I don't think there's anything wrong with asking this question, given that the movie does bait at it. I'm generally in agreement with most of the thread that I think it's better overall that Petrie lives. It doesn't actively make the story worse to have him live, unlike something like Chief the dog not dying in The Fox and the Hound. That being said, taking the first movie as a standalone, it could certainly have given both Sharptooth and Petrie even more impact. Sharptooth as successfully killing not only Littlefoot's mother, but taking one of the main kids with him as he's finally killed, and Petrie for essentially being a martyr.  It's a sobering thought to imagine a story where the brutality of nature did ultimately.

But I'm just spitballing, and that kind of thing just isn't Don Bluth's style, generally speaking. Even Littlefoot's Mother dying is pretty brutal for his work in the first place, but that's very much necessary in the story. Ultimately, again, probably best that Petrie lives so we can get a happy ending with minimal asterisks and not traumatize the audience even more than they already have been.

Ooooh, I like this. A slightly different way of thinking about song opinions.

LBT 2: Peaceful Valley > Eggs > One of Us Now
LBT 3: Kids Like Us  > Standing Tough > When You're Big
LBT 4: It Takes All Sorts > Grandma's Lullaby > Who Needs You?
LBT 5: Always There > Big Water > Friends for Dinner
LBT 6: On Your Own  > The Lone Dinosaur > Bad Luck
LBT 7: Beyond the Mysterious Beyond > Very Important Creature > Good Inside
LBT 8: Family > The Lesson > The Mad Song
LBT 9: No-One Has to Be Alone > The Boredom Song > Imaginary Friends
LBT 10: Bestest Friends > Adventuring > Me and My Dad
LBT 11: Girls and Dads > Creepy Crawlies > If Only
LBT 12: Flip Flap and Fly > One of a Kind > Things Change
LBT 13: Yellow Belly Bounce > Say So > How Do You Know?
LBT 14: Look For the Light > Better Off Alone > Today's the Day > Hot and Stinky

For what it's worth, the remasters give us a little insight into how the films were animated. By messing up the illusion of life, we get to see some of the tricks used. The eyes are clearly their own layer, with the lids just being animated over them. And is Cera red underneath? Are the basic character shapes done in solid colors? I'm not an animator myself, so I'm not entirely sure why that would be a layer under her eye, but it'd be an interesting question to pose to the production teams.

We don't get a lot of behind the scenes info with the sequels, so I'll take what I can get, even if it's a silver lining on a storm cloud.

I haven't watched VII in a long time. I have it on VHS only, and all of the VHS players that I have access to are out of commission, sadly.

Something tells me the production crew was on a tight schedule for those films when it came to the animation phase. You don't leave all of those errors lying around just for the heck of it. If so, it's understandable, considering the sequels were on a yearly schedule. That said, I noticed there was a break in the annual schedule between VI (released in 1998) and VII (released in 2000). That could be another explanation behind the animation quality of the latter.

Not referring to original production crew at all, no. They did not make these errors, as they weren't in the original print, or any print until this remaster, and they did a very good job under the time constraints at hand. What's confusing to me is the remaster job, and yeah, if there was a tight schedule, I'm sure it wasn't easy, but it's bizarre to me that an error like making the meteorite yellow or editing the aforementioned scene so that Grandma's animation plays twice seem like they would take more effort to make than to not make. It's just strange and I'm curious how and why that happened. The layering errors, those I can understand much more, but really ought to have been caught in a watchover, and again, weren't present in the original.

It's especially upsetting to me because, if a Blu-ray release were to happen (very unlikely at this point), this is probably what we'd get, and that just sucks. This is what we're getting on streaming now, and that sucks. Kids and fans now are gonna see these errors where they wouldn't have before. I really love VII, and it hurts me a bit that Universal or whoever they had working on the remaster, were so seemingly careless with altering it. It's really not that big of a deal ultimately, I know, but it's a film I care about a lot, for all its faults.

I've continued to slowly make my way through the VII updated version. I've found quite a few scenes where the sound doesn't quite match up with the animation which is a bit weird. I noticed as well in the scene where Littlefoot talks to his grandparents about Pterano the animation is changed. They use Grandma's animation for the line "Oh my goodness! Here, in the Great Valley?" twice which makes her look like she's saying Grandpa's line in the previous shot... but in the original there was a different shot where it matched up with him talking. As shown below:

https://vimeo.com/632226702

More and more, I have to wonder what in God's name happened with the Stone of Cold Fire HD remaster. How do you mess that up? What was so wrong about the shot of Grandpa talking that it was edited out so that Grandma appears to speak both lines? Did anyone watch this over before it was released?

It's not quite as egregious as taking an asteroid that's specifically said to be blue and turning it entirely yellow, but it just makes me wonder more and more what happened behind the scenes. It didn't seem like most of the other movies got this kind of odd treatment. The big ones that have been edited over time seem to be IV and VII. It's a little baffling.

Yeah, the No One Has to be Alone on this album is the Donny Osmond version, directly lifted from LBT IX's credits, and I believe one of his own albums. I think it's neat that the songs have been released without extraneous sounds, but some of the re-arranged and re-sang songs are just kinda weak compared to the film versions. Most of Family's instruments are just missing, which leaves me feeling unfulfilled, even with the extended lyrics.

1. Saurolophus. Her and Ducky's phenotype just matches the closest, even just based on the crest.

2. I really do love her characterization, what little there is overall, and The Big Freeze is both a fantastic sequel and a really great showcase of who she is. She's a saurolophus, but I'd argue that her strong motherly characteristics come from maiasarus, or the good mother lizard. She's certainly a lot warmer to all of the kids than Mrs. Maia is. Not only does she love her children, including Spike, unconditionally, but she's also willing to let Spike go with the other spiketails if that's what's best for him. She's unselfish in her love, despite the fact that she was clearly going through a lot in that movie, and, on that same note, she comforts Ducky rather than allowing her own feelings to get in the way. "He will always be part of your family" and such. I wish we heard her sing more. Really appreciate Tress McNeille's performance as her, and it sucks that she seems to have been replaced recently. Family on the whole is just a song that reinforces how family oriented she really is, in what I would call a very healthy way. And God, the ending with Spike falling through the ice is just beautiful and perfect and one of the most emotional moments in the franchise. Mama Swimmer doesn't hesitate to jump in after Spike and her just saying, "Of course. He's my boy" is just wonderful. I wasn't adopted myself, but I did grow up without any boy siblings, like how it seems to be with Ducky and her biological sisters, and I think it was always special to my mom when I brought over male friends. The moment almost brings me to tears just because of how special Spike must be to Mama Swimmer, and what that scene can mean to any family, but especially ones with adopted kids. Not to say she doesn't love all her children, but, well, Spike's her boy.

I wish more had been done with her overall, but what we got was really, really good.

Who Needs You is an abomination, and the villains who sing it ain't much better.

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.

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.

As far as the first question, I really like Doc myself. I'm naturally drawn to your quiet loners who have more to them than they let on. I'd really have liked to hear Doc talk about where he's been and what he's seen from his perspective, as a point of opposition to the tall tales surrounding him. It wouldn't entirely tie in to the ideas of the movie, ie, that whether they're wholly true or not, stories are part of how we figure out who we are and how to approach the world and how to relate to others. Still, I'd have enjoyed the addition.

I don't really have much to say about his TV show appearance, though, it's always interested me that he points out that Chomper is likely to become at least something of a threat to his friends. Whether he's "mean" or not, he's a flesh-eater and he will need a lot more substantial nutrition as he gets bigger. It's not really explored much, but interesting nonetheless. Honestly, that could make for a whole story of its own, with Chomper and the gang coming to terms with the realities of the world with Doc's input and experience. Probably would need more than that, but general idea seems neat to me. Also kind of interesting that Doc was introduced the very movie after Chomper made his second appearance, and the gang even managed to get along with his parents alright there. "It's a good thing sharpteeth aren't very smart" is kind of an odd shift after we learn that they have families and can talk among each other just like leafeaters.

Also, maybe it's just me, but I'd die of happiness at a LBT character in the same loner-who-can-fight as Doc, but either a therizinosaurus or a deinocheirus. Maybe less wild west hero and more sword-master archetype, but someone with a similar attitude who's seen a lot of fights in his or her time. I like the diplodocus angle, I really do, but I can't help but imagine. Especially since I've been so disappointed with therizinosaur characters like the Yellow Bellies and Wild Arms. That's kind of another thing about Doc. Most of the new characters introduced in later movies are largely cute or comic relief, Mo, the tinysauruses as a whole, Guido. Not to say there's anything wrong with those characters, but I always liked how stoic Doc was among introduced characters. He's not exactly friendly, but he's not a threat either. He's clearly a good guy, but he's old and quiet and doesn't open up easily. It's a nice bit of variety.