I often try to refrain from saying this is one of my favorite sequels because of me being a biased Petrie fan, and I know some on the forum will disagree with me on this, but this film really showed us a side to Petrie we had never seen before, and this inspired an abundance of my LBT fanfics regarding the Flyer's family.
When we first met Petrie, he was a cowardly, flightless nobody whose attempt at being the comic relief of the first movie miserably annoyed film critics, becoming one of the most hated characters of the original movie. He was afraid of everything, even flying, and it took a big breath from Sharptooth to finally get him in the air for the first time in his life. The sequels slowly improved his character over the years, turning him into a cute, occasionally hilarious Flyer who could finally make children laugh at his antics. All the while, he remained in the shadow of his friends, being the smallest one in the group and incapable of being an effective leader or being the one to think the situation through like Littlefoot (or occasionally Cera) could. Sure, one of the sequels gave him an "evil" uncle who became a big favorite and earned Petrie more fans and doubters, but he just didn't seem like a character who could truly shine.
However, Great Day of the Flyers finally brought Petrie out of his friends' shadows and showed us what he is truly capable of.
First off, we finally get our first true glimpse into his family life (aside from his uncle), and like Stone of Cold Fire, it is not pretty. The relationship he has with his siblings has become so strained that the family has almost reached its second breaking point (after what happened to Pterano), but his mother loves him just the way he is despite his many flaws because he is her flesh and blood and would do anything to cheer him up.
As soon as Guido begins to bring out the best in Petrie, he is finally beginning to show the potential we've been waiting to see from him for years. Then, that very night, when Guido started sleep-walking and the Gang followed him out of the valley whilst discovering that he is a sleep flyer, Petrie did something he would NEVER have done when we first met this young Flyer. When Littlefoot suggested that he stay in the Great Valley and rest up for the Day of the Flyers, Petrie (in an act previously uncharacteristic of him) overruled him and took off after Guido.
In my opinion, this screenshot tells everything you need to know about Petrie's change of character in comparison to his earlier years. The Petrie from the original movie and the early sequels would have been nothing like this. He was about to put himself in harm's way just to save his newest friend whom had coached him during his practice sessions. He had just taken over the lead on this rescue mission from Littlefoot. He knew what he was about to get himself into. He knew what the repercussions were. He knew his friends were miles behind him and wouldn't be able to step in to help until much later. And yet, when he got right in the face of that Sailback Sharptooth, he didn't have a characteristic flinch nor show even the slightest hint of fear. He didn't care about anything in that moment besides saving Guido. This was pure bravery. This was the kind of bravery we usually only saw from Littlefoot, and sometimes Cera.
Then, once the Day of the Flyers was underway, he finally gathered the courage to stand up to his siblings and be himself (perhaps one of the biggest lessons of the film), and his siblings finally accept his uniqueness and flying style, impressing everyone in the Great Valley.
And finally, to cap it all off for Petrie, he again showed his newfound bravery when, while in the midst of the Day of the Flyers, he willingly abandons the flying test, ignoring the cries of his siblings to finish the test lest everything fall apart, and he steps in to help Guido rescue the infant Tricia from falling down a dangerous waterfall that would have certainly killed her, knowing that the precious, innocent life of a cute, newborn hatchling was much more important than a flying test, a sentiment which his mother later agreed with. Only now do Petrie's siblings see for themselves just how brave he has become, and seeing him struggle with Tricia's heavier weight, they soar in to help their brother save the day. Petrie proved himself a hero that day and even earned the admiration of Topps for saving his daughter's life, which as we all know, is very rare.
Petrie was, without a doubt, a changed character in this movie. He finally stepped out of his comfort zone and became not just an admirable Flyer, but he ultimately became a hero. Even if we wouldn't see this level of bravery from him again, this was a new side to him that I immensely enjoyed seeing the first time I watched this installment.
And let me just say that Tricia is such an adorable character. Every time she was on screen, she was the cutest sight in the valley. It was really heartwarming to see the normally gruff Cera slowly warm up to her new baby sister after feeling as though she was being ignored by her father and stepmother because of Tricia. The added touch of ending this story arc with Tricia speaking her first word (Cera's name) was the icing on the cake for the Threehorn subplot of this film.
The main plot and subplot even came full circle, as Tricia, of course, inadvertently interfered in the Day of the Flyers by falling into the fast-flowing river that led straight to a huge waterfall. Her inability to swim (due to her being a baby), cries for help and Guido's feeble attempts at saving her caught Petrie's attention right in the middle of the Great Valley's flying spectacle, and the young Flyer sprang right into action to save the day.
Many don't consider this to be one of the best sequels, but personally I love this film because it really gives great insights into Petrie's character, and you all know how I feel about that. Simply the fact that Petrie is my favorite character brought this movie high up for me.
