Why Ali wasn't in LBT 10

[Littlefoot505]

I think the answer for both Ali not being in LBT X and Shorty not being in LBT XIV is simple: Universal was just too lazy to try and put them in.

[Sovereign]

As I said in an older post, Universal's laziness with the older characters only made their job harder. Great Migration's story could have easily been built around both Ali and Shorty. As jor JOTB, Shorty's absence probably only made the screenwriting process only as Shorty serving as the Gang's guide and the longneck brothers' growing relationship would have been an easy way to built a decent story. Of course, it would have been nearly impossible to include them the later films in the cap of 80 minutes which was probably a major factor in leaving them out. 20 extra minutes would clearly have been too much.

[Littlefoot505]

As I said in an older post, Universal's laziness with the older characters only made their job harder. Great Migration's story could have easily been built around both Ali and Shorty.

Yeah, I do agree with that.

[Dr. Rex]

I think the answer for both Ali not being in LBT X and Shorty not being in LBT XIV is simple: Universal was just too lazy to try and put them in.

There were probably also story and budget-related reasons. I mean, they did have the capacity to include Littlefoot's mother in the Movie 14 prologue so the new fans would be kept up to speed. I'd imagine they remembered Ali and Shorty fleetingly, but just couldn't include them for the sake of the length and/or budget.

[NewOrder]

I've been on lockdown for 19 days and I've decided to rewatch the entire LBT series. Today was time for The Great Longneck Migration. It's incredible how after all these years this movie still fills my heart. It's hard to stop the tears listening to Bestest Friends.

I know this sequel has a lot of emotional points, but it still grinds my gears that they didn't find a way to include Ali in it. What about you guys? How do you think they should've included her?

[Dr. Rex]

I've been on lockdown for 19 days and I've decided to rewatch the entire LBT series. Today was time for The Great Longneck Migration. It's incredible how after all these years this movie still fills my heart. It's hard to stop the tears listening to Bestest Friends.

I know this sequel has a lot of emotional points, but it still grinds my gears that they didn't find a way to include Ali in it. What about you guys? How do you think they should've included her?

Honestly, I've thought about it, and it made me realize something.

This is supposed to be a story about Littlefoot reuniting with his father, first and foremost. It may not look like it in the beginning, but ultimately, that's what this film boils down to. Without that, there's no other meaningful theme or message that can be gleaned. The whole Longneck migration/solar eclipse thing is just a complex excuse to get the two of them together, as well as a red herring/smokescreen to make the twist leave even more of an impact. (Plus, since this is the tenth LBT film, I assume the crew wanted to make this commemorative movie as special and epic as possible.)

Because of that, I think Ali's inclusion in the film would've been more of a detriment, a distraction from Littlefoot and Bron's storyline, than anything else. As much as I would've liked for Ali to be in the movie, I think it might've been for the best. For example, before I thought of this, I thought Ali could've played the role of Littlefoot's love interest here, and Shorty falls in love with her too, so he and Littlefoot strike up a rivalry over her. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized how out-of-place it would seem in the overall movie. I can't imagine what kind of role Bron would've played in this scenario, how it would affect Littlefoot and Bron's relationship (whether positively or negatively), and whether it would've been beneficial or detrimental to Shorty's own character arc as the writers intended it.

There's also the issue of pacing and fulfilling time quotas for the movie. The movie needs to be 85 or so minutes, otherwise I assume it would go over-budget. How much of the film would've been sacrificed just so Ali can have a role in this? Maybe there might be a sequence or two that could be cut for her sake, but once again, this goes back to my earlier argument on how out-of-place she already would be.

With that in mind, I personally can't imagine anything that would be good for her outside of a small cameo. But that's just me, though.

[Gentle Sharptooth]

Because the writers had planned to put her in the LBT Series.

[Flathead770]

She was too busy being together with Rhett!

[Anagnos]

I've been on lockdown for 19 days and I've decided to rewatch the entire LBT series. Today was time for The Great Longneck Migration. It's incredible how after all these years this movie still fills my heart. It's hard to stop the tears listening to Bestest Friends.

I know this sequel has a lot of emotional points, but it still grinds my gears that they didn't find a way to include Ali in it. What about you guys? How do you think they should've included her?

Honestly, I've thought about it, and it made me realize something.

This is supposed to be a story about Littlefoot reuniting with his father, first and foremost. It may not look like it in the beginning, but ultimately, that's what this film boils down to. Without that, there's no other meaningful theme or message that can be gleaned. The whole Longneck migration/solar eclipse thing is just a complex excuse to get the two of them together, as well as a red herring/smokescreen to make the twist leave even more of an impact. (Plus, since this is the tenth LBT film, I assume the crew wanted to make this commemorative movie as special and epic as possible.)

Because of that, I think Ali's inclusion in the film would've been more of a detriment, a distraction from Littlefoot and Bron's storyline, than anything else. As much as I would've liked for Ali to be in the movie, I think it might've been for the best. For example, before I thought of this, I thought Ali could've played the role of Littlefoot's love interest here, and Shorty falls in love with her too, so he and Littlefoot strike up a rivalry over her. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized how out-of-place it would seem in the overall movie. I can't imagine what kind of role Bron would've played in this scenario, how it would affect Littlefoot and Bron's relationship (whether positively or negatively), and whether it would've been beneficial or detrimental to Shorty's own character arc as the writers intended it.

There's also the issue of pacing and fulfilling time quotas for the movie. The movie needs to be 85 or so minutes, otherwise I assume it would go over-budget. How much of the film would've been sacrificed just so Ali can have a role in this? Maybe there might be a sequence or two that could be cut for her sake, but once again, this goes back to my earlier argument on how out-of-place she already would be.

With that in mind, I personally can't imagine anything that would be good for her outside of a small cameo. But that's just me, though.

Honestly, I feel like had they put her in the film, she might have served a real purpose instead of being completely forgotten. This entire film's plot was simply too boring to get excited about, and it showed especially with the level of writing. I can't be the only one to think that it was probably one of the laziest in the entire franchise. From the very start, they gave us this foreshadow that the dreams the longnecks had would play a major role, but they seemed completely okay with ditching that idea before it even had a chance to take root.

We can argue that had they put her in the film, she would've become essentially useless and merely served a side role in the grand scheme of things. However, I feel like her presence would have made the movie so much more enjoyable to watch. And the talk about Littlefoot and Shorty having a quarrel about who will eventually triumph to become her mate is just ridiculous. They're children. Love is not the first thing on their mind, especially after coming to a new place in search of answers for their peculiar dreams.

Yes, the 10th film is not the best sequel there is available, but it doesn't deserve the place of being the worst sequel overall. People's opinions are not always one, and there is nothing wrong with that.

[Rhett]

She was too busy being together with Rhett!

Of course! Where else would she be? Definitely not in a stinky sequel! 

[Enchanted-Valley96]

I quite enjoyed the sequel.

They probably couldn't find a voice actress or child voice actor for him.

[NewOrder]

I've been on lockdown for 19 days and I've decided to rewatch the entire LBT series. Today was time for The Great Longneck Migration. It's incredible how after all these years this movie still fills my heart. It's hard to stop the tears listening to Bestest Friends.

I know this sequel has a lot of emotional points, but it still grinds my gears that they didn't find a way to include Ali in it. What about you guys? How do you think they should've included her?

Honestly, I've thought about it, and it made me realize something.

This is supposed to be a story about Littlefoot reuniting with his father, first and foremost. It may not look like it in the beginning, but ultimately, that's what this film boils down to. Without that, there's no other meaningful theme or message that can be gleaned. The whole Longneck migration/solar eclipse thing is just a complex excuse to get the two of them together, as well as a red herring/smokescreen to make the twist leave even more of an impact. (Plus, since this is the tenth LBT film, I assume the crew wanted to make this commemorative movie as special and epic as possible.)

Because of that, I think Ali's inclusion in the film would've been more of a detriment, a distraction from Littlefoot and Bron's storyline, than anything else. As much as I would've liked for Ali to be in the movie, I think it might've been for the best. For example, before I thought of this, I thought Ali could've played the role of Littlefoot's love interest here, and Shorty falls in love with her too, so he and Littlefoot strike up a rivalry over her. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized how out-of-place it would seem in the overall movie. I can't imagine what kind of role Bron would've played in this scenario, how it would affect Littlefoot and Bron's relationship (whether positively or negatively), and whether it would've been beneficial or detrimental to Shorty's own character arc as the writers intended it.

There's also the issue of pacing and fulfilling time quotas for the movie. The movie needs to be 85 or so minutes, otherwise I assume it would go over-budget. How much of the film would've been sacrificed just so Ali can have a role in this? Maybe there might be a sequence or two that could be cut for her sake, but once again, this goes back to my earlier argument on how out-of-place she already would be.

With that in mind, I personally can't imagine anything that would be good for her outside of a small cameo. But that's just me, though.

Honestly, I feel like had they put her in the film, she might have served a real purpose instead of being completely forgotten. This entire film's plot was simply too boring to get excited about, and it showed especially with the level of writing. I can't be the only one to think that it was probably one of the laziest in the entire franchise. From the very start, they gave us this foreshadow that the dreams the longnecks had would play a major role, but they seemed completely okay with ditching that idea before it even had a chance to take root.

We can argue that had they put her in the film, she would've become essentially useless and merely served a side role in the grand scheme of things. However, I feel like her presence would have made the movie so much more enjoyable to watch. And the talk about Littlefoot and Shorty having a quarrel about who will eventually triumph to become her mate is just ridiculous. They're children. Love is not the first thing on their mind, especially after coming to a new place in search of answers for their peculiar dreams.

Yes, the 10th film is not the best sequel there is available, but it doesn't deserve the place of being the worst sequel overall. People's opinions are not always one, and there is nothing wrong with that.

I agree that in terms of pacing and the overall plot, it would be hard to find the time or the space in the movie to fit Ali in a way that would be satisfying for the fans and that would make some sense to this sequel's main story arc.

That being said I thought about a few ways that she could be introduced. One way would be for her herd to arrive in the great valley just before the sleep stories about the eclipse began. Then the old one could be the one to tell the story about how Longnecks stopped the night circle from bringing the bright circle down upon the Earth. Littlefoot and his Grandparents would follow Ali's herd to the meteorite crash site.

Seeing Littlefoot and Ali going off on an adventure together would make Cera jealous and she and the rest of the gang would follow. The third act could still be about Littlefoot meeting Bron, with Ali falling a bit to the background.

Another way would be to have Littlefoot and the gang meet Ali as they were leaving the crash site at the end of the movie and this could serve as cliffhanger for the next movie. Instead of Invasion of the Tinysaurus we'd have something like Return to the Land of Mists with Ali having a greater roll.

PS.: I had no idea there were people who liked Rhett's character.

[Dr. Rex]

I've been on lockdown for 19 days and I've decided to rewatch the entire LBT series. Today was time for The Great Longneck Migration. It's incredible how after all these years this movie still fills my heart. It's hard to stop the tears listening to Bestest Friends.

I know this sequel has a lot of emotional points, but it still grinds my gears that they didn't find a way to include Ali in it. What about you guys? How do you think they should've included her?

Honestly, I've thought about it, and it made me realize something.

This is supposed to be a story about Littlefoot reuniting with his father, first and foremost. It may not look like it in the beginning, but ultimately, that's what this film boils down to. Without that, there's no other meaningful theme or message that can be gleaned. The whole Longneck migration/solar eclipse thing is just a complex excuse to get the two of them together, as well as a red herring/smokescreen to make the twist leave even more of an impact. (Plus, since this is the tenth LBT film, I assume the crew wanted to make this commemorative movie as special and epic as possible.)

Because of that, I think Ali's inclusion in the film would've been more of a detriment, a distraction from Littlefoot and Bron's storyline, than anything else. As much as I would've liked for Ali to be in the movie, I think it might've been for the best. For example, before I thought of this, I thought Ali could've played the role of Littlefoot's love interest here, and Shorty falls in love with her too, so he and Littlefoot strike up a rivalry over her. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized how out-of-place it would seem in the overall movie. I can't imagine what kind of role Bron would've played in this scenario, how it would affect Littlefoot and Bron's relationship (whether positively or negatively), and whether it would've been beneficial or detrimental to Shorty's own character arc as the writers intended it.

There's also the issue of pacing and fulfilling time quotas for the movie. The movie needs to be 85 or so minutes, otherwise I assume it would go over-budget. How much of the film would've been sacrificed just so Ali can have a role in this? Maybe there might be a sequence or two that could be cut for her sake, but once again, this goes back to my earlier argument on how out-of-place she already would be.

With that in mind, I personally can't imagine anything that would be good for her outside of a small cameo. But that's just me, though.

Honestly, I feel like had they put her in the film, she might have served a real purpose instead of being completely forgotten. This entire film's plot was simply too boring to get excited about, and it showed especially with the level of writing. I can't be the only one to think that it was probably one of the laziest in the entire franchise. From the very start, they gave us this foreshadow that the dreams the longnecks had would play a major role, but they seemed completely okay with ditching that idea before it even had a chance to take root.

We can argue that had they put her in the film, she would've become essentially useless and merely served a side role in the grand scheme of things. However, I feel like her presence would have made the movie so much more enjoyable to watch. And the talk about Littlefoot and Shorty having a quarrel about who will eventually triumph to become her mate is just ridiculous. They're children. Love is not the first thing on their mind, especially after coming to a new place in search of answers for their peculiar dreams.

Yes, the 10th film is not the best sequel there is available, but it doesn't deserve the place of being the worst sequel overall. People's opinions are not always one, and there is nothing wrong with that.

I agree that in terms of pacing and the overall plot, it would be hard to find the time or the space in the movie to fit Ali in a way that would be satisfying for the fans and that would make some sense to this sequel's main story arc.

That being said I thought about a few ways that she could be introduced. One way would be for her herd to arrive in the great valley just before the sleep stories about the eclipse began. Then the old one could be the one to tell the story about how Longnecks stopped the night circle from bringing the bright circle down upon the Earth. Littlefoot and his Grandparents would follow Ali's herd to the meteorite crash site.

Seeing Littlefoot and Ali going off on an adventure together would make Cera jealous and she and the rest of the gang would follow. The third act could still be about Littlefoot meeting Bron, with Ali falling a bit to the background.

Another way would be to have Littlefoot and the gang meet Ali as they were leaving the crash site at the end of the movie and this could serve as cliffhanger for the next movie. Instead of Invasion of the Tinysaurus we'd have something like Return to the Land of Mists with Ali having a greater roll.

PS.: I had no idea there were people who liked Rhett's character.

Those are actually pretty cool-sounding ideas.

I see the potential in Rhett's character...as a VILLAIN! XP

[Gentle Sharptooth]

I've been on lockdown for 19 days and I've decided to rewatch the entire LBT series. Today was time for The Great Longneck Migration. It's incredible how after all these years this movie still fills my heart. It's hard to stop the tears listening to Bestest Friends.

I know this sequel has a lot of emotional points, but it still grinds my gears that they didn't find a way to include Ali in it. What about you guys? How do you think they should've included her?

Honestly, I've thought about it, and it made me realize something.

This is supposed to be a story about Littlefoot reuniting with his father, first and foremost. It may not look like it in the beginning, but ultimately, that's what this film boils down to. Without that, there's no other meaningful theme or message that can be gleaned. The whole Longneck migration/solar eclipse thing is just a complex excuse to get the two of them together, as well as a red herring/smokescreen to make the twist leave even more of an impact. (Plus, since this is the tenth LBT film, I assume the crew wanted to make this commemorative movie as special and epic as possible.)

Because of that, I think Ali's inclusion in the film would've been more of a detriment, a distraction from Littlefoot and Bron's storyline, than anything else. As much as I would've liked for Ali to be in the movie, I think it might've been for the best. For example, before I thought of this, I thought Ali could've played the role of Littlefoot's love interest here, and Shorty falls in love with her too, so he and Littlefoot strike up a rivalry over her. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized how out-of-place it would seem in the overall movie. I can't imagine what kind of role Bron would've played in this scenario, how it would affect Littlefoot and Bron's relationship (whether positively or negatively), and whether it would've been beneficial or detrimental to Shorty's own character arc as the writers intended it.

There's also the issue of pacing and fulfilling time quotas for the movie. The movie needs to be 85 or so minutes, otherwise I assume it would go over-budget. How much of the film would've been sacrificed just so Ali can have a role in this? Maybe there might be a sequence or two that could be cut for her sake, but once again, this goes back to my earlier argument on how out-of-place she already would be.

With that in mind, I personally can't imagine anything that would be good for her outside of a small cameo. But that's just me, though.

Honestly, I feel like had they put her in the film, she might have served a real purpose instead of being completely forgotten. This entire film's plot was simply too boring to get excited about, and it showed especially with the level of writing. I can't be the only one to think that it was probably one of the laziest in the entire franchise. From the very start, they gave us this foreshadow that the dreams the longnecks had would play a major role, but they seemed completely okay with ditching that idea before it even had a chance to take root.

We can argue that had they put her in the film, she would've become essentially useless and merely served a side role in the grand scheme of things. However, I feel like her presence would have made the movie so much more enjoyable to watch. And the talk about Littlefoot and Shorty having a quarrel about who will eventually triumph to become her mate is just ridiculous. They're children. Love is not the first thing on their mind, especially after coming to a new place in search of answers for their peculiar dreams.

Yes, the 10th film is not the best sequel there is available, but it doesn't deserve the place of being the worst sequel overall. People's opinions are not always one, and there is nothing wrong with that.

I agree that in terms of pacing and the overall plot, it would be hard to find the time or the space in the movie to fit Ali in a way that would be satisfying for the fans and that would make some sense to this sequel's main story arc.

That being said I thought about a few ways that she could be introduced. One way would be for her herd to arrive in the great valley just before the sleep stories about the eclipse began. Then the old one could be the one to tell the story about how Longnecks stopped the night circle from bringing the bright circle down upon the Earth. Littlefoot and his Grandparents would follow Ali's herd to the meteorite crash site.

Seeing Littlefoot and Ali going off on an adventure together would make Cera jealous and she and the rest of the gang would follow. The third act could still be about Littlefoot meeting Bron, with Ali falling a bit to the background.

Another way would be to have Littlefoot and the gang meet Ali as they were leaving the crash site at the end of the movie and this could serve as cliffhanger for the next movie. Instead of Invasion of the Tinysaurus we'd have something like Return to the Land of Mists with Ali having a greater roll.

PS.: I had no idea there were people who liked Rhett's character.

I like the idea of a cliffhanger and a return to Valley of Mists. We waited so long for Ali to return, I expected to see her as often as we have the beloved Chomper.

There are many Rhetti or Rhettites. Like? I know someone who is Rhett’s prophet and acolyte. I speaking of you @Vojeds.

[RainbowFaceProtege]

I think the reason Ali wasn't in LBT 10 was just because there was already a lot going on in that movie. The longnecks following their sleep stories, the Gang of Four sneaking after them, Littlefoot meeting his dad, dealing with Shorty...I'm sorry to say I think Ali would've seemed rather awkwardly shoehorned in the middle of all that. Aside from just kinda being there, what would she have contributed?

[Gentle Sharptooth]

I think the reason Ali wasn't in LBT 10 was just because there was already a lot going on in that movie. The longnecks following their sleep stories, the Gang of Four sneaking after them, Littlefoot meeting his dad, dealing with Shorty...I'm sorry to say I think Ali would've seemed rather awkwardly shoehorned in the middle of all that. Aside from just kinda being there, what would she have contributed?

Ali should have had a cameo, but I agree there was a lot going on and I see why the writers focused on the Bron and Littlefoot arch. If Ali was to have a cameo, I would have as the other user suggested, placed her cameo after the defeat of the sharpteeth, and perhaps right after Bron leaves with his herd.

[RainbowFaceProtege]

I think the reason Ali wasn't in LBT 10 was just because there was already a lot going on in that movie. The longnecks following their sleep stories, the Gang of Four sneaking after them, Littlefoot meeting his dad, dealing with Shorty...I'm sorry to say I think Ali would've seemed rather awkwardly shoehorned in the middle of all that. Aside from just kinda being there, what would she have contributed?

Ali should have had a cameo, but I agree there was a lot going on and I see why the writers focused on the Bron and Littlefoot arch. If Ali was to have a cameo, I would have as the other user suggested, placed her cameo after the defeat of the sharpteeth, and perhaps right after Bron leaves with his herd.

Now, a cameo like that could've worked! It would have satisfied Ali fans if Littlefoot was given that moment to catch up with her, but at the same time, it wouldn't have been so much of a focus as to distract from the main story.

[Gentle Sharptooth]

I think the reason Ali wasn't in LBT 10 was just because there was already a lot going on in that movie. The longnecks following their sleep stories, the Gang of Four sneaking after them, Littlefoot meeting his dad, dealing with Shorty...I'm sorry to say I think Ali would've seemed rather awkwardly shoehorned in the middle of all that. Aside from just kinda being there, what would she have contributed?

Ali should have had a cameo, but I agree there was a lot going on and I see why the writers focused on the Bron and Littlefoot arch. If Ali was to have a cameo, I would have as the other user suggested, placed her cameo after the defeat of the sharpteeth, and perhaps right after Bron leaves with his herd.

Now, a cameo like that could've worked! It would have satisfied Ali fans if Littlefoot was given that moment to catch up with her, but at the same time, it wouldn't have been so much of a focus as to distract from the main story.

The question is, would Rhett have been with her?   

[RainbowFaceProtege]

The question is, would Rhett have been with her?   

Rhett didn't exist until four years later. Nice try baiting people, though!

[Gentle Sharptooth]

The question is, would Rhett have been with her?   

Rhett didn't exist until four years later. Nice try baiting people, though!

But how do we know if Rhett wasn’t with Ali four years earlier?

Not baiting, just curious if Ali did make a cameo, if Rhett would have already been with her.