilities of others. This message about self-confidence is illustrated with clarity and without ambiguity, making it a natural starting point for discussion after viewing. As a counterpoint, the film presents an antagonistic character who cheats to win, and his approach is clearly denounced by the narrative. Altruism is also valued through moments where a smaller character comes to the aid of a more powerful one, which reinforces the idea that brute strength is not the only form of value. Respect for authority is addressed in concrete terms: ignoring the station master's safety instructions has direct and visible consequences.
Violence
Perilous situations are present but remain within the register of animated fairy-tale for children: a train tips over at the edge of a bridge, another risks a collision after a jump, and a boiler explodes following the refusal to install a safety valve. These scenes are brief, without serious consequences shown on screen, and function as classic dramatic devices of the genre. A larger train crashes into a smaller one, which may surprise the youngest or most sensitive children. The whole remains far removed from any realistic or traumatising violence, but parents of children under 3 years old would do well to wait a little longer.
Strengths
The film succeeds in integrating geographical diversity coherent with its narrative premise: each locomotive represents a nation, which brings a welcome global dimension without ever being heavy-handed or didactic. The moral messages are embodied in action rather than stated as lessons, which is a hallmark of effective writing for young audiences. The competitive structure provides a clear framework for children discovering notions of fair play, effort and loyalty through a format they instinctively understand.
Age recommendation and discussion points
The film is suitable from age 3 onwards, and is entirely appropriate from that age for peaceful viewing. Two angles lend themselves naturally to discussion: asking the child why Thomas ultimately gains the trust of others without changing who he is, and inviting them to think about why the character who cheats does not win, even if it seemed to give him an advantage.
Synopsis
Thomas goes to the Great Railway Show and competes with some of the world's finest locomotives.
Where to watch
No verified platform for the US market yet. We keep this section updated as availability changes.
Availability checked on Apr 01, 2026
About this title
- Format
- Feature film
- Year
- 2016
- Runtime
- 1h 4m
- Countries
- United Kingdom, United States of America
- Original language
- EN
- Studios
- HiT Entertainment, Arc Productions
Content barometer
Violence
1/5
Mild
Fear
1/5
Mild
Sexuality
0/5
None
Language
0/5
None
Narrative complexity
0/5
Simple
Adult themes
0/5
None
Detailed parental analysis
Detailed parental analysis
ⓘ- Underlying Values
- Violence
Thomas and Friends: The Great Race is a cheerful and briskly-paced animated film, crafted for very young children. The story follows Thomas, a small blue locomotive, as he travels to represent the Island of Sodor in an international race bringing together trains from around the world. The film targets an audience of 3 to 6 years old and rests upon a colourful atmosphere, endearing characters and straightforward situations, without any marked darkness.
Underlying Values
The film's moral core is solid and well constructed: Thomas learns to accept his own strengths rather than trying to imitate the abilities of others. This message about self-confidence is illustrated with clarity and without ambiguity, making it a natural starting point for discussion after viewing. As a counterpoint, the film presents an antagonistic character who cheats to win, and his approach is clearly denounced by the narrative. Altruism is also valued through moments where a smaller character comes to the aid of a more powerful one, which reinforces the idea that brute strength is not the only form of value. Respect for authority is addressed in concrete terms: ignoring the station master's safety instructions has direct and visible consequences.
Violence
Perilous situations are present but remain within the register of animated fairy-tale for children: a train tips over at the edge of a bridge, another risks a collision after a jump, and a boiler explodes following the refusal to install a safety valve. These scenes are brief, without serious consequences shown on screen, and function as classic dramatic devices of the genre. A larger train crashes into a smaller one, which may surprise the youngest or most sensitive children. The whole remains far removed from any realistic or traumatising violence, but parents of children under 3 years old would do well to wait a little longer.
Strengths
The film succeeds in integrating geographical diversity coherent with its narrative premise: each locomotive represents a nation, which brings a welcome global dimension without ever being heavy-handed or didactic. The moral messages are embodied in action rather than stated as lessons, which is a hallmark of effective writing for young audiences. The competitive structure provides a clear framework for children discovering notions of fair play, effort and loyalty through a format they instinctively understand.
Age recommendation and discussion points
The film is suitable from age 3 onwards, and is entirely appropriate from that age for peaceful viewing. Two angles lend themselves naturally to discussion: asking the child why Thomas ultimately gains the trust of others without changing who he is, and inviting them to think about why the character who cheats does not win, even if it seemed to give him an advantage.
Synopsis
Thomas goes to the Great Railway Show and competes with some of the world's finest locomotives.