The Little Engine That Could (2011 film)

The Little Engine That Could
DVD cover
Directed by	Elliot M. Bour[1]
Screenplay by	David Koepp John Kamps Cliff Ruby Elana Lesser
Story by	David Koepp John Kramps
Based on	the book by Watty Piper
Produced by	Richard Rich
Starring	Alyson Stoner Whoopi Goldberg Patrick Warburton Jim Cummings Rodney Saulsberry Dominic Scott Kay Brenda Song Jamie Lee Curtis Charlie Schlatter Jodi Benson Corbin Bleu Jeff Bennett Khamani Griffin
Edited by	Joe Campana
Music by	Heitor Pereira
Production companies	Crest Animation Productions Universal Animation Studios
Distributed by	Universal Studios Home Entertainment
Release date	March 22, 2011 (2011-03-22)
Running time	82 minutes[2]
Country	United States
Language	English

The Little Engine That Could is a 2011 American direct-to-video animated adventure film based on the 1930 story by Watty Piper (specifically based on the 2005 illustrations by Loren Long).^[3] The film stars the voices of Alyson Stoner, Whoopi Goldberg, Corbin Bleu, Jodi Benson, Patrick Warburton and Jamie Lee Curtis.^[4]

In the magical world of Dream Land, Little Engine is a small shunter who dreams of becoming a Dream Hauler, responsible for delivering dreams to the Real World. While attempting to pull a full train of cars for Big Locomotive, she causes a traffic jam and is reminded by the Tower that she is only allowed one boxcar at a time. Encouraged by the wise Old Rusty, Little Engine continues to aspire to greater things.

In the Real World, a boy named Richard is bullied by Scott and Stretch, who steal his grandfather’s pocket watch. He runs to a park and hides inside a train, unaware that Rusty is about to depart for Dream Land. Richard’s accidental arrival in Dream Land causes the tunnel between worlds to collapse, stranding him and the trains. The Tower demotes Rusty to track-cleaner, upsetting Little Engine. Learning from Rusty of an old route over Dream Mountain, she offers to return Richard to the Real World if Rusty is reinstated, and the Tower agrees.

Little Engine and Richard set out but are nearly run down by the high-speed Evening Express, which forces them off the tracks. They press on through Mushroom Forest and a prairie, where they encounter Engine 35’s birthday train, derailed by the tunnel collapse. When the larger engines—Shiny Passenger Train, Freight Train, and Big Locomotive—refuse to believe the old tracks exist, Little Engine, Richard, and the toys aboard the birthday train decide to continue alone. The toys include Bev the clown, Hudson the sock monkey, Lou and Bud the giraffes, Jillian the ballerina, Major the toy soldier, and Ace the airplane.

The group locates the old tracks and begins climbing Dream Mountain. Crossing a rickety wooden bridge, part of the structure collapses, but Richard is saved by Little Engine and Ace. Using a railway mail pole to replace the missing rail, they finish crossing. That night, Little Engine’s leaking water tank leaves her stranded until Richard and Hudson apply her emergency brake.

A dark gray steam locomotive appears, claiming he can take the toys to the Real World. He is revealed as the Nightmare Train, an evil engine who spreads nightmares and plans to use Richard to terrorize the Real World. Richard faces hallucinations of the bullies aboard the Nightmare Train but finds the courage to resist. Ace escapes to help Little Engine, refilling her tank at a nearby tower. Richard falls from the Nightmare Train and reunites with Little Engine, who fixes her leak and chases the Nightmare Train, rescuing the others. With great effort, Little Engine climbs to the mountain’s peak, opens the portal to the Real World, and delivers the toys. Almost no time has passed when Richard returns to his school.

After saying farewell to Little Engine and the birthday train caboose, Richard stands up to Scott and Stretch, reclaiming his grandfather’s watch. The bullies are punished by the principal, while Richard reconciles with his friend Marcus and chooses to keep his Dream Land adventure secret. Back in Dream Land, Little Engine is promoted to Dream Hauler, Rusty is reinstated and honored with a ticker tape parade, and the toys find new homes in the Real World. The Nightmare Train, defeated, is left derailed on a snowbank.

Attributed to the following source:^[5]

• Alyson Stoner as Little Engine, a steam shunter engine who dreams of being a Dream Hauler and becomes close friends with Richard
• Whoopi Goldberg as Tower, a control tower who is in charge of everyone in the train yard
• Patrick Warburton as Caboose, a red caboose who is part of the birthday train
• Jeff Bennett as Red Engine, the red #35 Dream Hauler
  • Bennett also voices Hudson, a green and white sock monkey with a British accent who serves as the vice leader of the toys and Little Engine's fireman
• Mocean Melvin as Big Locomotive, a silver streamlined Dream Hauler with purple and orange stripes
• Jim Cummings as Rusty, a senior Dream Hauler and friend to Little Engine
  • Cummings also voices the Evening Express, a white streamlined Dream Hauler who pulls a fast express
• Rodney Saulsberry as Freight Train, a green and orange Dream Hauler who hauls heavy freight trains
  • Saulsberry also voices Bud, a toy giraffe. He is much less talkative compared to Lou and does not speak until near the end of the film.
• Brenda Song as Shiny Passenger Train, a yellow Dream Hauler who is very full of herself. She is one of many who was sent to help dig out the tunnel.
• Chelsea Erinne Evered as an unnamed pink and white diesel engine who gives Rusty a broom-plow in place of his cowcatcher and gives it back at the end of the film.
• Ray Porter as Nightmare Train, a black experimental steam engine with power over nightmares
• Dominic Scott Kay as Richard, a boy who is brought to Dream Land when Rusty accidentally falls asleep on the job, ripping a hole in the dream-reality continuum. Little Engine volunteers to take him home, and they become close friends.
• Khamani Griffin as Marcus, Richard's best friend.
• Michael Rodrigo and Luke Williams as Scott and Stretch, a pair of bullies who antagonize Richard in the real world.
• Jamie Lee Curtis as Bev, a female clown toy who serves as the leader of the toys and Little Engine's engineer
• Charlie Schlatter as Major, a toy soldier who often finishes his sentences with "sir". He gives up his badge to help bandage a leak in Little Engine's water tank.
• Jodi Benson as Jillian, a ballerina doll who dances when she is happy
• Corbin Bleu as Lou, a toy giraffe who forms a duo with Bud

The Little Engine That Could received a mixed to positive response.^[6][7]

Jon Lyus from HeyUGuys wrote, "It’s a perfectly fine version of the story. It is however shameless in its influence. You may know the BBC series Chuggington? Well this is virtually identical to that in looks, in fact it’s as if the Chuggington trains are on a hour long sugar high and decide to put on a play." The review gave the movie a 2.5 on a 5 point scale.^[8]

• The Little Engine That Could – the book it was based on
• The Little Engine That Could (1991 film) – the film adaptation of said book

• The Little Engine That Could at IMDb
• Trailer on YouTube