Song or no songs?

Daddytops2009 · **on:** April 09, 2012, 12:59:07 PM

Now while we are talking songs.

Well it's been months since I had a LBT debate and I don't own the movies anymore.

Anyway did you think the sequels should had songs?

Ghostfishe · **Reply #1 on:** April 09, 2012, 01:30:57 PM

I could've done without them, yeah. Don't get me wrong, I think some of them were really catchy, but still it just wasn't the same. "We all feel sad so let's sing about it!" just didn't have the same emotional depth we saw in some of the scenes in the first movie, and the happier songs really made it blatant that it was a movie aimed at little kids, which the original movie kindly refrained from doing.

But having grown up watching things like the original LBT, The Rats of NIMH and Watership Down when I was four and five, I doubt my tastes are especially common. And it's pretty obvious the sequels did not intend to stick to the "flavor" of the original movie. The characters and settings are the same, but in other ways it's like an entirely different franchise.

crazedwriter · **Reply #2 on:** April 09, 2012, 02:16:48 PM

Looking back on the song-less original and comparing it to the tune-filled sequels, I'd say "Please no more songs in the sequels." Of course if a song moves the plot along, is catchy and memorable, which, sad to admit, most of the LBT sequel songs are not, include it. Adding songs merely to fill in plot gaps and do not add to story and/or character development is counterproductive. If they want a song, choose one that sums up the overall theme then play it during the ending credits like the original did. I doubt TIIC see it that way 'cause they know best.

LBTFan13 · **Reply #3 on:** April 10, 2012, 12:15:51 AM

Honestly, I didn't mind the majority of the songs in the sequels. Granted, there was always one or two every now and then that I absolutely despised, but for the most part I found them catchy and enjoyable. Some of my favorite songs in any kids movie are from the sequels also, for example "Always There," "No One Has to Be Alone," and "Bestest Friends" come to mind.

I can understand why Universal decided to go in this direction with the sequels. The Land Before Time is the kids franchise with the most installments in it, something it's major competition, Disney, did not have. In order to keep up with the competition, Universal had to try and do what they did, by going with a much more family friendly tone to their movies and add musical numbers. Now granted, Disney has had some VERY dark stories in their movies, but they are best known for their sense of family friendliness, if that makes any sense.

If any more sequels would be made, it would be guaranteed that musical numbers would be included, there's no getting around it. I would say tone it down to two or if possible just one. Normally there is always one song in every movie that sticks out and really sums up the message of the whole movie. Maybe keep just that one in and things won't be so bad.

Petrie85 · **Reply #4 on:** April 10, 2012, 05:29:53 AM

I loved the songs in all the movies accept for a couple. And yeah those movies deserved songs. It's something for the kids to listen to and like. And the beats where really good.

Dr. Curzon · **Reply #5 on:** April 10, 2012, 09:26:27 AM

I don't really know. I liked the songs, but it would probably still be nice without them. Nevertheless, some of the songs were good, and made up for the bad ones.

FreckledOne · **Reply #6 on:** April 10, 2012, 01:08:55 PM

I really think that the sequels should've had only one or two songs each. I don't mind if there are a couple of songs in a movie, but if there are so many I'm afraid that it might, um, "cheapen" them. :huh:

What I mean by that is, that if there are a ton of songs in one movie, you don't really get to pay attention to them on their own. But if there are only a couple (that are widely spaced apart) you can kind of "savor" the songs and appreciate them. Think of how many of us remember "If We Hold On Together" from the original movie, and it's the only actual song in it!

I don't mean to offend those who like all of the songs, but I could probably count on one hand the songs that I liked from the sequels.

Ghostfishe · **Reply #7 on:** April 10, 2012, 04:55:39 PM

Plus, the characters don't actually sing "If We Hold On Together" (unless you assume that's Littlefoot's mother's spirit singing *ahem*)... it's still the movie's theme, but it's background music, essentially.

LBTFan13 · **Reply #8 on:** April 10, 2012, 06:58:37 PM

Quote from: Ghostfishe,Apr 10 2012 on 03:55 PM

Plus, the characters don't actually sing "If We Hold On Together" (unless you assume that's Littlefoot's mother's spirit singing *ahem*)... it's still the movie's theme, but it's background music, essentially.

That is an excellent theory, except for the fact that Dianna Ross did not voice Littlefoot's mother, she was voiced by Helen Shaver.

Having said that, it is very often that voice actors have different people sing for their character, so it's quite possible, and quite plausible, that Littlefoot's mother's spirit is singing the song. That would hold much more meaning to the story then.

Ghostfishe · **Reply #9 on:** April 10, 2012, 08:53:15 PM

Yeah... it wasn't my personal opinion, I just realized as I was typing that someone might think so, and didn't want to trod on any toes. But I'm glad you like.

FreckledOne · **Reply #10 on:** April 10, 2012, 11:17:08 PM

You know, I didn't even consider that theory! I kind of like it!

That is actually what they did in The Secret of NIMH, essentially. When Mrs. Brisby was feeding the medicine to Timmy, the song "Flying Dreams" starts, and even though it's not sung by Brisby it is still supposed to be about what she is feeling.

Dr. Curzon · **Reply #11 on:** April 11, 2012, 12:45:47 AM

It would really fit her, I'd she was singing this. It's so sweet and sad. Picture her singing it...

Petrie85 · **Reply #12 on:** April 14, 2012, 11:56:17 PM

Yes I was happy that the songs existed in these decent sequels. I like a large handful of them. How Do You Know? Is my personal favorite song. And they only good thing to come from Movie thirteen. Some of the songs had good meanings attached to them. Some songs sucked to the point that I had to mute the movie until it was over. But none the less the songs where pretty awesome and glad to have them.

Malte279 · **Reply #13 on:** April 15, 2012, 04:35:03 AM

There have been songs which I really like (e.g. "No one has to be alone", "Always there", "Bestest Friends"). Personally I'm ready to tollerate the songs which I dislike (e.g. "Who needs you", "The lesson") to get the aforementioned good songs too. Also it is a matter of taste and I know others like those songs which I don't. So I think there are more points in favor of the songs than against them. Also there have been cases in which a song could transport a message better than what might have otherwise an awkward, longwinded or repetitive dialogue. "Very important creature" for example brought Pterano's view of the world across quite well I think where another dialogue about how nobody else was seeing how good he considered himself might have been kind of annoying.

Petrie85 · **Reply #14 on:** April 15, 2012, 06:51:22 AM

That is one of the songs I never liked as much but didn't hate it tho. And I loved The Lesson it had a good meaning behind it. The elder dinosaur sang to the kids about the lies he had told them but didn't mean to tell the kids lies at all. It sent a very meaningful message to the kids I thought. Who Needs You wasn't bad it just got annoying really fast. The beat wasn't bad but it wasn't good either. I loved Things Change that is tied for my second favorite song. Good meaning and a nice background music to go along with it. I like how Cera sung that game a lot. She made some very good points during the song she had sung to the gang,

Mr Wonk · **Reply #15 on:** April 18, 2012, 10:18:20 AM

I did like and hate some of the songs in the movies. But I always thought that it was pointless having background music if they’re going to use ëSing-along' because for me that's one of the great things about the movies was the background music thanks to James Horner. It would make you happy and it would make you sad. There was no need for it to become a musical. But I did like a few songs…

Songs I did like:

Bestest Friends
Always there
Peaceful Valley
Grandma's Lullaby

There are too many songs I don’t like for me to like the whole ideal of the musical side of LBT. So I’m going to say no. God if there did do a 14th movie I bet there would use The Carpenters Sing a Song for the movie.

bushwacked · **Reply #16 on:** April 19, 2012, 06:26:09 AM

Nope, I don't really like any of the songs from the sequels. I guess there are a few I don't mind as much, like 'Truly Fantastic Me', but overall the sequels would've been better if there weren't any songs.

Malte279 · **Reply #17 on:** April 19, 2012, 07:31:58 AM

One thing that I consider a bit waste of money was the hiring of famous singers (who I assume to have been expensive) Donny Osmond and Olivia Newton-John for the singing of the songs in the closing credits of the movies 9 and 10. No offense to either singer but I prefered the version in the movie and didn't really see the point of the closing credit versions of them. Maybe it was a movie trying to get more attention from an older audience, but I doubt this to be a move sufficient to appeal to an older audience (other than the older audience assembled right here in this forum

) while the original younger target audience would probably not care too much about the closing credits being sung by these singers either. I believe that money could have been invested better.

EggStealerGirl · **Reply #18 on:** July 18, 2012, 05:02:59 PM

Well, I was glad that the first film was given very few, but as for the sequel songs themselves, I really think the musical numbers should've been made only when necessary to the plot. In other words, I really don't like the pointless song sequences in those films.