To be honest, I'm not really a fan of playing "favorites" when it comes to something like this.Totally understandable. I tended to make my scale based on what I hoped the movie could/would be (with general regards to what I consider quality), compared to what it actually was. Everyone here is probably using different criteria for their "Scores" so it's a tricky survey anyway :p
To be honest, I'm not really a fan of playing "favorites" when it comes to something like this.I guess I could also say I don't want to rank the worst. :P:
To be honest, I'm not really a fan of playing "favorites" when it comes to something like this.Neither am I. I rarely use superlatives. I hope it is okay when instead of numbers I give a few words on the sequels which may tell more than numbers can.
The case of LBT 12 seems very similar. Again sharpteeth were just for entertainment and again there were many implausible scenes. Guido was an interesting character, but I'm not sure it is necessary to have one new character for every sequel just to abandon that character without any further explanation. With regard to this it may be a positive development that with Tricia they had a character returning for the first time since LBT 5. Still the overall impression of the movie is that it is more exclusively made for a younger audience than the earlier LBT movies were.According to this (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Land_Before_Time_XII:_The_Great_Day_of_the_Flyers) Wikipedia article, LBT 12 was the first LBT film regarded as a "tween" film, which may explain why you feel the way you do about LBT 12.
Many people don't think very high of LBT 3. Perhaps we are a little harsh on the movie.
Logic failures such as a tsunami rolling from the shore towards the open sea or lack of explanations (how did the gang get onto that log after they rolled it over the cliff?) did not occur in Roy Alan Smith's movies.
mostly because it's the only LBT film I don't own outside of LBT 14 and therefore I don't remember much of it?
True, true. I just never had the time and motivation to try it.mostly because it's the only LBT film I don't own outside of LBT 14 and therefore I don't remember much of it?
You can always watch it in internet(?) and give it proper actual rating?
One of these days I'm gonna watch all the movies and rank them. It's been awhile.You should definitely do it! Leave behind a record for posterity's sake.
Indeed. That's one of the reasons I've enjoyed reviewing the series since I joined the forum. Even as some of my opinions have changed since then, but that's part of why I like having an archive of how I felt at the time.One of these days I'm gonna watch all the movies and rank them. It's been awhile.You should definitely do it! Leave behind a record for posterity's sake.
I notice your second-highest score is a 7.5. Those are some standards, if I do say so myself.Indeed. That's one of the reasons I've enjoyed reviewing the series since I joined the forum. Even as some of my opinions have changed since then, but that's part of why I like having an archive of how I felt at the time.One of these days I'm gonna watch all the movies and rank them. It's been awhile.You should definitely do it! Leave behind a record for posterity's sake.
:cerahappy
Anyway, I'll admit that the first film is the only one I truly love. But for the most part I did enjoy the rest of the series.
- 10/10: The Land Before Time
- 6.5/10: The Great Valley Adventure (Original rating: 6/10)
- 7/10: The Time of the Great Giving
- 7.5/10: Journey Through the Mists (Original rating: 7.25/10)
- 7.5/10: The Mysterious Island (Original rating: 7/10)
- 6.5/10: The Secret of Saurus Rock
- 7/10: The Stone of Cold Fire (Original rating: 6.5/10)
- 7.25/10: The Big Freeze (Original rating: 6.75/10, then 7/10)
- 4/10: Journey to Big Water
- 7.5/10: The Great Longneck Migration
- 4/10: Invasion of the Tinysauruses
- 6/10: The Great Day of the Flyers
- 4/10: The Wisdom of Friends
- 5/10: Journey of the Brave
I also rated each of the TV episodes:
I feel like some of these might change again over time. And I mentioned before that I think I was being a bit too hard on Journey of the Brave the first time around, but for now that's where it is for me.
There's plenty of other movies and video games etc. where I have given out 8/10 and 9/10 scores. It's not unheard of for me. It happens quite a bit actually. It just didn't happen with Land Before Time.Ah, okay.
If I am being completely honest though, my love for Land Before Time revolves around the first film more than anything. The first film alone is what made me a fan, and I would still be a fan of that one movie even if the rest of the franchise had never existed. Back when I first joined the forum, I was even reluctant to check out the sequels because I already knew that they weren't like the original and I was worried that they just wouldn't measure up.
And... well, they didn't. The other forum members convinced me that I should give them a try anyway, and I'm happy I did. The sequels and TV series still have a charm of their own. But, imo, nothing that comes close to the brilliance that Don Bluth and his team attained.
It's okay. If you know me I would never get upset about that. Anyway here are my ratings
As to why I rated the 13th movie a 1, it’s because it did manage to give me chuckles for some reason. Although due to the yellow bellies being my most hated LBT character (seriously Universal, you used professional voice actors who won many awards star as the yellow bellied?!), I gave this movie a 1. Sorry if that upsets you… :ChomperEww
I'm not the biggest fan of number ratings as a whole, I prefer discussion, but hey, this seems like a fun thing to think about for a bit. I also haven't rewatched 12-14 in a while, so I've omitted them.What about 12, 13, and 14? Haven't watched them yet, or the post exceeded the maximum word count length?
1: 10/10. Absolutely a fantastic film that could only be improved by reversing some of the cuts and edits made, such as Littlefoot finding the Great Valley prior to going back for his friends. This film really stands in a world of its own compared to the sequels, and I generally believe that comparing it to the sequels isn't the fairest thing. The Bluth movie is in a league of its own.
2: 7/10. I have fairly mixed feelings about this movie. It's not my favorite rewatch as the sequels go, but nor is it poor. The story is competent, setting up Littlefoot's insecurities about being so young before introducing Chomper as a vehicle for the overall theme (and marketing cute baby tyrannosaurus plushies). Ozzy and Strut, while largely benign, are certainly memorable characters with a dare I say iconic song. Very much an immediate contrast with Sharptooth from the first film. Really, I do like to imagine a world where the point of the movie overall is contrasting the original Sharptooth with Chomper and his parents, and how that effects Littlefoot as a character. That yes, some sharpteeth are vicious and possibly psychopathic, but some are also family units, just like the leaf-eaters, and they gotta eat too ultimately. I like 2/3 of the songs. Peaceful Valley is great, Eggs is iconic, You're One of us Now is lyrically baffling and just kinda mediocre in my book.
3: 8/10. I've really grown to appreciate this movie over the years. I liked it as a kid, was bored by it rewatching as a teen, and now as an adult, I think it's a genuinely very good story to present to both kids and adults. It's also what I'd consider the start of Topps' "arc" of sorts, which is picked up in movie 11. Hyp and co are stereotypical bullies, yeah, but at the same time, Hyp conveys a lot about how parenting can effect a kid. He's venting his frustration and fear of his father in a very unhealthy way, and it's nice to see that he's both not demonized and gets to see a hopeful ending. The way Topps' problem with yelling at Cera is tied in with Hyp's issues hits me hard, and I can imagine parents seeing that while watching with their kids and going, "You know, the triceratops may have a point." Certainly while growing up, I knew kids with parents that yelled, even though they clearly cared, and I just appreciate that that's tackled with some level of nuance. I know a lot of people hate Topps in this movie, but I consider him a vital character specifically because he's so abrasive and stubborn, yet not in an unbelievable way. Also, I very much enjoy all of the songs in this movie, compared to 2/3 in 2. Kids Like Us is a little unnecessary, but very touching.
4: 5/10. It's not bad, but I don't entirely understand the adoration this movie has. Part of that might be because it was one of the sequels I saw the least as a kid, but I've watched it several times now and I just don't quite get it. It's not awful, not at all, but man, I'm not an Ali fan and we see a lot of her in the movie. I just don't see the nuance that I see in 3 here. Ali is a bigot and quite literally afraid of Littlefoot's friend. She mostly gets over it when Littlefoot is in danger. She entirely gets over it by the end and sings a whole song about not being bigoted. It's perfectly functional, sure, but I dunno, I prefer a less on-the-nose approach. If you're gonna have Ali be genuinely afraid, then I'd like some of that residual fear to remain, at least for a while. As in, she's working on it, she's not entirely "cured". Also, I just don't like any of the songs. It Takes All Sorts is probably the best, but it's so drawn out and on-the-nose. Some of it is lovely, and then some of it is just droning. Grandma's Lullaby is okay, but again, drawn out, and the voice actress is doing her best, but clearly struggling with the vocals. Who Needs You is an abomination and possibly the worst song in the entire franchise. Dear God, I forgot to talk about Ichy and Dil. Great concept, completely inept execution. I know that all the sharpteeth in the sequels are pretty useless, but these two are just painful to witness. They're neither intimidating nor do they come close to being any kind of threat. The movie would be better without them entirely.
5: 7/10. Continuing on the vicious vs. family-oriented sharptooth train from 2. I really enjoy that Chomper's parents aren't especially remorseful about eating leaf-eaters, but at the same time, they're not unfeeling monsters, clearly. They worry for their son and don't want to hurt his friends once they see that he cares for them and they care for him. It's honestly not the most interesting of sequels as a whole, not too much I can dig into. Songs are good though. Big Water is catchy and iconic, very different, with its rock rhythms. Always There is heartbreakingly good. Friends For Dinner is aight, not much special about it, but pleasant on the ears.
6: 8/10. Very much enjoy the dinosaur western feel here. Doc is a character that I wish had been explored more, as in why exactly he wanders, what does he mean by his path was set out a long time ago, but that's not the point of the movie. The point of the movie is that Grandpa Longneck is great, and that's entirely correct, Grandpa Longneck is great and I love seeing him tell stories to the kids. I love the ending statement that Littlefoot has heroes closer to home than he realizes, hits me in the feels every time. Albeit, the movie is a little odd coming off of 5, with the whole "It's a good thing sharpteeth aren't very smart" after spending so much time with Chomper and his folks. Songs are great, Legend of the Lone Dinosaur is iconic, On Your Own is a really nice melancholy, mellow break,
7: 9/10. Here's one that you can question the morality of fairly heavily. It's always interesting to me that Ducky insists to Petrie that his uncle wasn't as mean as the other flyers when Pterano is, supposedly, the head of the group. He might not have wanted to lose Ducky, but it was his plan and reckless ambition that got her kidnapped in the first place. I like the song Good Inside in general, even if it's pretty on-the-nose. Pterano is an interesting character, in terms of how he falls into a pattern of behavior, and doesn't really entirely recover from it by the end of the movie. Yeah, he's given up on the stone, but God only knows what he'll do while banished from the Great Valley. The guy's got narcissism issues. Very much enjoyed the Rainbow Faces' presence. Beyond the Mysterious Beyond is excellent, as is the overall theme of, essentially, encouraging curiosity and discovery. Yeah, aliens in LBT is a bit odd, but it's not overbearing in the movie and does add another layer of mystery to the whole affair. I'm also probably pretty biased because this is the LBT movie I watched the most as a kid, more than the original even.
8: 10/10. This is about as good as the sequels get for me, and it mostly comes down to the Spike and Ducky family issues with support from Mr. Thicknose's arc. Ducky struggling with Spike as an adopted sibling is just a really good idea, and it's executed incredibly well. It's clear that she loves her brother, but him being different is naturally going to be a source of stress at some point. She acts like a very believable frustrated child coming to terms with being frustrated and angry. Mama Swimmer is clearly going through a lot too as these spiketails roll in and she's made to question if Spike would be better with them. She loves Spike enough that her own feelings are put aside in favor of Spike's well-being, even if it turns out in the end that Spike comes back. The ending with Spike falling into deep water and her saving him and declaring that he's her boy is just beautiful in my view. Heart-warming and definitely a wonderful thing for adoptive families to see. Family is a heart-wrenchingly beautiful song and is not appreciated nearly enough. Mr. Thicknose's arc in turn is a great example of what I like in a LBT sequel: nuance. Yes, he lies and it causes problems, but he's not a bad guy, not even coming close to Pterano. He clearly cares about the kids, even if he's initially defensive with Littlefoot. The Lesson is a song that I know a lot of people don't like, but I adore it in how it tackles the idea of wanting to belong and to be cared for and that it's okay if that need leads people, or dinosaurs, astray at times. Even good people are tempted and do things that aren't right. I like how the liar revealed trope is at least somewhat subverted, with the main characters at least not shunning Thicknose over his lies, but trying to understand him. It's just really good. Small thing, but god, I love Topps going "Oh yeah, she's mad at someone" when Cera screams during The Mad Song. It's not exactly the normal kind of family affection, but he loves his daughter, that's for sure.
9: 4/10. I don't really like this one, and, worse still, I don't have much to say about it. The whole No One Has to be Alone thing is fine in concept, but I don't find that it has a good throughline throughout the movie. It kinda appears and disappears, it's not a constant. Loneliness isn't a big issue throughout the majority of the film, the issue is getting Mo back to where he came from and his inability to know when a joke is too far. It's watchable, but not much interesting going on. No One Has to be Alone is good as a song on its own, but it doesn't have much function in the movie. Imaginary Friends and the boring song with the French name I can never remember are both so uninteresting to me. No pulse, nothing to latch onto.
10: 7/10. It's not a bad movie, but I don't really understand the love, much like 4. Bron is certainly Littlefoot's dad, but there's just not much meat on his character. He's stoic, maybe? Kinda playful, kinda fatherly, but not the strongest character. Not awful, but not great. The whole longneck migration thing is interesting, albeit, I'd be interested to know exactly the cause for the mass dreaming. Adventuring is a fine song, but I think the TV show has kinda dampened its appeal for me. Me and My Dad, very plain, not much pulse. Best of Friends, really good, albeit I don't feel it's especially earned, given that I don't find the overall story and Bron to be all that compelling. There's just not much exploration of the emotions around a situation of an estranged parent. Littlefoot's upset, but he gets over it really quickly and then he's just buddy-buddy with Bron. I'd have liked more animosity with him and Shorty and Bron's relationship with Shorty. Also, the sharptooth fights are underwhelming. Maybe it's me, but they feel waaay too easy and low stakes compared to even something like in 5. It's a perfectly functional movie, but it doesn't hold my interest.
11:8/10. Surprisingly solid film. Not the best, but some really good stuff in here regarding emotions and step-parents. I've talked about it a bit in other threads so I won't make this post any longer than it already is. Creepy Crawlies, catchy and alright. Girls and Dads, great, love the doo-wop style. If Only, kinda sappy, not awful, but doesn't entirely feel earned even if I like the general idea of using regret to improve in the future. Stupid Stompers, same as Creepy Crawlies. Basically, Cera's sub-plot is great and most everything else is take it or leave it.
What about 12, 13, and 14? Haven't watched them yet, or the post exceeded the maximum word count length?Mentioned that in the little bit above my ratings, but easy to miss. I omitted those movies because it's been a long while since I've seen them and it didn't seem fair to rank them based only on what I remember. I'll watch them sooner or later and maybe come back here with my ratings and some discussion.