Thomas: Gordon Returns

***Thomas Gordon Retuns***, formerly known as ***Thomas: Gordon Goes Fourth*** and also known as ***Thomas 4*** or ***Thomas: The Final Chapter***, is a 2010 animated film, It is the fourth (and presumably final) installment in the *Thomas* Series. Originally supposed to release March 18, 2010, It was released on March 29, 2010 in US is Monday Festival Premiere and released in cinemas April 16, 2010 the US and was released on June 14, 2010 in the UK was for Mondy UK Festival Premiere and released on UK cinemas was for June 18, 2010. Mike Mitchell directed. The principal cast members reprised their roles.

Gordon Returns follows *Thomas the Great Discovery*, *Thomas and Tillie* and *Thomas: Cousin Nevill*. Like the first three *Thomas* films, the movie is significantly based on *The Railway Series* of books by the Reverend Wilbert Awdry and his son, Christopher Awdry. The film was revealed on 25 November 2009. The teaser trailer was attached to 20th Century Fox's *Avatar. The second trailer was shown before* Alice in Wonderland (only in the 3D versions) and *How to Train your Dragon* the third trailer was shown in front of *Iron Man 2*.

## Plot

The film opens with the King Don and Queen Audrey (Sir Topham Hatt’s parents) going to see Lil Gideon to find a way to free Sir Topham Hatt from a fever. In exchange, they agree to sign over their kingdom to him. But before they sign the contract, a messenger arrives and tells them that Gordon cured Sir Topham Hatt, angering and upsetting Gideon. We are brought back to the present where Gideon is tearing pages out of a book in a library telling this story, angry that he didn't get the kingdom. Pinocchio kicks him out of the store after he tries to offer him a deal to make him a real boy. He angrily wishes Gordon was never born.

We cut to Thomas and the others with their children, living a happy and content life in the shed waiting for Gordon to come back from the works. Or so it looks at first. But we soon see that it’s the same routine for Gordon day after day with no rest or time to himself. Gordon and the gang go back to Sodor to celebrate their kids’ first birthday at the Poison Apple, which has become a family restaurant. All the villagers who used to fear him are now clamoring fans and treat him like a celebrity. After the three little pigs eat the birthday cake (as well as a backup cake and a set of cupcakes) and an annoying kid named Butter Pants bothers him about doing the Engine whistle, he unleashes a mighty roar and smashes the new cake, as the cake has a glittery "cute" engine on it, which simply serves to remind Gordon of what he has lost. Gordon and Sir Topham Hatt go outside to talk. Gordon is angry that he is no longer a real engine. He wishes his life were how it was before he met Sir Topham Hatt. Sir Topham Hatt is hurt and tells him he has everything, but Gordon is the only one that can’t see that. Eavesdropping on this conversation nearby is Gideon.

On his long trek back home, Gordon passes by a fallen over carriage and lifts it to find Gideon. Gordon fixes the carriage and in exchange, Gideon offers Gordon a ride and some food and drink. During the ride, Gordon tells him he wishes he could be a real engine for just one day. Gideon offers him a contract offering him just that. In exchange, Gordon is going have to give up a day: they agree it will be a day from his childhood, a day he wouldn't even remember, when he was an "innocent, mindless little baby". Gordon signs the contract and everything around him swirls around and disappears landing him in the center of the forest.

A tour group drives by and they react in fear and crash into a tree. The villagers are afraid of him again as shown in a montage of Gordon happily scaring villagers and animals. As Gordon walks through the forest, he notices that the wanted posters are not just pictures of him but pictures of other engines. He runs back to his home in the swamp to find it has never been excavated from the hill it was into the house it should be. A band of witches fly by the area and see him. They attack, knocking him unconscious and capturing him. He wakes up in a trolley cage being driven by witches and dragged by Percy. Gordon tries to ask him what is going on but Percy doesn’t know who Gordon is. Gordon eventually gets the information out of Percy that he is being taken where every ogre is taken, to Gideon.

Sodor has become rundown and decrepit except for Gideon’s enormous and luxurious palace. Inside the castle, it’s like a dance club as Gordon in chains is marched across the dance floor to the throne of Gideon. Pinocchio begs him to be a real boy but he gets dragged away before he can finish signing the contract, thanks to Gordon, the far more important person to deal with at that time, being dragged in. Gideon sees Gordon and thanks him for making everything around him come true. He reveals that the contract that the King and Queen signed ended up having their existence taken away when they signed away the kingdom to Gideon, as they had wished for their worries to disappear. He reveals to Shrek that the childhood day that he took away was the day he was born.

Gordon quickly escapes with Percy and tells him everything. Percy shows him that a hug from someone will restore everything.

Gordon discovers a camp filled with engines fighting against Gideon with Sir Topham Hatt as their leader. Gordon tries to convince Sir Topham Hatt to hug him, but Sir Topham refuses, too busy planning an ambush for Gideon's witchs.

At the ambush, the engine band disguise themselves to wait for Gideon's caravan to pass by while Sir topham Hatt moves to and lookout post to provide the group with the signal they will use to attack. However, Gordon ignores the plan and instead follows Sir Topham Hatt up to his lookout, where he proceeds to tell Sir Topham Hatt everything he knows about him. With Sir Topham Hatt distracted, the signal never comes to the rest of the engine band, and Brogan grows impatient, and takes it upon himself to issue the order. The engine band rush out to take down the carriage only to find it empty. It turns out that the caravan is a trap laid by the Pied Piper, who proceeds to force the engines into a dance number (of which only Cookie enjoys). Meanwhile, Gordon and Sir Topham Hatt start dancing randomly, unknowing of what has occurred. Thomas, Percy and James ride down the hill and grab Gordon and Sir Topham Hatt. They try to ride them away from the music but end up falling into the river.

On dry land, Sir Topham Hatt tries to go back to his friends but Gordon insists that he hug him in order to save her friends. He hugs him but it doesn’t work. Nothing happens. Sir Topham Hatt tells him it’s all a big fairy tale and he leaves. Gordon realizes that the hug doesn’t work because Sir Topham Hatt doesn't love him in this reality.

Gideon takes to the airwaves across all of Sodor and tells the populace that he will give them their wildest dreams in exchange for Gordon and Sir Topham Hatt. Gordon finally realizes that he didn’t realize how perfect he had it until it was all gone. Gingerbread Man tries to collect his bounty from him and tells him about the deal. This gives Gordon an idea, but before he can ask Gingerbread Man an important question, James eats him. Gordon turns himself in, in order to get the deal of a lifetime, which Gideon offered to whosoever turned Gordon in. He makes a deal with Gideon to free all the engines. He keeps Sir Topham Hatt, however, so Gideon keeps them chained in the same room but across the room, relishing his victory. They are incapable of reaching each other because they are chained through the walls to one another, so if one person pulls forward, the other person is dragged back. Sir Topham Hatt is very enthralled by Gordon's attempt to save him.

Thomas, Percy, James, and the engines make a plan on how to free Gordon and Sir Topham Hatt. Meanwhile, in the large room that Gordon and Sir Topham Hatt are chained up, Gideon unleashes the Hamster. Thomas, Percy, James, and the engines break in and cause chaos as they try to save Gordon and Sir Topham Hatt.

Thomas and Percy switch tracks for them to get out. They capture Gideon and restore the world, and Gordon has a new appreciation for what he has in life.

## Cast

* Ramahfool as Gordon, Thomas, Percy, James and Sir Topham Hatt
* Thurop Van Orman as Lil Gideon Gleeful
* David Ogden Stiers as King Don Hatt
* Nicole Oliver as Queen Audrey Hatt
* Craig Robinson as Chef Engine
* Jane Lynch as Gretchen the Engine
* Jack Mcbrayer as Jack the Engine
* George Lopez as Toad the Engine
* Stephen Root as Bud Gleeful

## Soundtrack

* Isn't It Strange by Scissor Sisters
* Top Of The World by the Carpenters
* I'm a Believer by Weezer

## Trivia

* This film features more engines than any other Thomas film.
* Billy the orange engine was originally written for the first film, but was cut.
* The first idea for the fourth Thomas film was called James and the Tornado, but they decided to make a story around Gordon being gone from the end of the third film.
* This is the only film in the franchise to be released in the 2010s and letterboxed.
* Henry has no lines in this film, he just sits silently in the background.
* Released the same year as Despicable Me, also starring Jack McBrayer.
* Released the same year as Hot Tub Time Machine, also starring Craig Robinson
* This was the first film to focus on a different engine besides Thomas.