The Gang of Five
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Messages - Sovereign

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2281
Saurus Rock: Member Hall of Fame / Fanfiction voting 2016
« on: December 01, 2016, 04:31:26 PM »
Name of fanfiction: Shorty's Dark Past
Rating: 8.5/10
Review: It was a very good idea to recover the highly wasted potential of LBT 10. The premise of the film (and thus the story) is a great one but whereas the film went only for a decent direction, this story shows the film mostly as it should have been. This version of the film's story is supreme in every way, greatly deepening its conflicts and characters.

I really like the depth of the character interactions in this fic. Actually, the plot isn't all that complex but the relationships between the characters carry the story nicely. The writer has caught their emotions, pasts and thoughts spot-on and their motivations and conflicts are clear. Shorty's handling is probably my favorite thing here as even with Cho's beating and aftermath, I couldn't really blame him even if the deed was inexcusable. I always admire scenes where the writer doesn't really tell the reader to hate the "villain" even when things aren't going that well.

This story is excellent as a whole but there isn't any single scenes or characters that really stand out. The fic is a solid, very enjoyable story but there aren't any single aspects to this story that really help the fic take the final step to being truly awesome. Also, I'm still not sure whether I think that the Littlefoot/Ali pairing is truly needed.

Shorty's Dark Past shows that what the LBT films could be with reasonable changes. It is a great fic on its own right but it also shows that the plots in themselves don't have to be that dramatic or complex to create a solid, enjoyable story. I'll look forward to seeing how Shorty will begin to redeem himself and how you plan to fix the film's ending.

2282
1988 Theatrical Release / Cera's growing bond with the gang
« on: December 01, 2016, 11:16:08 AM »
That's a good question. Her motives are quite ambivalent most of the movie. I never got the feeling that Cera actually disliked the Gang (other than occasionally Littlefoot). Even when the two first met, Cera's expression isn't really angry or hostile. It becomes that way only when her dad shows up. At the pond, even if she tried to chase Littlefoot away at first, she didn't seem to mind his presence afterwards.

When Cera joined the Gang, it's clear that she was mostly interested in trying to promote her own bravery. It's anyone's guess whether she only wanted mutual protection or whether she actually cared about the others (at this point mainly Littlefoot, we don't know if she had met the others off screen before). Her reluctance to accept Spike didn't show too much empathy or valuing others' lives though. At this point, I think Cera cared little about the others. I know it's a deleted scene but I still think it's feasible to reference it.

After the narrator scene (There had never been such a herd before...), I think she's a bit more willing to continue with the others. She is as mean as ever but at this point she follows the others but it's unclear if she actually trusts in Littlefoot's guidance. Even if she didn't realize it, Cera must have had some subconscious liking to the Gang at this point as the sleeping scene shows. If the Gang had been mere annoyances to her, she probably wouldn't have joined the others in moving to Littlefoot. She swallowed her pride in order to follow the Gang. If she heavily disliked even Littlefoot, I wouldn't have seen this happening.

Cera knew about the Sharptooth all along. Even if she believed in Littlefoot's direction, there's a chance she followed them to see that they wouldn't be killed.  When the attack came, she probably thought that there was a chance to make the others follow her lead and earn their respect. She wanted to be the leader and while she was far from friendly, she begun to care about their opinion on her. It's far from clear, though. Cera could be seen as caring about nothing than herself and power if there wasn't that scene after the tar pit scene.

Reasons to her reactions on the events may be more complex but I think it's clear that she deeply regretted it. As you pointed out she was happy to see the others (whether because they were them or because they were alive at all). If the Gang (and her deeds) meant nothing to her, she would have probably left, not caring in the least what happened to the others. The fact that she returned is at least to me an implication that she, at least internally, had accepted her failure and that she was willing overcome her faults in order to rejoin the Gang.

2283
Saurus Rock: Member Hall of Fame / Fanfiction voting 2016
« on: November 29, 2016, 04:24:17 PM »
Name of fanfiction: Songs of the Hunters
Rating: 7.5/10
Review: I find this story very hard to rate correctly. It expands the Hunters series greatly but if it were a solitary story, it wouldn't work that well. The overall premise of showing us the Pack's future and its handling are nice but, in the end, I find this fic lacking the substance of the original.

The ending is a good example. The events leading to it were created very cleverly, building a very complex situation based on misunderstandings and mistrust. However, I found the resolution to it a bit lackluster. I thought the situation was sure to escalate further and the peaceful resolution was quite a surprise. Much of the later story was dedicated to building the scene which eventually produced no changes to the Pack's status quo. Likewise, Biter and Datum's friendship was greatly written and the characters were fleshed out but in the end it just seemed a bit hollow, producing the same result as with Littlefoot and Shorty.

I enjoyed most of the aspects in the story. The flashbacks were interesting (struggling with instincts can be a hard battle) and the Pack's interaction with their children funny. The meeting of Littlefoot and his sister was done well and Sauria's gang brought a welcome aspect to the Pack's lives. It was nice to see what the future would bring to them as was the introduction of their offspring.

This was a decent addition to the Seven Hunters continuity but not something that matches the depth of the original or Mender's Tale. The writer clearly had great ideas for this story and he managed to build them as well as ever but the resolutions and meanings of the many plots robbed the story of some of its impact. Thus far I'm happy to see that many of the problems that were present in the Songs of the Hunters have been corrected in the Mender's Tale.

2284
General Land Before Time / Rob Paulsen
« on: November 29, 2016, 03:41:23 PM »
I'll go with Rinkus even if Paulsen did good job as Strut too. I just prefer Rinkus as a character.

2285
Saurus Rock: Member Hall of Fame / Fanfiction voting 2016
« on: November 28, 2016, 04:55:55 PM »
Name of fanfiction: Mender's Tale
Rating: 9/10
Review: This is a very decent continuation to the Seven Hunters continuity. The quality of writing and handling of characters are as great as before but I find it suffering from a somewhat slow plot. That is at times quite tangible but thus far the fic has managed to stay interesting and continually expanding the writer's take on LBT universe.

I'm saying this: with a less capable writer and worse new characters, this wouldn't have worked. However, Mender/Violet's pack has been an extremely interesting addition to the already impressive number of new characters in the Hunters series. The slight problem I have with this story is that it mostly lacks the grand, emotionally thralling narrative of the original story. As I said, the great dialogues and the clever plot twists are still there but the phenomenal grip on the reader is not.

But as my rating shows, this is still an awesome story. Dodger's pack works very well and the fic has managed to make them more complex and interesting few stories or even actual books can. Also, the realistic handling of the fastbiter culture is really impressive. Especially the two "Conflicts, civil and otherwise chapters" were unbelievably well done, simultaneously managing to build tension, great interactions between the characters and even tending in depth to each character's individual thoughts. That's some really great stuff.

That being said, I still enjoy the new continuity you've created inside the LBT. Mender's Tale is a worthy addition to the two other stories. Thus far, not counting some slower scenes (like the early Arial-Nahoda parts and the last chapter) this story has been additional proof of the writer's abilities in writing, this time with creating new aspects in the Pack's relationship with each other and other packs. It could have been a bore with worse writing but it surely isn't. I'm sure the story's future will be just as great.

2286
Saurus Rock: Member Hall of Fame / Fanfiction voting 2016
« on: November 27, 2016, 04:28:23 PM »
Name of fanfiction: To Tread Upon Fields Afar
Rating: 9.5/10
Review: Truly amazing fanfiction... Perhaps more so than any other fic, this story has created brand new characters, locations and storylines which are a great extension to LBT universe. It is written brilliantly and the mix of the new and old characters was a great touch in the last few chapters.

Starting with the many positive things, places like Forest of Sand and the High Haven really brought me a sense of adventure, providing us with new, memorable places to the LBT universe. The complex relationships between the three main characters are mostly very decent and their meeting with Cera and Chomper is just great. I really found characters like Lyko, Rachi and Rear/Still well-written and supporting the plot very well. In addition to those points, the high quality of writing and pacing help this story stand out. This is the fic farthest from the "actual LBT" but you've really created a believable extension to that world.

I must admit, I found Zaura extremely annoying at first but she has grown a lot on me since. One other worry I have with the fic is the premise of Rainbowfaces taking over the Valley. Thus far it's okay but I'm a bit concerned of what they'll find there... I'd like to point out the handling of Ruby in the last chapters. In the flashback, Ruby just left the Valley without telling anyone except Chomper? And Cera doesn't really care what happened to her? It's just a minor detail but I found that quite disturbing.

I'd really like to give this story full 10 but I'm still reserving that spot for The Seven Hunters. To Tread Upon Fields Afar is an awesome story and adventure and it holds much promise in the future as well. I truly cannot foresee which path the story will take and I'm eager to find out what will happen in the Scar.

2287
Saurus Rock: Member Hall of Fame / Fanfiction voting 2016
« on: November 26, 2016, 02:49:17 PM »
Name of fanfiction: The Swimmer Trials
Rating: 8.5/10
Review: I've found The Swimmer Trials kind of hit-and-miss. It's mostly great but I have to point out certain problems. Some scenes are excellent while some are quite slow and don't really advance the main storyline. Some of the elements in this story are quite unnecessary while some feel a bit forced. Fortunately, most of the things in the story thus far are very good.

First for the negative things I pointed out. Maybe it's just me but I never was really interested in Ducky's relatives on Big Water. Also, chapters like the one with Shorty doing the Big Longneck Test had little to do with the story and the cameos of Tippy and other side characters weren't really needed. This fanfic has been an uneven ride: sometimes it's as simply amazing while sometimes it's not that captivating. But these problems are quite small when compared to the great things about Swimmer Trials.

The overall premise of the story is excellent. I'm looking forwards to seeing how the climax works out. You've done very well developing the semi-OC:s like Ruphus and Ducky's siblings as well as Through. Perhaps my favorite thing about the Swimmer Trials is Swayer. I simply love his scenes and I cannot but feel sorry for the poor swimmer. Hopefully we'll see more of him. Also, the whole Killer Storm part was fantastic.

Thus far, this has been a great story. While it may have fallen to inconsistencies in pacing and wandering in unneeded parts, there has always been enough to keep me waiting for the next chapter. For now, I'm really looking forward to seeing what is going to happen next. Thus far the good guys have had an amazing luck but we'll see how long it'll last. As far as I've understood, this fic is far from over.

2288
LBT Projects / LBT Fanfiction readings on YouTube
« on: November 25, 2016, 06:38:21 AM »
This is an awesome idea. I'd definitely want to see this happen even though I'm not sure if my voice would be suitable for this... These fanfics deserve more attention.

2289
General Land Before Time / Don Bluth's New Indigogo Campaign
« on: November 21, 2016, 04:52:30 AM »
Actually, the pitch presentation is almost finished. I'd expect it in the next 1-2 months  :) Also, the new perk looks really cool but I'm not sure whether I'll get it... 125 dollars is a high price.

2290
General Land Before Time / Sequel Predictions (past and future)
« on: November 20, 2016, 11:34:18 AM »
This might be extremely far-fetched but there's a new update on LBT Facebook channel after 5 months. Even if it's just a commercial from another movie, it's still nice to know the page isn't dead.

2291
1988 Theatrical Release / A remake could actually happen.
« on: November 17, 2016, 05:05:27 PM »
I very well might... But their style is very different from original LBT or other Bluth films. I wouldn't want to see Zootopia-inspired LBT remake.  :p

2292
1988 Theatrical Release / A remake could actually happen.
« on: November 17, 2016, 04:54:30 AM »
Well, there might be some more violence and mature themes in those films but I still wouldn't call those dark as their overall tone still is quite lighthearted and they're pretty comic. (I wasn't really thinking about live-action, they're pretty different from animated films). That being said, I haven't seen most of the films you mentioned. But we're drifting off-topic once again.  :oops

2293
1988 Theatrical Release / A remake could actually happen.
« on: November 16, 2016, 06:25:07 PM »
Just asking, what children's films these days would you actually call "dark"?

2294
1988 Theatrical Release / A remake could actually happen.
« on: November 16, 2016, 05:10:32 PM »
As much as I'd hope, I don't think we'll see another LBT film from Bluth. For now, I'm just hoping that the Dragon's Lair's will be a great film. Even if that's the case, it's unlikely that Universal just calls Bluth and offers him a chance to resurrect the franchise. Nothing's impossible though...   ;)

2295
General Land Before Time / Lessons from LBT 14
« on: November 16, 2016, 05:05:59 PM »
The problem with most of the sequels is that they don't really establish anything new. JOTB for example basically is just a trip to the mountain and back and the lesson is something thar was already covered in the first movie. Also, they have usually lacked Bluth's overwhelming emotional drive. The ideas aren't bad per se as you have showed in Shorty's Dark Past. LBT 10 could have been a great film if it had developed the characters more, especially their complex relationships. As it is, it's mostly just lackluster. Don't get me wrong, I still love most the sequels but it's almost sad to think how much more they could be...

Bluth managed to struck the perfect tone for the universe. I kinda still think of it as a dying world with a few sanctuaries here and there to support life. Of course the sequels showed that things are getting better and I don't really know which vision is better. What the series really needs is a sense of threat in the Mysterious Beyond. I mean, in the Meadow of Jumping Waters the Gang just marches out of the Valley without good reason? When they know there are sharpteeth? Hmm... There was this fanfic Journey of a Forgotten Past that sums up what I mean with this comment.

Of course, the sharpteeth aren't the only thing that needs to be improved. The spiritual part of the first film is something I've been wanting to see in the sequels. LBT isn't really a supernatural series but a few nods to that direction could work. What I don't like to see is the Rainbowfaces returning. They worked well in one film but if they return and let everyone know that they're aliens...    :cry

2296
General Land Before Time / Sequel Predictions (past and future)
« on: November 15, 2016, 07:08:08 PM »
I don't know about a next gen... it would be too obvious. I think Fyn's To Tread Upon Fields Afar strikes a great balance between the new and the old while staying in LBT feel. Of course it's too bloody for Universal but it and Rhombus' Hunters series are some of the great demonstrations of LBT universe's potential. That said, I'm not sure if we need completely new characters but if they're handled as well as Fyn does, I'm open for anything.

2297
General Land Before Time / Sequel Predictions (past and future)
« on: November 15, 2016, 06:17:19 PM »
It is far from perfect. However, It was one of the better LBT sequels. The animation was mostly great and the songs enjoyable. . I especially liked Today's the Day. But hopefully there will be a 15th movie... I'll be very sad if this is the end.  :(

2298
1988 Theatrical Release / A remake could actually happen.
« on: November 15, 2016, 04:52:19 PM »
It would be... akward, to watch Pixar films on traditional animation, though.  :D I'm not sure I'd like that either but the style's my major problem.

2299
General Land Before Time / Sequel Predictions (past and future)
« on: November 15, 2016, 03:54:25 PM »
[ I don't consider it very likely that there'll be a LBT 15 movie one day.]

Why is that? It isn't clear if JOTB was a flop... how long did it previously take for Universal to announce a new film?

The quote button doesn't seem to be working...

2300
1988 Theatrical Release / A remake could actually happen.
« on: November 15, 2016, 03:19:56 PM »
I know many people love Pixar but I just don't like their artistic style or their plots. I admit that Toy Stories are objectively good as films but they just don't work for me. Bug's Life and Incredibles on the other hand... nope. I admit that I haven't seen their other films.

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