So, my kids are obsessed with Thomas, but I personally can't stand the new style. I, too, was one of those kids that was put off by the weird faces, but All Engines Go completely eliminates any of the realism. The trains are all made of rubber and they can bounce around the tracks and extend their wheels like fucking Speed Racer. It makes all the moments when they suddenly become glued to the track for dramatic tension silly. They need to pull levers to change tracks directions, but they can also just hop onto the next track or do complete 180s. A tree is blocking the track, but they regularly jump over each other so they're lined up properly for the next shot. Thomas freaking off roads in one of the movies like he could have done that all along.

The lack of drivers and the Fat Controller's diminished presence also means the majority of conversations are amongst the trains themselves, and they facilitates this by having ludicrous amounts of tracks lined up all over the island. There are frequently three, four, five lanes all bunched together so the trains could realistically talk to each.

It's like, way even have them be trains at that point? They just wanted to use the brand for recognition while they make their shitty FiM knock-off. None of the personalities really transfer over. Gordon is now the adult of all the other kid trains and orders them around more than Topham Hat. And they added three new girl boss trains that are better than everyone at everything as well as an autistic train. Yes, he is literally autistic.